A Serious Domestic Threat to the Imports Other than an intense curiosity, I can't say I was looking forward to driving the
G6. Don't get me wrong, I think it
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| In all honesty, I can't say I was initially looking forward to driving the new Pontiac G6. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
looks superb and expected it to drive pretty well considering Pontiac derives its general framework from GM's Epsilon architecture, that also underpins the sensation Saab 9-3 and commendable Malibu among others. So why the hesitation? I guess it comes down to the fact that I hate cheap interiors, and in this regard Pontiac has hardly impressed me in recent years despite a promise to improve. After all, if the top-of-the-line Bonneville and Grand Prix models deliver bargain-basement interior quality, then what could I honestly expect from a lesser model?
As it seems a heck of a lot! Pontiac's future looks promising as sub-grade interiors appear to be a dark memory buried deep in the past, at least when it comes to the G6. I kept touching and tapping the dash, window surrounds, center console and just about everywhere else, amazed at how this domestic brand
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| Pontiac's future looks promising as sub-grade interiors appear to be a dark memory buried deep in the past, at least when it comes to the G6 (base model shown). (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
had somehow morphed its Grand Am from one of the worst offenders in its class to one of the best in cabin execution. It's also important to consider that the cars I drove were preproduction, usually lower quality than production models. Nevertheless the shiny, brittle plastic of the Grand Am was nonexistent, replaced with low-gloss, impressively textured surfaces throughout. GM made sure the journalists at the event understood that the G6 interior would improve even beyond what we were experiencing ahead of the game, with additional aluminum trim on the center stack components. The red-on-black backlit gauges would also be white-on-black during the day, a change that I believe will improve instrument visibility.
