The Pontiac G6 is one of those alright-looking cars that isn't begging for a total redesign, so General Motors is planning a mid-cycle refreshening of the car's nose instead. The updated design was recently photographed by spies, actual spies, around Detroit, and the changes to the G6 schnoz are clear. Pontiac designers will be adding some creases to the new front end giving it some angularity that's lacking on the current model, while the twin air intakes of the current car that mirror the grille shape will be replaced with one central lower air intake flanked by two smaller ones and requisite fog lamps. There may be some tweaks to the rear taillamps as well, but we're told those will be minor. Thankfully, the 2009 G6 comes available with GM's new six-speed transmission for the first time, making the overall package much more enticing. Some minor plastic surgery should only sweeten the deal for this very competent car in Pontiac's lineup.
Subaru has released pricing on the all-new 2009 Subaru Forester introduced last mont in Detroit and it's a whopping $1,200 less than the price of the outgoing model. This means you can put a brand-new completely redesigned Forester 2.5X with standard all-wheel drive, curtain airbags and stability control in your driveway for $19,995 (plus destination and delivery, of course). At the other end of the spectrum, a 2.5XT Limited model starts at $28,195.
You have to salute Subaru's move. The new Forester is a very competent package in a competitive crossover SUV segment. Anyone shopping this category has good reason to take it for a spin, and the price drop is just icing on the cake. Check out Subaru's press release after the jump for a full breakdown of pricing by trim level.
