A Gear Box On Wheels

Automotive Industries, June, 2000 by Phil Berg

You can't drive your house, but you can live in your car -- if it's Pontiac's 2001 Aztek. With this vehicle, GM moves into the gear-and-accessories business.

"It looks like what people who drive an Explorer in the city should drive," says Jeanie, a young, cheery resident of outdoorsy Truckee, Calif., when she first spots the Pontiac Aztek.

"This is versatility wrapped in a bold package," offers Pontiac Brand Manager Don Butler.

"It's butt-ugly," say many who have seen Aztek on this year's auto show circuit.

Like it or hate it, General Motors' first "crossover" vehicle in North America breaks plenty of new ground. The Pontiac Aztek (GMT250) is based on GM's U-van Montana/Venture/Silhouette platform, with a one-inch-wider track and four-inches-shorter wheelbase. It's aimed at early 30's couples who actually do lots of recreational activities, rather than just buy the equipment. These people don't like the "mom's van" styling and image of a minivan, but want more interior space and better ride quality than a sport-utility.

Perhaps Aztek is best described as a tall wagon, incorporating design traits of both minivans (front-wheel drive and hatchback) and SUVs (four conventional side doors, a small tailgate and a center console that's too bulky for a front passenger to walk through to the rear seats). Competitors developing their own crossover vehicles will find it worth scrutinizing in two key areas: interior flexibility and the mind-boggling array of optional "stuff" -- lifestyle-oriented gear developed through GM Service Parts Operations (see box, p. 68)

Pontiac claims 94 cubic feet of cargo area with the rear seats removed, which is significantly larger maximum cargo capacity than the nine-inch longer Dodge Durango, which holds 88 cubic feet with its non-removable seats folded flat. The short wheelbase Montana minivan, which is almost five inches longer than the Aztek, however, will hold 133 cubic feet. The Aztek is two inches wider than a Durango, and will fit a four-by-eight sheet with its tailgate down. To give the vehicle a trimmer and more agile appearance, the rear overhang was reduced almost five inches from that of the short Montana's. Still, this is no compact -- Aztek makes a shadow on the ground five inches wider and longer than a Honda CR-V.

(For more information on the GMT250 program and its U-van cousins, read our March feature on AI's website at (www.ai-online.com/articles/march00/0300f9.htm)

While many consider Aztek's styling to be polarizing at best, a surprising number of consumers we polled on the street called it "cute," during the vehicle's official media debut in California. Some of that reaction may come from what Chief Engineer Charles Kingsley says was the most critical styling decision: to slope the rear hatch so it wouldn't look like a minivan. The fast C- and D-pillars were designed to allow two mountain bikes to stand up inside. Once the angle of the rear roof and hatch was established, a tailgate was the only solution to keep the hatch from growing too large and heavy.

Kingsley notes that some customers like to use tailgates as seats and support for extra-sized objects, but others complain that they don't want to lift cargo over a tailgate to get it inside the wagon. To answer the latter group's grumbles, a rolling loading tray is offered (see "Gear On Board," below).

The angular look also comes from the body's minimal tumblehome, which addresses customer desires for more shoulder room than is offered in smaller crossover vehicles, particularly the CR-V and Lexus RX300. Another styling concession was raising the floor and suspension (most of which comes from the Grand Prix sedan) 0.5-inch, for greater ground clearance. The downside of this change is that Aztek's 15-inch Grand Prix-sized wheels (16-inch on GT and awd models) look too small under the body.

Gear On Board!

Two Aztek models are offered -- plain ($21,995 base) and GT. The $24,995 GT is distinguished mostly by the larger wheels and tires, and adds rear climate vents, radio controls on the steering wheel, more driver and passenger front seat adjustments, some interior lamps, a trip computer and information display, and an assortment of amenities optional on the base Aztek. Unique to the GT is a clever console-mounted ice cooler. Later in the production cycle, a head-up display that includes stereo settings will be available. GM's OnStar telematics system is available on the GT, but the optional sunroof must be deleted.

To save trips to aftermarket accessories stores, there are four packages that can be added to either model. The Towing, Camping, Biking, and Backpacking packages each come with unique equipment.

"We just turned everyone loose on brainstorming ideas for the equipment," recalls Kingsley. Surveying the Aztek's interior options is like paging through the REI outfitters catalog. The materials and hardware have been selected to appeal to gear junkies. Even the dash material is textured like the handle on a scuba-diving knife.