Pontiac
Bonneville
 When
General Motor’s G-platform appeared in the Aurora in 1994, it was quite
lack of chassis rigidity. Time changed that gradually. Today, the
latest
application of the platform, Buick LeSabre and this new Pontiac
Bonneville,
incorporates stronger cross braces under the floorpan, stiffer side
frames
integrated with the rear end and at last a hydroformed engine cradle.
Of
course, stronger body should translate to better handling, ride and
noise
suppression. That latter is also helped by front and rear sub-frame.
The new
Bonneville looks
lightyears handsomer than its predecessor. Although the aggressive nose
and tail treatment won’t please everybody, its long, coupe-like profile
create an image of sportiness, very suitable to the Pontiac brand. You
might expect higher build quality for such a large car, but remember
cars
in this size is very common in America. Don’t believe ? look at the
price
tag. It is just a little bit more expensive than the Acura 3.2TL and is
cheaper than BMW 328i. A great bargain, considering the amount of metal
you get from it.
American call it
full-size
sedan instead of luxurious sedan. Yes, it is really big, just like any
G-platform car. With a length measuring in excess of 5.1 meters, it
doesn’t
need to attend Sir Issigonis’s course of "Space saving
technique".
Both cabin room and boot space are generous.
Big cars,
especially long
cars, are not good at maneuvering tight corners. This can’t be helped
by
the old fashion semi-trailing arm rear suspensions. Well, the customers
for Pontiac are unlikely to be those pursuing ultimate engineering
excellence.
Roomy, moneywise and sporty image are what they want. You want more
sophistication
? try Oldsmobile ... GM will tell you.
Unlike
Oldsmobile, there
is no multi-valve V6 or V8 on offer. You guess what ? yes, again that
familiar
Series II pushrod V6, with 3800c.c., with or without supercharger. Too
familiar. You must know the normally aspirated version has 205hp on
tap;
the supercharged one has 240hp and a massive 280 lbft of torque.
TORQUE,
the word American are proudest of. Smoothness, Quietness and Fuel
Economy
... these terms did not exist in American dictionaries until
recently.
For such a big
car, especially
is badged as a Pontiac, the supercharged version SSEi is definitely the
first choice. Drive it gently as most people do and the torque steer
won’t
be too obvious. The lack of agility could be compensated by the huge
grip
from the 17-inch 235 tyres (could it ?) and the good acceleration from
the torquey engine (American said it could !) Understeer is the basic
instinct,
a sharp contrast to the overstated styling.
After all, you
cannot have
a big car as big as a Cadillac, as good as a BMW while as cheap as a
Honda.
Something should be sacrificed.
|
As
I told you in the previous report, the outgoing Aurora was claimed as
the
stiffest American car but it never seemed like that. However, it was
obviously
carrying too much metal, mostly spent on the excessive length.
Therefore
it weighted an astonishing 1800kg and deteriorated performance a lot
and
led to a bulky handling. Heavyweight didn't
guarantee a large cabin because
of poor use of space - the overhangs were too long, the
heavily-inclined
windshield and swoopy rear window, plus relatively low roofline limited
headroom very much. In short, it was not a good car.
The
V8 is still that advanced 4.0-litre dohc 32-valve all-alloy unit
developed
from Cadillac's Northstar 4.6. Nothing has been
altered, so it outputs
the same 250 horsepower and 260 lbft of torque. As before, the Aurora
has
a modest price targeting at Lexus ES300, GS300, Acura (Honda) Legend,
Infiniti
I30 etc.- all are limited to 6-pot engines only - therefore no one will
complain its inferior refinement compare to Lexus V8. However, there
are
still 1725 kilograms to handle, so performance
isn't all that impressive.
Furthermore, despite of the reduction of size, the Aurora still
qualifies
as a member of the 5-meter-Club, thus no match for Lexus GS or Lincoln
LS (yes, its greatest rival !) in driving excitement. Wealthier buyers
must consider our class leader, BMW 528i. 
