Pontiac Grand Am flashes a new face as racy coupe or sedan
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- With needle pegging the legal speed limit, a lively new edition of Pontiac's sporty Grand Am sedan hurls over blacktop in the rush toward Daytona for a day at the stock car races during Speedweeks '98.
Built on a longer chassis with wider track and rigged with tight new independent suspension components which effect a new stability and more finesse in motion, Grand Am in this 1999 interpretation also presents a slick new exterior design and totes a new interior layout with more room for riders and more perks for comfort and convenience.
The new Grand Am looks downright racy now, thanks to that distinctive wide-track stance with bodyside bulges and big tires trailing a snarling face with cat-eye headlamps, twin-port nose and double-decker intake mouth flanked by corner foglamps.
It acts racy too, particularly when outfitted with an optional 3.4-liter V6 engine like the tester Grand Am contained for my romp to Daytona.
Orientation of front-wheel-drive as tied to the V6 with output of 170 hp, stiffer suspension settings and sticky 16-inch speed-rate tires enable a driver to move with confidence at speed through chicanes and decreasing-radius turns on convoluted 2-lane Florida back roads.
Then Grand Am struts on a roll through the crowds clogging Speedway Boulevard in the town noted for flashy and fast cars, as Daytona fans with their necks craning and eyes following take note of the extravagant new look of Pontiac's racy nameplate.
It makes a not-so-subtle street statement suggesting muscle and speed and animated automotive action.
Of course, bold exterior styling has been a prime drawing card for previous iterations of Grand Am, which in the last generational series from 1992 through 1998 amounted to a million units sold and ranked this car as the runaway best-seller at Pontiac.
With the new design for 1999, the Grand Am nameplate becomes the only familiar aspect returning because all other facets about this Pontiac -- from the riveting sheetmetal shapes outside to interior comforts and new chassis and suspension components underneath -- come forth as fresh and unique.
Grand Am -- with either two or four doors and seats for five, two engine options and preliminary choices of three trim levels -- squeezes into the compact slot in Pontiac's lineup sized between the larger mid-size Grand Prix and a budget-priced subcompact, Sunfire.
While the wheelbase suggests that Grand Am fits into the compact classification, designers carved out so much interior space that it actually delivers the roominess of a mid-size car.
Like Grand Prix and Sunfire, Grand Am also packs aboard a long list of class-leading features but for prices which seem extremely competitive.
A base SE coupe or sedan version of Grand Am equipped with 4-cylinder engine, for instance, arrives at market for figures which hold below $17,000, while the top SE2 Grand Am with V6 engine lists for a few bucks less than $20,000.
In a series of Florida tests using pre-production prototypes of Grand Am, a driver steered both base and upgraded sedans through the challenges of crazy urban traffic in Daytona, Orlando and Miami, and these cars responded with sure-footed agility.
The new chassis wiggles only slightly in deference to lateral forces of motion, the independent suspension dampens inevitable pavement chatter as quick rack and pinion steering system communicates to fingers on steering wheel what they need to feel for judging speed and acuity when navigating turns.
Maneuvering through traffic on a Miami freeway, I had to remind myself that the car performing such dexterous feats -- despite racy good looks -- was actually an economical model from Pontiac.
Grand Am, I discovered, presents mannerly new driving characteristics which match the streamlined shape. It's so active, yet tight and poised, you might mistake the pliant spirit for that of an import. Unlike most imports, though, the Pontiac creates generous space for people in the new cabin which contains comfortable seats, handy accessories and friendly instruments.
Grand Am in this new edition builds upon a safety-cage superstructure with strong cross bracing added to eliminate squeaks, plus a hydro-formed front engine cradle and front and rear crash crumple zones.
The wheelbase stretches for 3.6 inches more in length than its predecessor, with that extra space showing up as more legroom for backseat riders.
Also, as designers did for Grand Prix, front and rear tracks of Grand Am were stretched wider to set up a broad stance for increased stability.
To this platform the developers added dynamic control systems such as rack and pinion steering and the 4-wheel independent suspension using MacPherson struts up front with lower control arms and a tri-link design in back with solid stabilizer bar to check body sway.
Then they wrapped the package in steel enhanced by strong linear designs in bodyside cladding which contribute to the aggressive styling statement.
Inside, Grand Am piles on equipment and comforts.
The base SE model contains conveniences often considered optional, like air conditioning, form-fitting front bucket seats separated by center console with armrest, analog instruments including tachometer, tilting steering column and stereo sound.
Anti-lock brakes appear as standard safety feature for all models, as do dual airbags and daytime running lights. In addition, the 4-speed automatic transaxle standard on all Grand Am variations adds Pontiac's Enhanced Traction System (ETS) to check wheel slippage and maintain steady traction.
For power, Grand Am has a revamped 4-cylinder base engine. The in-line four, a General Motors plant that once sounded rough before balanced shafts smoothed vibrations, now carries twin cams on top with revised camshaft timing and enlarged displacement to 2.4 liters. These changes increase mid-range torque and improve fuel efficiency.
It produces 150 hp, but torque runs to 155 lbs/ft at 4400 rpm and fuel numbers bump to 23/32 mpg.
The 3.4-liter V6, beefed up to 170 hp, scores as excellent low-cost option at base SE and becomes the standard for the Grand Am SE2.
1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM SEDAN
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| 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM SEDAN VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Compact coupe, sedan |
| Model Options: |
Compact coupe, sedan |
| Wheelbase: |
106.7 inches |
| Overall Length: |
186.3 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.4-L I4
SOHV 3.4-L V6
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4/ETS |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
Disc/drum/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
I4: 23/32 mpg
V6: 20/28 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 16,595 to $ 21,000 |
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