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Pontiac’s bizarre looking Aztek gets a lot of schtick, but it is an SUV that may not be as bad as we all once thought.
Pontiac debuted the Aztek in 1999 and was of course designed as a mid-size crossover SUV with quirky looks and solid performance. But it was the looks that seemed to let the Aztek down somewhat. Over the years, automakers have tried hard to make their creations the best in the business. But sometimes, that pursuit of perfection can go a bit wrong. One or two cars sadly end up being flops, for one reason or another. That was the case with Pontiac and their Aztek.
The Aztek was one of General Motors’ first entries into the crossover SUV segment, but it was nothing short of a disaster. Pontiac were badly slated for the bizarre styling of the Aztek and the strange proportions of the SUV. It was part of the reason why the Aztek was only in production for five years, with the last model year being 2005. However, there is an argument to say that the Aztek really was not that bad a car. That it was, in fact, a solid crossover SUV. One simply let down by its rather bold styling choices.
A Detailed Look The Unusual Pontiac Aztek
The Aztek itself was first shown off to the world in 1999, although back then it was in a concept form. It featured what Pontiac at the time called “Xtreme” futuristic styling and promised to be as versatile as possible to those that bought one. This was part of Pontiac’s efforts to make the car appealing to “Generation X” and to make the Aztek the perfect car for a young and active lifestyle. It was certainly a bold route for the company to go down. The car launched in 2000 in production form, and Pontiac dubbed it “the most versatile vehicle on the planet”.
At the heart of the Aztek was a 3.4-liter LA1 V6 engine. It had a four-speed 4T65-E automatic transmission and the Aztek made around 185 hp. Not a huge amount, but remember this was of course supposed to be a practical and versatile car. Not a fast sports car. The Aztek was available with either front-wheel drive or Versatrak. Essentially, this was a full-time, fully-automatic all-wheel drive system. It was perfect for some rough off-roading and allowed for good traction in the went and the snow. There were even more interesting options, such as the center console that could become a cooler. There was even a tent/mattress package that with its built-in air compressor turned the Aztek into a camper.
The Unusual Styling Lets The Aztek Down
However, despite some interesting features, the Aztek never became hugely popular. A lot of this was of course thanks to the car’s rather unusual styling and design language. Supposedly, the Aztek was to signal a design renaissance for GM. What GM and designer Tom Peters came up with was an aggressive looking car, with multiple eyes at the front and a rather odd grille design. The back featured a weird drop down to the tailgate.
Proportionally, the Aztek was always considered pretty poor. And the fact it was allegedly styled to be “aggressive for the sake of being aggressive” really didn’t help the SUV. Mickey Kaus said the Aztek had a “gratuitous, fierce animalistic snout”. The public very much felt the same way about the Aztek. A poll in The Daily Telegraph in 2008 put the Aztek number one on a list of the 100 ugliest cars of all time. Yikes. Pontiac didn’t help matters by then pricing the Aztek out of the range of pretty much the whole of its “Generation X” audience. This was something they had to change drastically in 2001.
Was The Pontiac Aztek Really A Bad Car?
Despite the odd styling, there is an argument to say the Aztek was not that bad. In terms of its safety record, the NHTSA rated it quite highly in its various categories. The options the Aztek offered made it fun, such as its optional Pioneer stereo system. But most importantly, the Aztek was good at what it did. It was a spacious, solid, good performing crossover. It was comfortable too, and it did earn GM praise for being daring, and not following conventional formulas. It even got cast as the car of Walter White in Breaking Bad, something that helped increase its cool factor.
Why You’re Wrong About The Pontiac Aztek
Yes, it was an odd-looking car. But the Aztek was not odd when it came to what mattered. It offered good space, a competent level of performance, and it did everything a crossover SUV was also meant to do. It is just a shame that its styling and the initial price point is what put people off the car. But then when you look at some cars, like modern BMS, and SUVs as a whole, the Aztek really isn’t that bad looking by any means. Far worse have come, and far worse will still come in the future. Maybe the Aztek deserves a little bit more respect than we ever gave it originally.
Sources: Pontiac, Doug DeMuro YouTube Channel
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