JonyyB

Canada-only sedan replaces Sunfire

Otherwise, it's identical to Chevy


LAURANCE YAP

In the past couple of years, most of the major automakers have come around to the fact that, despite the many similarities between Canada and the United States, our car markets are actually very different.

The reasons for that are too numerous to list here — ranging from our social priorities to our tax structures — but, in general, Canadians tend toward a more European model; our best-selling cars are compacts while those that do best in the States are mid-size sedans.

Canadians' predilection for small, cheap wheels has led to a number of manufacturers introducing Canada-only models. One of the most recent such products was the Toyota Echo, and there was the Acura 1.7 EL before that.

Since then, GM has introduced a line of Korean-built small cars, some of which (the Pontiac Wave and the Chevrolet Optra) aren't sold down south. Even Mercedes-Benz has gotten in on the action, by launching the Smart micro-car brand here a year before it's due to make inroads into the U.S. (Its first model, ironically, will be an SUV.)

What's interesting about the Pontiac Pursuit is that, unlike the Sunfire that came before, it's only going to be sold here.

Interestingly, Pontiac, an extroverted driver-centric brand that doesn't match the typical sensible stereotype, has always done very well in Canada. The Grand Am, for instance, led its class in sales through much of its lifetime and, despite is age, the Sunfire still does quite well here.

So why not take the all-new Cobalt, swap out the front bumper and a couple of trim pieces, and go chasing Pontiac buyers?

Interestingly, in an era where the rest of the industry, and General Motors in particular, is making increasing efforts to differentiate the various products they build on common architectures, the Pursuit looks almost identical to the Cobalt.

Parked beside each other at the Canadian Car of the Year TestFest last month, you could barely tell the Pursuit by its aggressive, BMW-inspired grille, its distinctive alloy wheels and its searing orange paint.

This isn't such a bad thing; the Sunfire besmirched the Cavalier's clean, elegant lines with spoilers and gills and cladding, while the Pursuit looks as smooth and unadorned as the Cobalt, just with more edge.

The Pursuit shares much of its interior bits with the Cobalt as well, which is a good thing because not only are the materials of a vastly improved quality and the panel gaps and general level of build light-years ahead, but also because the Cobalt's dashboard is clean, elegantly designed and easy-to-use, with all of the controls exactly where you would expect them to be.

Distinctive Pontiac touches are limited to different seat fabric and gauges; some of the upper-level Cobalt's more luxury-oriented trim pieces, such as fake-wood trim, aren't available, either.

Pursuit drives the same, with a torquey, flexible 140-hp Ecotec engine that is smooth but a bit noisier than the class average. It shifts smoothly through either of its transmissions — a five-speed manual with a stubby lever or a four-speed automatic.

It has better steering and brakes than you would expect, especially if you're coming out of a Sunfire. And it feels generally solid and pleasing, though it still falls short of the class-benchmark Mazda3.

Passengers are well taken care of, too. The seats are comfortable and supportive, and thanks to the high seating position and big glass area, the cabin feels more spacious than it is. Which is pretty spacious.


The trunk is tall and deep, and has a relatively low liftover, though the trunk lid itself feels a bit tinny compared to the rest of the car, which exudes a solidity and strength born from its new, ultra-modern Delta architecture.

The question is, now that the Pursuit is not much different from the Cobalt, is there really a point?

While I may not have liked the Sunfire's styling, clearly a lot of Canadian buyers did.

Also like Cobalt, with prices for the mainstream models starting around $20,000 and rising to over $25,000 with some options, the Pursuit's appreciably more expensive than the car it replaces, too (though there's now a Korean-built Wave for bargain seekers).

It's a good car, even a very good car — roomy, good to drive and solid — selling at a competitive price, something that we aren't used to in a world of crazy incentives and financing, especially from the domestics.

But is it good enough to sell for full sticker? Time will tell.