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LOS ANGELES - Struggling US motoring giant General Motors (GM) has axed the Australian-made Pontiac G8 ST sports truck, a vehicle based on the popular Holden ute.
The car was to be built at GM's plant at Elizabeth, South Australia, and shipped to the American market but with GM's survival relying on a multi-billion dollar US government bailout, the company confirmed on Tuesday the Pontiac ute was one of the casualties of its financial problems.
The Pontiac ute was a re-badged version of Holden's VE ute.
Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson said GM would continue to produce Pontiac sedans for the US market from the Elizabeth plant after impressive sales in the US.
"It's just the ute model," Hopson confirmed today.
"Not the remainder of the G8 family."
Hopson also said the decision would not impact the rollout of Holden models to the Australian market.
The Pontiac G8 ST sports truck was originally designed to offer American motorists a sleeker, smaller alternative to the larger work vehicles and trucks on the US market.
With GM seeking US$13.4 ($22.7) billion in bailout funds from the US government and the company reporting a 31 per cent drop in sales for December earlier this week, the once mighty motoring giant was forced to make some tough decisions.
The Pontiac ute was never intended to be a big volume seller.
"We're taking a look at all of our vehicles and making certain that they still fit into our revised plan for the future of GM and its brands," Hopson said.
"With Pontiac focusing on being a sporty car brand, the decision was made the G8 ST just didn't fit into what Pontiac was going to be at this point.
"So that was the reason for the decision."
The Elizabeth plant-produced Pontiac base sedan and GT arrived in US auto dealers in March, 2008, and the company was pleased with the sales "given the economic conditions".
More than 15,000 of the vehicles were bought by Americans.
"Of course the Elizabeth plant in Australia will continue building the G8 sedan, G8 GT and the G8 GXP which is just coming on the market right now," Hopson said.
"The only vehicle impacted by this decision is the ST, the sport truck."
- AAP
