TinmanMS6
01-21-2008, 08:15 AM
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The jury’s still out on whether a Pontiac G8 pickup is in the wings for North America, but visitors to this year’s New York Auto Show may well see some form of a Holden-based ute. Product czar Bob Lutz has told the Australian car website GoAuto that a a four-door pickup crossover, based off Holden’s current VE Commodore, will appear as a GMC-branded concept at the show.
“It’s a very interesting study,” said Lutz, “in that it is a GMC tough-looking four-door ute that could then obviously be badged as a Holden for Australia.”
Reportedly, the pickup closely resembles a mix between the current Commodore and the previous Crewman four-door ‘ute, which isn’t surprising, given the entire concept was reportedly designed by Holden’s staff in Melbourne. Lutz says the vehicle mixes tough with a very low and aggressive stance - although it may not be love at first sight.
“The first time you see it,” he said, “you might go ‘Whoa! I’m not sure I like this!’… because it is so tough and masculine looking. But the longer you look at the proportions the more right it looks for the type of image that it is trying to portray.”
What isn’t known is if the concept is any sort of precursor to production; Lutz wouldn’t comment much other than to say it presently isn’t slated for assembly lines. That said, if the concept plays well with the public, positive reaction - as well as the new CAFE standard - may help bring the vehicle to American GM dealers. Lutz told GoAuto that in order to get better fuel economy from their pickups, they may have to move away from full-sized, body-on-frame vehicles in order to achieve the lower mass offered by unitized construction.
Lutz also lent his voice to the possibility of a Pontiac G8 pickup, based off the two-door Holden VE Ute. Lutz said it was under investigation and “can’t be confirmed” at this point, but noted one dillemma stood with how to market the vehicle. Although Americans look to the vehicle as a revival of the long-lost Chevrolet El Camino, he noted the recent onslaught of bowtie-badged product means the brand doesn’t need any new additions.
“That is the last thing we would do because Chevrolet has been blessed with so many great products that we are at the limit to what the dealers can focus on. It would be [given to] somebody else other than Chevrolet, and then the question is: would you give it to Pontiac or GMC?”
On that end, Pontiac may win favor, if only because all the Pontiac-styled sheetmetal and fascia parts have already been designed. But if GMC takes the crew-cab version, a two-door offering may also play well into that brand’s lineup.
The jury’s still out on whether a Pontiac G8 pickup is in the wings for North America, but visitors to this year’s New York Auto Show may well see some form of a Holden-based ute. Product czar Bob Lutz has told the Australian car website GoAuto that a a four-door pickup crossover, based off Holden’s current VE Commodore, will appear as a GMC-branded concept at the show.
“It’s a very interesting study,” said Lutz, “in that it is a GMC tough-looking four-door ute that could then obviously be badged as a Holden for Australia.”
Reportedly, the pickup closely resembles a mix between the current Commodore and the previous Crewman four-door ‘ute, which isn’t surprising, given the entire concept was reportedly designed by Holden’s staff in Melbourne. Lutz says the vehicle mixes tough with a very low and aggressive stance - although it may not be love at first sight.
“The first time you see it,” he said, “you might go ‘Whoa! I’m not sure I like this!’… because it is so tough and masculine looking. But the longer you look at the proportions the more right it looks for the type of image that it is trying to portray.”
What isn’t known is if the concept is any sort of precursor to production; Lutz wouldn’t comment much other than to say it presently isn’t slated for assembly lines. That said, if the concept plays well with the public, positive reaction - as well as the new CAFE standard - may help bring the vehicle to American GM dealers. Lutz told GoAuto that in order to get better fuel economy from their pickups, they may have to move away from full-sized, body-on-frame vehicles in order to achieve the lower mass offered by unitized construction.
Lutz also lent his voice to the possibility of a Pontiac G8 pickup, based off the two-door Holden VE Ute. Lutz said it was under investigation and “can’t be confirmed” at this point, but noted one dillemma stood with how to market the vehicle. Although Americans look to the vehicle as a revival of the long-lost Chevrolet El Camino, he noted the recent onslaught of bowtie-badged product means the brand doesn’t need any new additions.
“That is the last thing we would do because Chevrolet has been blessed with so many great products that we are at the limit to what the dealers can focus on. It would be [given to] somebody else other than Chevrolet, and then the question is: would you give it to Pontiac or GMC?”
On that end, Pontiac may win favor, if only because all the Pontiac-styled sheetmetal and fascia parts have already been designed. But if GMC takes the crew-cab version, a two-door offering may also play well into that brand’s lineup.