Thanks to the clamouring media machine in the United States, looks like the big news for Pontiac in the months to come is the G6 replacement for the Grand Am model. And, for our Yankee friends, it will be.

But here in Canada, the big Pontiac news is the Pursuit compact model, which is unique to this country and when it arrives in December will not quite be the replacement for the Sunfire.

Pursuit's raison d'être is another Canada-only wrinkle to the General Motors business plan: to give its dealers who don't sell Chevrolets a product they can offer to the 50 per cent of Canada's new-car buyers who choose small cars.

GM of Canada could make the Chevrolet Cobalt available to Pontiac dealers, but instead the Oshawa, Ont.-based firm paid to have a unique model designed because it thinks that gives it a chance to appeal to a wider range of small car buyers.

Donna Martin, small and sporty car brand manager for GM of Canada, says the Pursuit allows GM to offer "something a little more sporty than the Cobalt," which helps to "maximize the volume since we appeal to a different market."

There are no engineering differences between Cobalt and Pursuit, Martin says, but there is a unique look to the Pontiac model that plays up the brand's performance-oriented image.

These differences also allow GM to create two different types of marketing efforts, which can be tailored more specifically to different types of buyers.

This sounds like a classic case of brand engineering, but if you look at the comparative sales records of the Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire, there's no doubt it works for consumers as well as for GM.

Martin expects the same thing to happen with Pursuit and Cobalt, and projects both models will sell about 40,000 units each in 2005. Normally, the Chevrolet outsells the Pontiac, so Martin is obviously expecting bigger things for the Pursuit.

What buyers can expect is a much better, larger and more refined car than the Sunfire, primarily because GM has spent so much time and money creating the Delta architecture (skeletal structure) of Pursuit and Cobalt and others to follow.

The architecture is considerably stiffer and more robust than the one that underpins the Sunfire (or many other compact cars on the road today) and that delivers a lot of important advantages. Pursuit will be quieter than Sunfire as there'll be less noise, vibration and harshness transmitted by the Delta architecture and a lot more responsive since a stiffer frame delivers superior ride and handling characteristics.

With the Pursuit going upscale technically, it follows (at least to marketing types) that it should also go upscale economically. So, while Pursuit will still be an inexpensive car in the scheme of things, it will not be quite as inexpensive as the Sunfire.

For 2005, Martin says, Pursuit will go after the compact car fans looking for something a little upscale, while the new Korean-built (by GM's Daewoo partner) Pontiac Wave will be on offer to the more price-conscious buyer.

While the sticker prices between Sunfire and Pursuit may be close, the old model has been the source of considerable market pressure the last couple of years so has actually been selling for a lot less. GM hopes to avoid that situation with its Wave and Pursuit strategy.

Prices for the Canada-only Wave sedan and hatchback models have not been announced, but they will be less than those of the Pursuit, which starts at $15,925 for a base sedan and goes to $20,795 for an SE Sport model.

A third sedan variant -- the sportier GT -- will be added to the Pursuit lineup next year, Martin says, and the coupe line will also appear next spring as a 2006, in base, SE and GT variants. Pursuit will not, however, get the supercharged engine that will give the Cobalt its fourth trim level -- the SS Supercharged, though that may change with time.

Pursuit is actually shorter than Sunfire, but it has a longer wheelbase and is considerably taller, so interior space will be improved.

Power for Pursuit will come from GM's Ecotec inline-four lineup of engines, with the Base and SE Sport models getting the 2.2-litre DOHC version that delivers an estimated 140 hp at 5,600 rpm and 150 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm.

When the GT models arrive, they'll be sporting the 2.4-litre DOHC Ecotec, which will deliver 170 hp at 6,000 rpm and 170 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm (also estimates, likely to be less than the actual numbers).

A five-speed Getrag manual transmission will be standard on the base and SE trims, with a four-speed automatic available as an option. The upcoming GT model, however, will only get the four-speed automatic.

Electronics will play a key roll in the Pursuit, since even the base model will get a CD player and a driver information centre with upgraded systems (including MP3, OnStar and a 228-watt, six-channel amplifier) available as options.

The overall intent of Pursuit and its packaging, Martin says, is to appeal to "young, established professionals and families who are looking for both style and substance, and who know that small details can make a world of difference."