2010 Pontiac G8 ST Is DOA

By Marty Padgett January 6th, 2009

Email this page to your friend:

2010 Pontiac G8 ST
Enlarge Photo

We predicted it a few weeks back--or at least suggested it would be a grand candidate for the scrap heap. Now GM's gone and cancelled the 2010 Pontiac G8 ST, according to our buddy Mike over at PickupTrucks.com.

The latter-day El Camino was to be spun from the Pontiac G8 sedan chassis. It was due to go on sale later this year, and was named in a Web-based contest that ended up with the unimaginative initials ST.

The dealers who sell Pontiacs were told of the decision this morning. GM has said it's trimming down the Pontiac lineup to no more than three vehicles, and with interesting stuff like the 2009 Solstice, G8 sedan and Fiero--wait, they don't sell a Fiero anymore?--the weird-idea ST will never launch.

---

Make sure you check out our partner sites dedicated to focused news, reviews and more for Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, and the Toyota Prius.

Posted in: 2010, Pontiac, Pickups, G8

Tokyo Bloodbath: 2009 Version

By Marty Padgett January 6th, 2009

Email this page to your friend:

Enlarge Photo

Not that we needed any more bad news on a mid-recession Tuesday morning, but it appears that things in Japan keep getting worse.

First comes word from Honda that it's shelving plans for many new models for at least two years. That means many things--including no new, snazzy Acuras to compete in the luxury market. There's even talk of streamlining production of the company's highly popular Accord; currently, there's a version made for U.S. consumers, and another for the rest of the world, but making a one-size-fits-all model would certainly save some yen.

Then comes Toyota's announcement that it's shutting down production in its Japanese plants for 11 full days. The last time that happened? In 1993--for one day. The shutdown might have something to do with the company's profit projections--which sound healthy at $555 million, but not when you consider that last year, Toyota was over $18 billion in the black. Ouch.

None of us on this side of the Pacific is reveling in the fact that Japanese automakers are getting hit as badly as their American counterparts, but it's nice to know we're not alone.

--Richard Read

---

Make sure you check out our partner sites dedicated to focused news, reviews and more for Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, and the Toyota Prius.

Tags: Industry, Japan

Kia Soul Concept to Show in Detroit

By Colin Mathews January 6th, 2009

Email this page to your friend:

Kia Soul Concept NAIAS
Enlarge Photo

A wedgy, funky little Soul concept will be shown at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. They gave us the image above, plus a strangely constructed, spare description that included this verbiage: "Kia Motors will unveil for the first time anywhere a new concept vehicle." From that we can only conclude that Kia feels it has the market cornered on new concept vehicles. That's definitely the head-scratch of the day, and it must be that Kia PR folk are either too stressed watching car sales vanish to do a final edit, or they forgot to Americanize the release sent to them by their notoriously controlling Korean overseers.

They say the concept will "demonstrate the flexibility of the original design first shown at the 2006 NAIAS," to which we say, "All right already! It's 2009!" They've been dragging the poor little Soul around to auto shows for going on three years, so the attempt to build hype is wearing thin. We just saw the production version of this Scion competitor at the LA Auto Show, and that was really the big news where the Soul is concerned.

It's a very Scion-like affair, and not at all objectionable stylistically. I'm not a fan of the blacked-out A-pillars that give the car a non-aerodynamic airscoop look, but I think it works a whole lot better here than on the Nissan GT-R. Americans are surely crying as they are forced to abandon the high-up perches of their SUVs, and perhaps vehicles like the Soul and Scion xB will strike a happy medium for some, being higher off the ground than many compact sedans.

The 1.6- and 2.0-liter four-cylinders won't win any races, but should hopefully resonate with those seeking high mpg. The small engines will likely earn the Soul higher mpg numbers than the Scion xB, which can only be had with a honking 2.4-liter four these days.--Colin Mathews

UPDATE: Here's another pic provided by Kia today. The Soul drama continues next Sunday in Detroit.