The 2010 Pontiac G8 model lineup will include the G8 Sport Truck. Consumers will be allowed to vote on a more permanent name for the truck.

Consumer Guide’s Impressions of the 2010 Pontiac G8

Pontiac thumbs its nose at high gas prices by adding a high-style pickup version of its new G8 sedan--and maybe a sportwagon too. The timing looks way off in these troubled times, but this is a troubled brand that needs “a difference to sell.”

What We Know About the 2010 Pontiac G8

The housing slump, tighter credit, signs of recession, gasoline heading toward $4 a gallon. Not the best time to introduce performance cars, right? Yet General Motors will do just that by supplementing the new Pontiac G8 sedan with a zoomy pickup derivative recalling the classic Chevrolet El Camino. Pontiac may also add a four-door G8 sportwagon, but GM product czar Bob Lutz has lately hinted that may be stillborn. Why? The government’s new 35-mpg fleet-average fuel-economy mandate for 2020, which threatens to make larger, thirstier vehicles an outlaw species.

Like the G8 sedan, the pickup and possible sportwagon are based on the latest VE-series Holden Commodore at GM’s Australian branch. G8s are also built by Holden, as was the 2004-06 Pontiac GTO based on Holden’s Monaro coupe.

That reborn “Goat” bombed with muscle-car diehards, so you might wonder why GM is going back to the down-under well. There are two reasons. First, GM is taking Pontiac back to sporty performance cars in hopes of giving the sagging brand a winning identity within the nascent Buick-Pontiac-GMC sales channel. The G8 is a cost-effective fit for that mission. Once the Torrent crossover SUV is replaced by the 2009 GMC Terrain, Pontiac will be all cars, all the time. Which means the new pickup will be marketed as the car-like vehicle it is, not a truck.

Second, the late GTO was a Hail-Mary play with an elderly design, whereas G8s use the brand-new Holden-developed rear-drive architecture once known as Zeta. In the modern cost-saving way, this global platform is scalable so it can serve dissimilar vehicles. Indeed, it’s also the basis of Chevrolet’s reborn Camaro, coming for 2009 to take on the Ford Mustang in a new battle of the ponycars.

Trouble is, GM planned its new generation of large rear-drive cars several years ago, gambling that gas prices would level off and that Congress wouldn’t go crazy with higher fuel-economy standards. But recent events have prompted second thoughts, so GM is fast canceling projects ill-suited to the grimmer market realities. These include a second-generation Cadillac Northstar V8 and a rumored Zeta-based Cadillac sedan to replace the slow-selling DTS and STS. Now it seems the 2010 Pontiac G8 sportwagon may be a no-show as well. Of course, the G8 sedans and 2009 Camaro were too far down the pipeline to stop. So, too, apparently the 2010 Pontiac G8 pickup, though it’s unclear how long that would be available in the U.S. From here on, no automaker can afford to sell too many thirsty vehicles and still meet the new mpg mandates. Besides, Holden can only build so many G8s each year.

Regardless of what finally does show up, the 2010 Pontiac G8 pickup differs from its sedan sisters mainly in dimensions. The "sport truck" adds about four inches to wheelbase, about six inches to overall length, and boasts a slightly beefed-up structure. The pickup--what the Aussies call a “ute”--is scarcely heavier than a comparably equipped sedan, helped by unibody construction with an integral, not separate, cargo box.

Otherwise, the 2010 Pontiac G8 pickup will pretty much duplicate the G8 GT sedan features and options. That includes front-end styling, dashboard design, 6.0-liter V8 engine, four-wheel independent suspension (via front struts and rear multilink geometry), and large four-wheel antilock disc brakes within standard 18-inch wheels.

The only transmission for the pickup is a six-speed automatic. Though the V8-powered top-line GXP sedan also offers a six-speed manual, we don’t expect that option in the pickup or possible Sportwagon, due to their lower projected sales.

A Notable Feature of the 2010 Pontiac G8

In looks and target audience, the 2010 Pontiac G8 pickup really does echo the old Chevy El Camino. Pontiac is holding a contest to choose this sport truck's final name, so we'll have to wait to find out what the badges will read. Whatever it’s called, the Holden-designed “ute” has two doors, one-row seating for two people, reportedly ample in-cab storage, and a drop-down tailgate. Its payload rating betrays car DNA at about 1316 pounds according to Pontiac. Towing capacity is 3500 pounds. A factory-fitted composite box liner should be standard.

As for the now-iffy 2010 Pontiac G8 sportwagon, it’s a conventional but clean-looking design with a rear liftgate, two-row seating for five, and no SUV styling gestures. Holden conceived it as a lower-cost Aussie-market alternative to swank Euro wagons like the Audi A6, BMW 5-Series, and Mercedes E-Class. The G8 version would play a similar role here--if GM brings it here.

Buying Advice for the 2010 Pontiac G8

It’s worth noting that all G8s fall into Consumer Guide’s “large car” category. They’re about the same overall size as the rear-drive Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger sedans, which also offer V6 and V8 engines, plus all-wheel drive. The segment also includes the Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable sedans, both of which offer front drive or all-wheel drive, but no V8.

GM is expanding the G8 line to give Pontiac an image-building “difference to sell.” Trouble is, moderately priced old-school wagons have been passé for years, and car-based pickups have been MIA since the mid-1980s. With that and the way the economy is going, this pair could be a tough sell without some “cash on the hood,” especially given mediocre estimated fuel economy of high-teens city, low-20s highway. Then again, GM doesn’t expect any G8 to deliver blockbuster sales. Even the mainstream sedans are forecast to draw a modest 30,000-50,000 orders a year. The wagon and pickup combined would be lucky to score half that. So, let your budget and carbon conscience be your guides, then walk away if the dealer doesn’t offer a discount or some other deal-sweetener.

2010 Pontiac G8 Release Date: Exact timing is unclear, but the G8 pickup should be on sale by the end of 2009.

2010 Pontiac G8 First Test Drive: If the above proves out, media previews would be held in summer or early fall of 2009.

2010 Pontiac G8 Prices: For 2008, G8 GT sedan pricing runs from about $30,000 to the $32,000 area. We’d guess the G8 “El Camino” will be priced about the same. The sportwagon--if there is one--would likely be in the $28,000-$34,000 bracket.

For more inside information on hundreds of new cars of today and tomorrow, check out:

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• Pontiac: Read Consumer Guide's full reports, including ratings, prices, specifications, and fuel economy.
• Large Cars: The 2010 Pontiac G8 will compete in the large car class. Here's Consumer Guide's roundup of all the large cars on sale today.
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