Pontiac looks at replacing Sunfire

The Sunfire replacement would have a different design than the Cavalier replacement, a report says.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
YOUNGSTOWN -- Pontiac is looking for the replacement for the Sunfire to be an entry-level vehicle priced below its new Vibe, an official said.
Craig Bierley, brand manager for both models, told The Automotive News that replacing the Sunfire still is being reviewed, but he considered a new version more likely than retiring the brand.
A top General Motors official said earlier this year that GM was considering eliminating the Sunfire but replacing its twin, the Chevrolet Cavalier. Both models are built at the Lordstown Assembly Plant.
Bierley said Pontiac officials believe they need a vehicle priced below the new Vibe, which will be introduced in February.
The Vibe will start at $16,900 but a Vibe GT will cost $19,900. The small car is being built in Fremont, Calif., at a plant that is operated by a joint venture between GM and Toyota.
Undecided: The type of vehicle that would replace the Sunfire still is up in the air. The Automotive News, a trade publication based in Detroit, reported that it would not be based on the small-car platform that will produce the replacement for the Cavalier.
Tony Sapienza, a Pontiac spokesman, said, however, that no platform decisions have been made.
GM officials have said previously that they are considering a crossover vehicle for its small-car lineup, which would be a combination of a car and a minivan.
John Mohan, shop chairman of United Auto Workers Local 1112, said he has heard of only one small-car program being considered in GM. He said it wasn't clear yet whether GM intends to produce both Chevrolet and Pontiac versions.
Cavalier: GM has said it hopes to replace the Cavalier by 2004 and is studying a $500 million plan to renovate the Lordstown plant. GM said earlier this year that a decision on funding the Lordstown renovation was likely this year, but officials have since backed off giving any timetable.
The Cavalier and Sunfire last received a redesign in 1995. GM had proposed a few years ago to debut replacements in 2002 but it later delayed those plans.
shilling@vindy.com