Although the EPA has already approved the Pontiac G3 – the Pontiac Wave for our neighbors to the north — for sale in the U.S., it appears it might not be full speed ahead for the economy car from Korea. A new report indicates that Pontiac has put the brakes on the G3 program.
Although the G3/Wave – which is essentially a rebadged version of the Chevrolet Aveo — is available in Mexico and Canada, GM isn’t quite ready to bring the G3 to the U.S. “Right now, we don’t have that vehicle approved for U.S. consumption,” Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson told Edmunds.
That should be good news for purists who believe the Pontiac brand should be reserved for more sporting models, but it will also take away one more fuel-sipping model away from those who want an economical ride. The EPA rates the four-speed automatic G3 at 25/34 mpg city/highway while the five-speed manual G3 returns 27/34 mpg city/highway.
However, the delay does not mean the G3 program is entirely cancelled. With gas prices expected to shoot back up to the $4 mark, the G3 could be on the market within the next year or so.
