Separated at birth

Though developed from the same component set, the Pontiac Aztek and Buick Rendezvous have their own unique personalities.

General Motors has adapted the platform of the Chevrolet Venture, Pontiac Montana, and Oldsmobile Silhouette, and some of their components, to create the SUV-like Pontiac Aztek and Buick Rendezvous. The Aztek is already on sale as a 2001 model, and the Rendezvous will be introduced as a 2002 model with production beginning in the spring of 2001.

Pontiac calls the Aztek a four-door Sport Recreation Vehicle, or SRV. According to Mark Reuss, Vehicle Line Executive for the Rendezvous, the Buick is the first SUV to be offered with a combination of three-row seating, a low, flat load floor, all-wheel drive, and independent rear suspension. “Our primary objective was to design a more innovative vehicle than those available today,” Reuss said.