(autoinsidernews) - General Motors' product czar, unofficially confirmed that the automaker would bring a rebadged Holden VE Commodore to the States as the Pontiac G8. Lutz has said all will be revealed at the Chicago Auto Show in February. The G8 will share its sheet metal with the Commodore, but the grille and bumpers will be unmistakably Pontiac. GM expects to import 25,000 to 30,000 G8s from Australia annually.
However, GM is expected begin production of a second-generation G8, at GM's plant in Oshawa, Ontario, in 2009, according to the Detroit Free Press. The second-generation G8 will feature unique Pontiac styling. The Oshawa plant will also build the Chevrolet Camaro starting in late 2008 or early 2009. The G8 and Camaro are based on the same Zeta platform that was developed in Australia, reports Trend.
While it is unusual for a vehicle to be restyled after only two years, the Pontiac Grand Prix is aging, and GM must want to get a replacement on the market before the Oshawa plant is ready for Zeta production.