Pontiac is planning to add a four-door version of the Chevrolet Aveo hatchback to the spring lineup, which will be called the G3.  In Canada, Pontiac currently markets a G3 Wave, but in the U.S. they will simply market it as the G3.

According to Jim Hopson, who is a Pontiac spokesman, “The G3 gives us a credible new high-mileage entry-level car at a time when small cars are the fastest-growing segment in the industry.”

But Pontiac is supposedly the exciting high-performance division of General Motors.

Susan Docherty, who is the VP of the Buick, Pontiac, GMC group, claims that fuel-efficiency is a huge factor in the style and performance of Pontiac’s formula.  With the addition of the G3, Pontiac will have four models that get more than 30 mpg of highway driving: the G5, G3 and G6.

Consumers are demanding small, fuel-efficient vehicles with good new car warranties, so it looks like Pontiac has made a smart move.  But what about their performance cars?

Hopson says, “We still have G8 and Solstice rear-drive performance sports cars, as well as the front-drive G5 and Vibe that are sporty and get good mileage, and now we’ll have the G3 that’s sporty and gets very good mileage and is very fuel-efficient at the entry-level car range.”