Late last year when GM announced plans to sell a Pontiac-badged version (G3) of the Korean made Chevy Aveo, many of us asked why. Well apparently car buyers have asked the same question or have at least ignored the thinky revised Chevy Aveo that is now also sitting in Pontiac showrooms as the Pontiac G3.
Last month Pontiac only sold 141 units, which means that roughly only 1 in every 19 of GM's approximately 2,700 Pontiac dealers sold a G3. To make matters worse at the end of March Pontiac dealers had 3,479 G3's in stock, which based on the current selling rate would mean that it would take 617 days to move them...almost two years!
Of course the G3 was just launched in February and sometimes it takes new models a few months to ramp up, but the news doesn't look good.
Full Story: Wall Street Journal
Related Stories:
2009 Pontiac G3 Unveiled...Why Do We Need Another Aveo?
Comments (21)
Even though I like GM, I questioned this vehicle, it seems like an unnecessary waste of a car.
Posted by Jeremy | April 14, 2009 10:41 AM
Posted on April 14, 2009 10:41
These cars can move in some part of asia but i highly doubt that now with where GM is heading.
Posted by Lancewood | April 14, 2009 11:47 AM
Posted on April 14, 2009 11:47
yeah, just what does that car think it has to smile about anyway?
Posted by Akkadain | April 14, 2009 11:53 AM
Posted on April 14, 2009 11:53
The problem is they let the dealer network strong arm GM into giving them this. Its the 'me too' attitude. Now the dealers can't move them, big surprise. With the Vibe selling next to it, this thing never had a chance. A G3 is not and never should have been a Pontiac.
In other news, Pontiac is losing sales the slowest out of all GM brands and is quickly approaching the sales figures of GM's number two brand, GMC. It is just 1,500 units away from number two, compared to 13,000 units away from last year. It also manged to move more G8s then Vibes in March.
The biggest loses were Hummer, Saturn, and Saab in that order, ironically the three brands GM wants to off.
Posted by Avatar | April 14, 2009 12:19 PM
Posted on April 14, 2009 12:19
Pontiac needs just two cars: G8 and Solstice. period.
Enough of this badge engineered BS.
Please GM, pull your heads out of your collective arses before you disappear!
Posted by AutoBot | April 14, 2009 12:32 PM
Posted on April 14, 2009 12:32
@ AutoBot,
You're completely right. GM needs to make Pontiac a performance brand with limited models sold on Chevy lots.
I saw a G8 V8 yesterday in a store parking lot, it's a great looking car. It has a real Euro flair to it.
Posted by Noya | April 14, 2009 1:47 PM
Posted on April 14, 2009 13:47
@Noya and Autobot
Exactly...
And the key there should be performance. Having the G8 with a V6 is fine, but really it should be pushed with a V8.
And the Vibe is really a Toyota Matrix...so yeah it's gonna sell better than a G3/Aveo.
I'd buy a Kia before I'd own an Aveo.
Posted by Brian | April 14, 2009 2:52 PM
Posted on April 14, 2009 14:52
Looks like someone at the GM plants, left the machine in the on position...
For a week...............
or two months!!!
Posted by GT Fan | April 14, 2009 3:47 PM
Posted on April 14, 2009 15:47
The car is SMILE-ING... but I do not know why!
NO BODY WANTS YOU CAR!
Posted by Bradford | April 14, 2009 6:08 PM
Posted on April 14, 2009 18:08
They need to make it pure preformance:
Since they are killing the cobalt, keep the G5 and make a GXP with all the SS goodies. Its a shame to let such a Bang for Buck go away.
The Solsitce should be kept
The G8
And they need to make a G8 coupe.
Posted by muscleoverrice | April 14, 2009 6:11 PM
Posted on April 14, 2009 18:11
I think GM was trying to market this car more towards teenagers then anything else. It just screams 16-20 somethings wanting a cheap, stylish, gas saving car. If they dropped the base price to around 10 thousand, then it would prob be selling well right now. Problem is though why buy this and you can go out and buy a nice used 2 year old Ford Fusion SE for the same price that they are asking for this car right now new that looks a lot better has more power and safer.
Posted by SteelCity1981 | April 14, 2009 6:21 PM
Posted on April 14, 2009 18:21
It is too expensive. Personally I would buy one if it was under $7000.00
Posted by Andrew | April 14, 2009 6:48 PM
Posted on April 14, 2009 18:48
I'd consider buying one if we were still at war with Germany and Japan and someone put a gun to my head. LOL, just kidding - I still wouldn't buy one.
Posted by cobaltssman | April 14, 2009 10:58 PM
Posted on April 14, 2009 22:58
The MSRP on the G3 is $15,055. Are they smoking crack? Who in their right mind would buy this piece of crap when they could get a Honda Fit for $14,750 or a Toyota Yaris for under $13,000?
Aveo/G3 + High Price + Poor Engineering = FAIL
I totally agree 100% with what was said earlier.... Pontiac should stick with the G8 and Solstice and market themselves as more of the sporty, performance segment. GM and all their re-badging has set themselves up for the failure that they are now.
Posted by Icester | April 15, 2009 5:36 AM
Posted on April 15, 2009 05:36
Gm can shove the g3 up their ass, and say hello to the focus svt.
Posted by ArrineF | April 15, 2009 9:54 AM
Posted on April 15, 2009 09:54
The Pontiac G3 has been on sale in Canada for a number of years now (It arrived soon after the Aveo) where it was known as the Wave until the 2009 model year.
However I am not sure why, but pricing is completely different between the US and the Canadian versions. A Canadian can buy a G3 for $9995 with 0% financing. This means that you could potentially get one for less than $50 a week. You can't buy a used vehicle in Canada at 0% financing, you're lucky if you can find one less than 5%.
Is this a good car? No, and I don't think that you would get anybody arguing there. This car is marketed towards the student needing reliable (i.e. - warranty) transportation for going to university, the stay-at-home mom for getting groceries or running errands, lower income people who want a new car, and the individual who just needs a car for whatever reason and like the 0% financing.
I'm not surprised that Pontiac has a surplus of G3's on their lots because it is overshadowed by the Chevy Aveo, and even that vehicle doesn't sell in great quantities.
I also agree that it shouldn't be a Pontiac because it ruins the "sports car" image that the brand has represented itself as.
I guess that I don't have a point to this entry except that I don't like to see people bashing a vehicle without taking into account all of the variables as to why it exists. Review a vehicle based on the context of the people who will be buying them. If your drive a C-Class Mercedes or a GMC Sierra, don't compare it to this car
Posted by Mr. D | April 16, 2009 4:59 AM
Posted on April 16, 2009 04:59
So agreed. G3 = fail because its in the wrong brand.
To the guy who said Pontiac's should be sold at Chevrolet dealerships in the performance department: good idea. Chevrolet can have its own "The American Toyota" brand, where the cars are meant to go head to head against Toyota models, but then GM can move the G8, Solstice, and G6 (which needs rwd and a V6 standard) in the performance department next to the Corvette.
Posted by Allen | April 16, 2009 12:26 PM
Posted on April 16, 2009 12:26
The G3 is a rebadged Aveo, which is essentailly a GM massaged Daiwoo. The Aveo actually sells pretty well for GM, helps GM comply with CAFE standards, and GM has invested some time/effort to update the vehicle. However, their are far superior B-class cars in the marketplace (Fit,Versa) that are not much more expensive that an Aveo. The G3 just seems like an afterthought and while it is probably a good commuter car, their are better on the same lot.
Posted by longdxcommuter | April 17, 2009 2:36 PM
Posted on April 17, 2009 14:36
When is the Cadillac version coming out?
Posted by JB | April 18, 2009 11:28 PM
Posted on April 18, 2009 23:28
donate them all to China,it's about time we sent a deadly product to them instead of vice versa.
Posted by Patrick | April 20, 2009 3:02 PM
Posted on April 20, 2009 15:02
@ Patrick. lol
but really gm should have known better.
Posted by patman08 | April 21, 2009 6:55 AM
Posted on April 21, 2009 06:55