In terms of Pontiac models you didn’t realize existed, it doesn’t get much more obscure than the unassuming G3. This little car represents Pontiac’s tradition of rebadging at its finest, being little more than a Chevrolet Aveo with different bodywork. A G3 is an entry-level subcompact 4-door sedan or 5-door hatchback — cheap, practical, and almost entirely functional. It was originally known in Canada as the Pontiac Wave, production beginning for the 2005 model year. And you’re far more likely to find a Wave than a G3, considering the latter was only available in 2009.
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This means the G3 is also not exactly common. In fact, a G3 ranks as one of the rarest regular-production Pontiac models, with only 6,233 claimed to be sold. Pontiac never released an official number, however, so “around 6,000” seems to be the safest guess. Such a rare vehicle must be quite valuable, right? Actually, a G3 is one of the cheapest Pontiacs. When one does come up for sale, it’s generally around $3,000 to $4,000, depending on condition and mileage.
The only substantial facelift the underlying Aveo received was in 2007, with a full redesign that created the standard G3 body shape. The G3 was about as basic as basic got for Pontiac, and it never made any waves (no pun intended) in the U.S. market. Let’s take a look under the proverbial hood at this quirky little car and its features (or lack thereof).
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The end of Pontiac and the Aveo platform
Pontiac was in full panic mode by the late 2000s, and justifiably so. The entire automotive industry was slammed by a crippling financial crisis in 2008, with American automakers collectively selling less than a million cars a month at its height. This era witnessed the slow death of a number of marques, notably GM’s budget-oriented Saturn and sportier Pontiac divisions. But they didn’t go down without a fight. GM badge-engineered not just Pontiac’s entry-level G3 from the Chevrolet Aveo, but the Aveo from Daewoo. This wasn’t even the first time Pontiac badge-engineered a Daewoo – another noteworthy model was the revived Pontiac LeMans.
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Pontiac marketed the G3 as a budget-friendly, fun little compact with ample interior space, contrary to the brand’s typical sporty image. It used a pedestrian 1.6L LXV inline-four with 106 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque, mated to either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission, suiting its functional purpose well. Though it was by no means bad, contemporary reviews criticized its lack of power and excitement. That probably didn’t help sales, especially considering this was a Pontiac — a badge associated with contemporaries like the hp-laden Pontiac G8, GTO, and Solstice.
One could certainly do worse in 2009 when shopping for a cheap daily commuter, and that’s all the G3 ever aspired to be. But Pontiac folded not long after the G3’s introduction, leaving it with very few examples to begin with, much less ones still floating around.
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