REVIEWS AND ROAD TESTS

A hybrid unlike the others

The Aztek is the first of a series of vehicles called ‘ hybrids ’ which General Motors is going to be lancing over the next few years. However, unlike other hybrids, this one was not made by crossing a station wagon with a sport utility vehicle. Rather, this is a variation on the minivan theme. According to GM, it links the best qualities of a minivan with the best of a sport sedan and a sport utility vehicle. So the manufacturer has decided to call it a recreational sport vehicle.Despite the almost universally unfavorable reaction from journalists at its launching, Pontiac says the Aztek is perfectly suited for its target audience, which is thirty- something adults with an active lifestyle looking for creative solutions to their transportation needs. Whatever!

The designers showed the same kind of ‘ creativity ’ inside the Aztek as outside. Everything is overdone, from the curves and bumps of the dashboard to the African motif of the seat covers. It ’ s like being inside a Fisher-Price toy! The interior central pillar is dressed up in material that looks like it was bought at a clearance sale and the grab handles on the doors look exactly like divers ’ knives, not to mention that there are none at all near the ceiling, where they ’ d be really useful.

The front seats are adjustable for height and offer lots of room for even the tallest people. The cushions are comfortable, but you can ’ t say the same for the backs. The rear headroom is intended to be more than sufficient, but long legs will end up knee-wrestling with the seat in front of them. As for cargo handling, not only do the different seat sections fold down to make room, but you can even take them right out one at a time to create a luggage area of 2,669 litres (1,282 litres with the seats installed). When the lower rear gate is down, the Aztek can actually carry a 4 ’ x 8 ’ plank!

That said, the two-section tail gate is problematic. The horizontal break in the upper portion is distracting in the rear view mirror, and the lower portion, besides opening toward the back, which blocks access to the loading floor, is also thick and undulated, which prevents it from elongating the floor as a single flat surface. To correct the access problem, Pontiac offers an optional sliding container made up of one fixed compartment and one with adjustable sides that can hold in place grocery bags and other unstable items. This container is about 200 mm deep, which reduces the usable loading space by the same amount, even though it is adjustable.

The molded form of the lower gate also provides two more seats, obviously for those interested in partying down in the back of the vehicle. The lateral walls of the cargo area include powerful speakers directed towards the back as well as a sound control panel, no doubt to allow our partygoers to share their musical taste with everyone for blocks around.As long as you are able to overlook its appearance, the Aztek turns out to have a few redeeming qualities you might find worthwhile, most notably the tested Venture/Montana platform with a 2,751 mm wheelbase and its 3.4 litre V6 motor with valve lifters. Connected to 185 hp at 5,200 rpm and with 210 pound-feet of torque at 4000 rpm, this motor is up to most circumstances. As for the automatic 4T60 four speed transmission with the stick on the floor, it ’ s one of the best in the industry. On the highway, the Aztek drives exactly like what it is: an awkward sort of minivan. You can really see the influence of the sport sedan-sport utility combination. The brakes are soft, it understeers, and the steering wheel tends to be imprecise when driving straight ahead. On Nevada ’ s mountainous roads the Aztek lacked all fluidity when changing direction, and we can say without reservation that it is nothing like a sport sedan. All in all, it ’ s once again my copilot from the National Post, Peter Brewster, who best described the Aztek: It looks like a joke! No matter, even at a starting price under $30,000, the power of marketing being what it is, GM will certainly sell as many as it can build.

PROS
Audacious concept
Improved platform
Excellent transmission

CONS
Special appearance
Drives like a boat
Mushy brakes

2005 Mexico

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