Pontiac’s future could become increasingly dominated by rebadged imports from GM’s foreign brands, but the fate of one such car is now on shaky ground. According to a new report, the G8 ST “sport truck” — derived from the Holden Ute — might not come to the United States after all.
GM is said to be reconsidering plans to offer the model in North America due to changing market conditions. The low-volume two-door pickup model had projected U.S. sales of just 5,000 units a year.
“We are having lots of discussions,” Susan Docherty, vice president of Buick -Pontiac- GMC , told Automotive News. “We would be foolish if we didn’t take a second look at whether or not that is the right thing to do.”
But Docherty made it clear the regular G8 sedan — a rebadged Holden Commodore — has been a successful endeavor. In fact, look for more such projects from Pontiac. Docherty said GM is “not going to spend tons of money on product development” for Pontiac, and will rather focus on strategies involving a “minimal amount of investment.”
She went on to say the G3 — a Pontiac version of the Daewoo-engineered Chevrolet Aveo — will have a short life in the company’s lineup. The car was designed to “fill a void” on a “short-term basis,” Docherty explained. It will help the company reach mileage-conscious buyers on a budget, she added. Whether Pontiac will get a replacement compact hatchback after the G3 goes out of production remains to be seen.
