1997 Pontiac Grand Prix - Interior - Driving Impression

The electromagnetic Magnasteer variable-rate power steering system offered in the '96 Bonneville is optional this year in the Grand Prix. Its add-on electronic controller senses vehicle speed and smoothly adds or subtracts current to vary steering effort. Some added work is needed to fully integrate this package; our impression is that the system, similar to that of other GM cars we've sampled, actually masks helpful tire-to-driver feedback.

Inside the spacious cockpit, designers kept what was good and trashed the rest. The first feature we noticed was Pontiac's familiar soft-rimmed four-spoke steering wheel. Spoke-mounted radio buttons feature seek, preset, volume, play, and mute. Among other ergonomic goodies is the division's aircraft-style instrument cluster with big half-circle gauges and large graduations, needles, and numbers.

Added to the right of the cluster is the Driver Information Center. This minicluster houses warning lights to indicate open doors or trunk, low fluid levels, oil change needed, and low tire pressure. In supercharged cars, there's also a boost gauge. An optional head-up display is available in all GP variations.

Pontiac was among the first GM divisions to adopt big, beefy control knobs, which provide handy audible and tactile feedback. Easy to locate and use, these controls are what the entire industry should be moving toward.

Other small but important standard interior touches are adjustable-height front shoulder belts and power locks, windows, and mirrors. Order the custom trim group for a leather-wrapped wheel, overhead console with a 12-volt power plug, trunk cargo net, and 14-inch-wide rear-seat pass-through to the trunk.

The seats are redesigned with wider, longer tracks and recontoured cushions and backrests. Even the headrests are new; they're now open in the center to improve rear visibility and reduce rear-seat claustrophobia.

The '97 Grand Prix also has a long list of standard safety features, including daytime running lights, side-guard door beams, five-mph bumpers, and dual airbags. Also standard are sophisticated items such as traction control, anti-lock brakes, and tire-pressure monitoring. (The traction-control system has a console-mounted on-off switch for the occasional tire-spooling take-off.)

Overall, we're impressed. The fresh styling manages to be powerful and dramatic without the tall deck spoilers, unnecessary scoops, or heavy add-on body cladding the last generation of GPs routinely employed. The division's choice of the 3800 V-6 as the optional engine was smart considering its muscular power output and 30-mpg highway economy. And finally, all Grand Prixes now offer a smooth, solid ride with crisp, controlled handling. And as any Pontiac historian knows, that's just what the potent GPs of the early days delivered in spades. No official pricing had been released as of press time, but our best estimates point toward the SE starting around $19,000, the GTP running about $23,000, and the GT sliding midway between.