PONTIAC SOLSTICE STICKER STARTS AT $19,995!

By Dale Jewett---Automotive News / February 24, 2005

DETROIT -- Delivering on one of General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz’s promises, the base price of the 2006 Pontiac Solstice roadster will be less than $20,000 -- just barely. The Solstice will carry a sticker price of $19,995, including a $575 destination charge, when it goes on sale this summer. Lutz announced the base price Tuesday on GM’s web log site, http://fastlane.gmblogs.com.

Pontiac expects to begin accepting orders from dealers this spring, a Pontiac spokesman said. Base equipment on the Solstice includes a 177-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine; five-speed manual transmission; four-wheel disc brakes; power steering; and 18-inch wheels.

The option list includes packages for power-operated windows, locks and mirrors, and leather-trimmed interior. Anti-lock brakes, limited-slip rear differential, XM satellite radio and a radio that includes a plug in for an external digital music player are stand-alone options. A well-equipped Solstice will have a sticker price of around $24,000, a Pontiac spokeswoman said.

The Solstice’s base price undercuts the competing Mazda Miata by more than $2,000. The base price of a 2005 Miata is $22,658, including a $560 destination charge. The top trim level Miata, the MX-5 Mazdaspeed Grand Touring, carries a base price of $27,140 including the destination charge.