| Pontiac Aztek |
Article Index for Pontiac |
Website Links For Pontiac |
Information About ™Pontiac Aztek |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT PONTIAC AZTEK | |
| pontiac vehicles | |
| aztek | |
| crossover suvs | |
| commercial failures | |
| front wheel drive vehicles | |
| all wheel drive vehicles | |
| 2000s automobiles | |
The Pontiac Aztek, introduced late in the 2001 Model Year (launch alongside competitors the Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Highlander ) and produced through the 2005 model year, is a Mid-size Crossover SUV produced by the General Motors marque Pontiac . The vehicle is most noteworthy for its polarizing exterior styling which is a source of extensive ridicule from both the public and the press. BACKGROUND Given the fact that the vast majority of Sport Utility Vehicle s were rarely taken off-pavement by their owners, much less driven under serious off-road conditions, a new type of car-based " Cross-over " SUV was marketed that was hoped would provide all the elements that customers ''actually'' wanted from their SUVs such as cargo carrying capacity, elevated seating height and the suggestion of an active outdoor lifestyle with less of the negative attributes typically associated with traditional SUVs such as poor gas mileage, uncomfortable ride, high step-in height, propensity to roll over, etc. The formula of a car-based "soft-road" SUV had proved marketable by the highly successful Lexus RX300 and Toyota Highlander and was thought to be a promising new market niche within the highly profitable and increasingly popular SUV category. ORIGINAL CONCEPT First shown to the public in 1999 , the Pontiac Aztek Concept Car was fairly well received. It featured "Xtreme" futuristic styling and promised maximum versatility in support of a young and active lifestyle for its intended Generation 'X' buyer demographic. The production edition of the Aztek was launched with the tagline: ''"Quite possibly the most versatile vehicle on the planet."'' in conjunction with CBS 's hit game show, '' Survivor '' in 2001. However, Richard Hatch of ''Survivor'' won this car as a prize during the season finale of the show in 2000 . TECHNOLOGY AND NOTABLE FEATURES The Aztek was produced at General Motors' Ramos Arizpe , Mexico assembly plant, where it shared an assembly line with the Buick Rendezvous . In lieu of four wheel drive the Aztek offered Versatrak , a full time, fully-automatic All-wheel Drive system which provided sure-footed traction in the snow and wet could handle moderately rough off-road surfaces, but was not meant for serious 4X4 boulder-climbing, Rubicon Trail -type activities. The Aztek was one of the first automobiles to ever be designed entirely using computerized rapid-prototyping/rapid-visualization tools. This is the main reason for its boxy shape; it didn't appear this boxy on a computer screen. The dashboard was designed by NASA contractor Johnson Controls , and featured Pontiac's trademark red lighting scheme along with an optional Heads-up Display . The Aztek was equipped with a fold-forward front passenger seat which helped maximize cargo-carrying capacity. The Aztek was able to carry within its interior the proverbial 4'X 8' sheet of Plywood , a common and useful task most of its SUV competitors were unable to perform. In support of the Aztek's intended role as an accoutrement for a youthful, active lifestyle it offered a number of novel options/accessories, such as a center console that doubled as a removable cooler, a tent/inflatable mattress package that along with a built-in Air Compressor allowed the Aztek to double as an Camper , seatback mounted Backpack s, and a number of speciality racks for Bicycles , Canoe s, Snowboard s and the like. An optional 10 speaker Pioneer stereo system provided a set of controls located within the rear quarters of the vehicle for tail-gate parties as well as an unusual 2-piece tailgate with built-in cupholders designed to be used as a seating area during such activities. The Aztek was also available with two rear cargo area options, a pull-out cargo tray that held up to 400 pounds that rolled on built in wheels when removed from the vehicle, or a versatile cargo net system that held up to 200 pounds and could be configured a claimed 22 different ways. DISAPPOINTING SALES AND CRITICISM At launch the Aztek was available with either Front-wheel Drive or All-wheel Drive in base and GT trim. GM forecast sales of up to 75,000 Azteks per year, and needed to produce 30,000 annually to break even. Just 27,322 were sold in 2001 with more than 50% being sold to captive rental company fleets or used by General Motors executives. The styling of the Aztek was a source of great derision, to the extent that it was suggested that "Aztek" could become a replacement for " Edsel " as a synonym for failure in the modern lexicon. Although not the complete Flop that many people assume, the Aztek sales performance was certainly a major disappointment, and its failure in the marketplace has been cited as the most glaring example of the failings of GM President John Smale 's now discredited " Brand Management " strategy of designing and marketing vehicles which was the guiding force in effect during the Aztek's gestation and initial marketing. The Aztek was based on a shortened version of GM's 2nd generation U Platform minivans, which is partially to blame for the "ugliness" of the model. Relocation of the vehicle's radiator and the windshield positioning was deemed to be too costly, resulting in the disproportionate look up front as they tried to cloak a minivan's structure within a SUV-type shape. Pricing of the Aztek was also an issue at launch. Styling issues aside, the vehicle was simply too expensive for its intended "Generation X" audience and was priced significantly higher than competing vehicles. After the 2001 model year, the GT model was dropped and pricing was slashed, in addition to extremely generous rebates and cut-rate financing instituted by GM in the wake of the Terrorist Attacks On September 11, 2001 . The 2001 models had extensive unpainted gray plastic body cladding which covered the lower 1/3 of the vehicle. General Motors performed an unprecedented "emergency" re-styling of the Aztek in an effort to save the model, painting the cladding body color making the Aztek more like the original well-liked concept vehicle as well as a number of styling tweaks to address some of the voluminous criticism the vehicle had received in the automotive press. Even outside the automotive world the Aztek was singled out for derision: MAD Magazine called it "the ugliest car in American history". Somewhat ironically, the Aztek had among the highest CSI (Customer Satisfaction Index) scores in its class, and won the appellation of "Most Appealing Entry Sport Utility Vehicle" in 2001 from J.D. Power And Associates , an independent consumer survey organization who noted: "The Aztek scores highest or second highest in every APEAL component measure except exterior styling." Much like the to substantially subdue or remove cladding from all of its models. The Aztek was discontinued after the 2005 model year, and was replaced by the ''Theta'' Platform Pontiac Torrent . The Aztek's production line in Ramos Arizpe , Mexico was retooled to build the Chevrolet HHR . YEAR TO YEAR CHANGES 2001–2005 2001
2002
2003
2004 2005
PRODUCTION While the total production numbers would not seem to indicate that the re-styling of the Aztek helped sales, in actuality sales to private individuals did increase after the first model year and thereafter, which allowed GM to cut down on the low profit, brand value eroding rental fleet sales it relied on to keep the Aztek production line in operation initially. EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|