Pontiac's dual personality sports coupe
With the movement toward hard-top convertibles, is there really a need for a coupe AND a convertible in one make? If you’re a Pontiac G6, the answer is a resounding “No!”
A little history ... G6 is the Pontiac variant of the GM Epsilon platform that bears other names such as the Saab 9-3, Chev Malibu and Saturn Aura (and several others in other world markets). It replaced the Grand Am in 2005, originally in sedan and coupe bodystyles (as was the Grand Am), followed by the hard-top convertible in 2006.
GM created a lovely piece of sculpture in the G6 convertible, retaining the fast-flowing lines of the coupe and adding the ability to fold up that roof into the car’s trunk in less than 30 seconds. It is the only maker in this segment to successfully do all that — competitors such as the Toyota Solara keep the lines but use a soft-top, while others such as the Chrysler Sebring have the hard-top but make the car ugly.
You’d be hard-pressed to spot the differences between G6 coupe and convertible at a glance, with the tell-tale sign's being the roof and deck-lid panel gaps. The rear three-quarter window is also slightly modified.
But as nice of a job as the company did in preserving the shape, it couldn’t pull the same magic in utility. As with other such designs, the trunk lid is a piece of heavy metal that takes a bit of will and power to close in one motion. It’s not as difficult as the Sebring’s, but it’s not as easy a Volvo C70’s.
With the roof in the trunk, you’d better not (a) try to put any cargo in; and (b) have what you want out of there because you aren’t going to get it without putting the roof back up. It’s such a tight fit in there that Calista Flockhart would have a tough time getting in and out even when she’s between meals.
The other neat thing about the way the G6 body flows is that front seat occupants feel very little turbulence when driving with the roof down and the windows up. It almost negates the need for the optional windblocker, since you’d have to go through all the trouble of installing it and you couldn’t take rear-seat passengers anyway.
Rear seat comfort is very good, thanks to the scooping out of the front seatbacks. The individual positions allow plenty of elbow room, with the only obvious omission's being armrests. The upsweep of the window line gives the impression of sittling low in the tub and keeps smaller occupants a bit sheltered from the wind (not much, though, and even the smallest children will get out of the car with tussled hair).
The seats themselves are well padded for comfort and support during aggressive handling exercises. The car itself is rather heavy and there is noticeable weight transfer during quick side-to-side changes. On this aspect, the coupe is considerably better, as is the sedan.
The chassis itself is nailed down pretty taut and there is nary a hint of body flex either with the top up or down except over severely pockmarked city streets, where there was a barely audible pressure “click” from the rear-roof joint (probably because it has to deal with glass and metal and rubber all coming together at this point). Other than that, the roof locks up tighter than Maple Leaf wallets at the free-agent deadline.
Although an iteration of the latest boring GM dash design, the G6 centre stack lights up at night in the traditional Pontiac orange. That’s an anomaly these days, since most manufacturers are going with the cooler blue night-lights for their instruments.
Power is supplied by an optional 3.9-litre variable-valve timed V6 that puts out plenty of oomph to get the car moving from a standstill or around rolling obstructions, while maintaining a decent economy figure.
It would be nice to have a couple extra gears, but the four-speed automatic is in keeping with what we’ve come to expect from GM — smooth and crisp — and the addition of a sequential shift mode adds to the sportiness and aids in both economy and power delivery.
Overall, the G6 convertible is a terrific car that might put a bite into G6 coupe sales, except that GM puts a $7,500 premium on the convertible roof and for the same cash-outlay you can get a GXP coupe complete with 250-hp V6 and six-speed automatic.
Fact File
2007 Pontiac G6 GT convertible
As tested, before tax: $41,910
Options: GT Performance Package ($3,490) includes 3.9L V6, 18-inch ultra-bright aluminum wheels, leather accented bucket seats, heated front seats, power driver’s seat, climate control, stability control and chrome exhaust tips; front side impact airbags ($515); upgraded sound system with in-dash 6-CD changer ($435); satellite radio with 3 months service ($260)
Freight: $1,250
Configuration: front engine/front-wheel drive
Engine/Transmission: 3.9L V6/4-speed automatic
Horsepower: 227 @ 6,000 rpm
Torque: 235 lb.-ft. @ 3,000 rpm
Fuel required: 62 litres, regular
EnerGuide fuel ratings (L/100 km): 13.6 city; 8.9 hwy.
Observed fuel economy: 10.7 L/100 km combined over 740 km
Warranty: 3 years/60,000 km
Competition: Chrysler Sebring; Toyota Solara; Volkswagen Eos
Strengths: Well controlled turbulence; smooth, powerful acceleration; quiet interior
Weaknesses: No trunk room with top stowed; uninspired interior
MSRP: $35,960
Engines available: 3.5L V6 (217 hp/217 lb.-ft.); 3.9L V6 227 hp/235 lb.-ft.)
Transmissions available: 4-speed auto with sequential shift
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