TheMercuryNews.com's view

Sunfire is catching fire in California, finally. The entry-level car that Pontiac launched in late 1994 is attracting young buyers with its expressive styling and value-package pricing.

Model-year sales in the Golden State are up 35 percent from the Sunfire’s predecessor, the Sunbird, two years ago, while nationwide, Sunfire-to-Sunbird sales are just holding steady. (Sunfire sales last year were spotty at dealerships because of new-launch production schedules.)

“We think (Californians) are considering our vehicle now,” Pontiac spokeswoman Nancy Libby said. “We’re on people’s shopping list.”

That has been a tall order for Pontiac, which has seen imports take over half of California’s small-car market. Still, Pontiac sought to make its new Ohio-built Sunfire a California kind of car – highly stylized in a “swoopy” kind of way, with models that include a convertible, GT coupe and sedan. A slick Pontiac product guide even displays a bright aqua metallic Sunfire sedan right next to street signs from the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills.

The Sunfire looks best as that kind of jazzy coupe, but the test car was a versatile sedan, which Libby says should eventually account for 60 percent of Sunfire sales. At a base price of $11,674, the Sunfire SE sedan has standard features that normally are extras on small, entry-level autos: four-wheel anti-lock brakes, rear-seat heater ducts, tinted glass and theft-deterrent system. In the Sunfire sedan, even the floor mats are included.

Pontiac goes further for California buyers by offering a special no-dicker SE sedan model with air conditioning, AM/FM stereo with compact disc player, rear window defogger and delivery charge for $13,495.

According to Pontiac, that’s nearly $2,000 less than a competing Honda Civic LX sedan, and the Civic doesn’t offer an anti-theft system. I’d advise taking a look, too, at the optional 2.4-liter, twin-cam, four-cylinder engine. It’s standard in the bigger Pontiac Grand Am, standard on the sporty Sunfire GT coupe and available for $395 on other Sunfires.

Mated to an optional four-speed automatic in the test Sunfire sedan, the 150-horsepower engine scooted the Sunfire around others on the freeway and zestfully handled the demands of city traffic. Yet, fuel economy was competitive. The standard Sunfire engine is a 120-horsepower 2.2-liter, overhead valve four-cylinder. Surprisingly, the compact Sunfire sedan has good head and leg room in the back seat, even for a 6-footer. There’s seating for five, but three adults would sit very close in back. The 12.4 cubic feet of trunk space is better than the 11.9 of the Civic and 11.8 of the Dodge Neon.

Pontiac says Sunfire sedan buyers have a median age of 34 and median household income of $45,000 a year. Sixty-four percent are women, and 31 percent have college degrees. And, including California sales gains, Pontiac projects Sunfire sales of 100,000 for 1996, up from 75,187 last year.

SPECS

What we drove: 1996 Pontiac Sunfire SE sedan, a four-door compact sedan with 2.4-liter, twin-cam, four-cylinder engine and four-speed

automatic transmission.

Base price: $11,674

Price as tested (includes options, California emissions and delivery charge): $16,436

Curb weight: 2,723 pounds

Length: 181.7 inches

Turning circle (curb to curb): 37.2 feet

Standard features: 14-inch steel-belted radial tires; power rack and pinion steering; four-wheel anti-lock brakes; full fold-down rear seat-back; floor mats; AM/FM stereo; daytime running lamps; driver and front passenger air bags; Passlock theft-deterrent system; rally gauges with tachometer.

Options on test vehicle: 2.4-liter, twin cam, four cylinder engine; four-speed automatic transmission; 15-inch aluminum wheels; sport interior package; power door locks; power outside mirrors; remote keyless entry; option group 1SC.

EPA figures: 22 mpg (city); 32 mpg (highway)

Fuel: Unleaded regular