| Pontiac Aztek | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | General Motors |
| Production | July 2000 – August 2005 |
| Model years | 2001–2005 |
| Assembly | Mexico: Ramos Arizpe (Ramos Arizpe Assembly) |
| Designer | Tom Peters (chief designer: 1997)[1][2][3] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Mid-size crossover SUV |
| Body style | 5-door SUV |
| Layout | Front-engine, front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive |
| Platform | U-body/GMT250 |
| Related | Buick Rendezvous |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | Gasoline: 3.4 L LA1 V6 |
| Transmission | 4-speed 4T65-E automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 108.3 in (2,751 mm) |
| Length | 182.1 in (4,625 mm) |
| Width | 73.7 in (1,872 mm) |
| Height | 66.7 in (1,694 mm) |
| Curb weight | 3,779–4,043 lb (1,714–1,834 kg) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Pontiac Sunrunner (Canada) |
| Successor | Pontiac Torrent |
The Pontiac Aztek is a mid-size crossover SUV marketed by General Motors from model years 2001 through 2005. As a four-door crossover with front-wheel drive and optional all-wheel drive, the Aztek featured a four-speed automatic transmission with a V6 engine. Marketed by Pontiac as a "sport recreational vehicle," the Aztek used a shortened platform shared with GM's minivans (e.g., the Pontiac Montana) featuring 94 cubic feet of cargo room with its rear seats removed. The design employed conventional rear outswing doors rather than sliding doors, and a split rear tailgate, the lower section formed with seat indentations and cupholders. Other features included a front center console that doubled as a removable cooler, optional rear stereo controls in the cargo area, optional sliding cargo floor with grocery compartments, and optional camping package with an attachable tent and air mattress.
The Aztek was noted for its controversial styling. Pulitzer Prize–winning automotive journalist Dan Neil, in naming it one of the 50 worst cars of all time, said the Aztek "violate[d] one of the principal rules of car design: we like cars that look like us. With its multiple eyes and supernumerary nostrils, the Aztek looks deformed and scary, something that dogs bark at and cathedrals employ to ring bells. The shame is, under all that ugliness, there was a useful, competent crossover."[4]
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Peters3was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Dan Neil (December 2, 2004). "50 worst cars of all times". Time.