Before I get into the drive, I just wanted to finish up the platform sharing discussion. Because of the importance of
C-segment vehicles in the Canadian market, GM chose to replicate the Cobalt as a Pontiac model so that its Pontiac dealers (usually grouped with Buick and GMC) would have a sportier and slightly larger vehicle than the Wave (also a Canadian-exclusive model based on the Aveo for the same reasons), but coming in at a price point below the G6's $23,000 starting price.
In fact, three out of the top five sellers in Canada this year are compact cars, according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, and GM surely wants to crack this list, if not with the Cobalt alone then in spirit with combined sales of the Cobalt and Pursuit. Compact car sales account for about half of all new car sales here in the north, so this is truly the bread-and-butter territory for carmakers in our market, despite marginal per-car profits. This year's numbers are slightly muddled because of lingering sales of the outgoing Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire, plus the mid-year arrival of coupes and SS supercharged models rounding out the Cobalt/Pursuit lineup, but you get my drift.
Before I get too carried away analyzing GM's hopes of taking the C-segment by storm, I should get back to discussing the one piece of the puzzle
that I am most familiar with: the new 2006 Pontiac Pursuit Coupe GT. I'm gonna give away my final verdict right here as a reward for putting up with all my economics blabbering... it's a perfect fit for Pontiac and for GM in Canada.
No doubt all trim levels of the Pursuit will do well because of their appealingly low prices, starting with a $16,140 sticker for the barebones 2- or 4-door. Throw in a few airbags, a chassis and suspension developed in Europe for more sporting tastes, a downright stylish interior interface (love the satin-effect plastics and red-on-grey gauges), and you have yourself a great starter Pontiac (okay, there is the Wave, once again, but I won't go down that tangent here and now).
 |
| Because of the importance of C-segment vehicles in the Canadian market, GM chose to replicate the Cobalt as a Pontiac so that its Pontiac dealers would have something smaller in their lineup than just the midsize G6. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press) |
In fact, three out of the top five sellers in Canada this year are compact cars, according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, and GM surely wants to crack this list, if not with the Cobalt alone then in spirit with combined sales of the Cobalt and Pursuit. Compact car sales account for about half of all new car sales here in the north, so this is truly the bread-and-butter territory for carmakers in our market, despite marginal per-car profits. This year's numbers are slightly muddled because of lingering sales of the outgoing Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire, plus the mid-year arrival of coupes and SS supercharged models rounding out the Cobalt/Pursuit lineup, but you get my drift.
Before I get too carried away analyzing GM's hopes of taking the C-segment by storm, I should get back to discussing the one piece of the puzzle
 |
| I'm gonna give away my final verdict right here... The Pursuit Coupe GT is a perfect fit for Pontiac. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press) |
No doubt all trim levels of the Pursuit will do well because of their appealingly low prices, starting with a $16,140 sticker for the barebones 2- or 4-door. Throw in a few airbags, a chassis and suspension developed in Europe for more sporting tastes, a downright stylish interior interface (love the satin-effect plastics and red-on-grey gauges), and you have yourself a great starter Pontiac (okay, there is the Wave, once again, but I won't go down that tangent here and now).