General Motors’ new Pontiac G3 hasn’t been on the market for all that long, but the little hatchback is struggling right out of the gates. Essentially a rebadged version of the Chevrolet Aveo, the G3 isn’t striking a chord with buyers, whether due to poor marketing or other reasons.
During the month of March, GM’s 2,700 Pontiac dealers managed to sell only 141 examples of the G3. In comparison, Hummer dealers enjoyed 488 H3 sales. Even Saab ’s 9-3, which sold 389 units in March, has bragging rights over Pontiac’s most modestly priced model.
In fact, if sales of the G3 were to remain constant, GM wouldn’t even have to produce another one for a year and a half. According to the Wall Street Journal, Pontiac dealers currently have 3,479 G3s in stock – working out to a 617-day inventory.
That massive supply brings into question whether GM really needed to bring the G3 to market. Sure sales will probably pick up – especially if gas shoots back to $4 a gallon – but it doesn’t look as though the G3 will become the volume seller dealers were looking for. Pontiac- Buick - GMC dealers were clamoring for a high-mileage vehicle when gas prices peaked last summer, but perhaps the early stumbling of the G3 proves GM really doesn’t need five – or more – brands offering essentially the same vehicles.
