G-platform

Preview 

Oldsmobile Aurora

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 2000 Aurora is not yet on sale at the moment I write this article, although it was shown in last April's New York Motor Show. However, we have plenty of details to write about. The first thing to notice is the reduction in size and weight. After learning the lesson, GM, or at least the Oldsmobile division, realized why European and Japanese do not built cars as large. They shortened the overall length by 155 mm, in which 114 mm are at the overhangs. The wheelbase is slightly reduced by 41 mm to avoid affecting interior leg room. The width is cut by 38 mm. On the other hand, following the common trend, the roof is raised by 33 mm to free up headroom. The result is a weight saving of 75 kg for the V8 model. 

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. 

Owing to the poor sales of the outgoing Aurora, Oldsmobile decided to offer a V6 version as base model. Without surprise, Intrigue's 24-valve 3.5-litre V6, which was also derived from the Northstar V8, is adopted. 215 hp and 230 lbft are sufficient for the lower kerb weight of 1672 kg, but of course it is slower than the smaller Intrigue. 

The dashboard design is very sporty instead of elegant. Interior room is actually bigger than the predecessor, thanks to the higher roof and more efficient use of space. Rear head and leg room are especially improved. What about the seats and fit & finish ? No details available yet. 
 

The above report was last updated on 7 Jan 2000. All Rights Reserved.
  

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. 
 

The above report was last updated on 29 Nov 99. All Rights Reserved.
 

Buick LeSabre and Park Avenue

Buick LeSabre
Buick Park Avenue
Buick, the conservative arm of GM, created two conservative saloons based on the full-size G-platform. The cheaper LeSabre debuted in 1999 and aims at retaining the title of best selling full-size saloon in the American for the 8th time in a row. That means the sales target is 150,000 cars annually. Park Avenue, on the other hand, tops GM’s model lineup excluding Cadillac as the most luxurious saloon. 

The buyers of Buick are now around 60 years old in average. You can easily guess that from the cars - both LeSabre and Park Avenue are conservatively styled, powered by pushrod V6s and ride on super soft spring rate. Even in Gran Touring suspension package, with stiffer springs, wider tyres, heavier and power steering, they still fail to hide their size and weight. Common mistakes in G-platform - understeer, torque steer for supercharged models and uninspiring steering feel - also exist in the Buick duo, especially is the larger Park Avenue. 

Nevertheless, at least they provide smooth and quiet ride that the 60-year-old cannot live without. Performance is also reasonable. The Series II 3.8 V6 isn’t completely quiet and vibration-free, especially is the supercharged version for Park Avenue (LeSabre is not provided with supercharger). Considering the Park Avenue is luxurious-biased and compete with Lexus, Audi and BMW etc. directly, low speed vibration from the supercharger is a big let down. However, without the supercharged torque, the 1761 kg kerb weight could be a burden to performance. 

Again, if anything the GM cars edge out foreign competitors, it must be cabin space. Both cars can carry 6 passengers and have a lot of head and knee room. The interior decoration is as conservative as exterior, perhaps this is just what Buick’s target customers want. 
 

The above report was last updated on 8 Jan 2000. All Rights Reserved.

Specifications

Model
Oldsmobile Aurora
Pontiac Bonneville SSEi
Layout
Front-engine, Fwd
Front-engined, Fwd
Dimension
L / W / H / WB :
5062 / 1852 / 1440 / 2850 mm
L / W / H / WB :
5146 / 1885 / 1438 / 2850 mm
Engine
V8, dohc, 4v/cyl
V6, ohv, 2v/cyl, supercharger
Capacity
3995 c.c.
3791 c.c.
Power
250 hp
240 hp
Torque
260 lbft
280 lbft
Transmission
4A
4A
Suspension
F: Strut ; R: semi-trailing arm
Tyres
235 / 55 HR17
235 / 55 HR17
Weight
1725 kg
1747 kg
Top speed
131 mph** (limited)
126 mph* (limited)
0-60 mph
7.6 sec**
7.5 sec**
0-100 mph
21.5 sec**
22.8 sec**
 
 
Model
Buick LeSabre
Buick Park Avenue
Layout
Front-engine, Fwd
Front-engined, Fwd
Dimension
L / W / H / WB :
5080 / 1867 / 1448 / 2850 mm
L / W / H / WB :
5253 / 1897 / 1458 / 2891 mm
Engine
V6, ohv, 2v/cyl.
V6, ohv, 2v/cyl, supercharger
Capacity
3791 c.c.
3791 c.c.
Power
200 hp
240 hp
Torque
230 lbft
280 lbft
Transmission
4A
4A
Suspension
F: Strut ; R: semi-trailing arm
Tyres
215 / 70 R15
225 / 60 R16
Weight
1629 kg
1761 kg
Top speed
N/A
N/A
0-60 mph
N/A
N/A
0-100 mph
N/A
N/A
 
* Tested by Road & Track
** Tested by Car and Driver
 

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