Review: 2010 Pontiac G8 Sport Truck

Damn!!……that was my initial reaction when Pontiac unveiled the 2010 G8 sport truck at the Chicago Motor Show. It is designed on the basis of the Pontiac G8 sedan and the Chevy El Camino. In a recent poll, whether true or not, it says that the Pontiac G8 sports are a ticket to get ‘laid’. That being said, works in Pontiacs favor. What we have under the hood is a 361bhp 6.0-liter V8 with a six speed automatic transmission. But with gas prices soaring , Pontiac is also planning a V6 version which will pump out 256-hp out of the 3.6 liter cylinders. Much like the sedan version, the EPA fuel economy ratings of 17/25, make the sport truck more reasonable for buyers who plan  to use  the truck on a daily basis with better fuel economy. But Pontiac could have tried another thing here instead of shrinking the engine size. From the pictures you can see a two ton vehicle with wide sticky tires and a large frontal area, which means they could have shed unnecessary weight. But it is a pick-up truck, and pick-ups have to be heavy, right? Pontiac are not exactly aiming for the world heavy-weight champion truck here, as a matter of fact, they have turned in the opposite direction, because their target customers are going to be the surfers, bikers, people who tow their jet-skiis, boats, local bands equipment, you get the picture. The bed is a generous 73.9 inches long and 47.4 inches wide between the wheels. It has a payload of 1316 pounds and a  towing capacity of 2000 pounds, which is pretty decent.

Rewinding to the engine specifications, the Pontiac is a Front engine, Rear-Wheel-Drive, 2-door sedan-based truck having a 16-valve V-8 Engine pumping out 361bhp from 6.0 liter cylinders that produce a torque of 385lb-ft, the Transmission is a 6-speed automatic and Weighs in at 3995lbs and a wheelbase of 118.5 inches. Pontiac say that the G8 sport truck can do a 0 to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds, just a fraction behind the G8 GT sedan. if the 74-inch cargo bed  is covered with an available tonneau cover, it may just be able to beat the sedans times.

The interiors are well-furnished and have all the basic equipment with a few add-ons. The leather seats are nice and comfortable, styled to look like bucket seats, which is a good thing.

So, the final word is, the G8 sport, is not a truck , it is a sedan with a bed for a back-side. It does have a great design and will be fun to drive. It also has ample amount of power to carry cargo or tow it. So go ahead and knock yourself out when the G8 sport hits the shelves late 2009 or may be early 2010.