Pontiac Bonneville sedan with fresh design geared to drivers
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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MALIBU, Calif. -- Mulholland Drive, a twisted ribbon of asphalt warped in corkscrew contours across the Santa Monica Mountains above Los Angeles, connects through wrinkled canyons like Encinal and Latigo to the Pacific Coast Highway at Malibu, along the way serving up some of the most demanding driving routes on the continent.
We used these chutes -- with switchback kinks, washboard ripples and serpentine descents lipping around sheer cliffs unfettered by guard rails -- to test the athletic agility and sample the poise and power of a new Pontiac flagship, the Bonneville sedan in a supercharged SSEi edition.
Fresh generational versions of the Bonneville for model-year 2000 look lean and aggressive, with sleek exterior lines spread across a broad structure where wheels push to perimeters of the package and the body seems to hunker on pavement. Behind these new sheetmetal forms, the full-size sedan contains a rigid new structure which stretches the wheelbase and expands the distance between wheels for a new wide-track stance with broader and longer footprint that improves the car's stability in motion and sets up more precise handling traits.
The skeletal steel safety cage of Bonneville was beefed up to improve structural rigidity. Measurements indicate an increase of 27 percent for the form's resistance to vertical bending and a 62 percent gain in torsional rigidity.
In tests you can feel that stiffness now with far less flex evident in the chassis, while independent suspension elements at each wheel, acting quickly and quite predictably, work all curves and nuances of the road with the dexterity of a dancer wiggling through a tango.
It's definitely an improvement in handling finesse over the predecessor Bonneville, with the package obviously geared now toward an active driver who enjoys playing with a steering wheel, accelerator and brakes. Yet this sedan also laces the cockpit with luxurious amenities so you end up with cushy comforts along with the athletic character.
During our romp through Malibu's canyons, the only challenge came from reining Bonneville's throttle to keep the tires planted on blacktop around each successive curve as forces of inertia and gravity tugged against the machine.
&&& In truth, we ripped the route, flinging faster than prudent down the slopes, cranking the console shifter back a notch or two when needed to check momentum before the next bend, then inducing a bite of power on front wheels to pull Bonneville through the turn in a controlled arc. On and on, down the canyons we charged, one curve flowing into the next, suspension cocking to the right, then left and right again as we swerved, the chassis always maintaining a flat stance which signified tight-fisted control.
&&& Not many cars could perform such feats at speed on risky curves, but for this Bonneville it simply seemed like a playful run.
It also behaved itself on more mundane roads, and at legal speed on a multi-lane freeway provided a quiet interior atmosphere which reflects measures built into the new structure to control chassis vibrations and block sound of engine and road from intruding into the passenger compartment.
Among the car's many improvements, there's more elbow room for riders and expanded trunk space, with new seat designs and a revamped instrument panel, plus new safety systems such as side as well as frontal air bags.
Other safety elements extend from belts attached directly to framework of front seats and shoulder and lap belts for three rear seat positions to disc brakes for all wheels as tied to anti-lock controls.
Even the two front bucket seats become active safety assets: If the vehicle should be hit from behind, which can inflict a whiplash effect to a passenger's neck, each headrest on front seats quickly pushes forward and upward slightly to meet the neck and head thrust backward. This movement cradles the rider's pelvis and low back like a catcher's mitt absorbing a baseball, while the headrest supports the head and helps block a painful whiplash.
&&& Bonneville's safety cage ensures a strong passenger cell protected by side door beams and energy absorbing front and rear crush zones. It also has a new crush-resistant roof which exceeds federal regulations for rollover protection.
A complex new chassis control system on Bonneville corrects potentially dangerous car movements.
&&& The device, integrating throttle response, steering force, anti-lock brakes and input from sensors which detect lateral slippage of the wheels, acts without driver initiation to compensate for disruptive car movements. It shows up as a new standard safety feature on the deluxe Bonneville SSEi, while other editions offer a traction control mechanism keyed to the anti-lock brakes.
Bonneville's base SE edition and a luxurious SLE draw from a 3.8-liter V6 engine which delivers 205 hp.
The sport-tuned SSEi packs this same plant but with a supercharger on top to goose performance upward to 240 hp.
Each engine connects with an electronically-controlled four-speed automatic transmission.
The price leader SE seats five or six, depending on front seat configuration, and uses a touring suspension with electronic level control, power operation for windows and door locks as well as the exterior mirrors.
Its plush ride quality reflects the subdued exterior treatment with subtle touches of chrome around the front grille and molded horizontal ribs on side panels running the length of the car in a monochromatic body color.
The luxurious Bonneville SSE builds on the SE design by increasing interior content and exterior trim like 17-inch aluminum wheels and a decklid spoiler. Driver's seat gets six-way power movement, the leather-wrapped steering wheel has radio controls, a climate system brings dual settings, and there's a six-speaker stereo package, anti-theft alarm system and keyless remote entry fob.
As the Pontiac flagship, the SSEi boosts performance and tips toward the sporty side in appearance and equipment.
You may distinguish the SSEi from nose view because the foglamps set inboard beneath a lowered monochromatic grille, and at the rear with integrated lights stretched across the tail plus twin pipes evident. It provides variable-effort Magnasteer controls, leather bucket seats with 12-way power operation, an eight-speaker Bose sound package plus the head-up display of speed and critical engine data projected magically on the windshield in the driver's line of sight.
Despite the new design and increased equipment, pricing for Bonneville's three new models compares closely to the previous editions in a range from $24,000 to $34,000.
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| 2000 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Full-size sports sedan |
| Model Options: |
Full-size sports sedan |
| Wheelbase: |
112.2 inches |
| Overall Length: |
202.6 inches |
| Engine Size: |
OHV 3.8-L V6, OHV 3.8-L V6 SC |
| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 (front) + 2 (side) |
| Gas Mileage: |
SE/SLE: 19/30 mpg, SSEi: 7/25 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 24,000 to $ 34,000 |
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