Photo: Diogo Ropond via Behance
The Pontiac Aztek was famous even before its appearance as Walter White's set of wheels on AMC's hit series "Breaking Bad," even if for the wrong reasons.
The Aztek is the model that constantly makes the list—usually in the top or second spot—whenever someone decides to put together the worst car designs of all time. Actually, it feels like it's been locked in a fierce battle with the Fiat Multipla over which is the more deserving of the supreme title; even though the answer usually depends on who you ask, very few will disagree with its position high up the ugly ladder. We're not of Aztec ancestry by any means, but if we were, we'd be pretty upset with GM.
Speaking of that, have you ever wondered how its name came to be? Could it have something to do with its appearance? Aztec art does have a touch of Picasso about it, so it's a possible explanation, but it still doesn't fully justify why Pontiac decided to call its SUV that. However, it's still a better name (and a better-looking vehicle, if we're honest, we don't know why the poor Aztek gets all the flak) than its sister model, the Buick Rendezvous.
It's hard to imagine GM will ever use the nameplate again, considering how badly the public received the Aztek, but we guess stranger things have happened. Not that it's similar in any way, but let's not forget there is currently a Ford Mustang that's simultaneously electric and a crossover. Names don't always mean what we think they do, but with Pontiac gone, GM would definitely have nothing to gain out of it.
But if we were to entertain the idea for a second, the real question is, what would this modern Aztek look like? You wouldn't want to be in the designers' shoes, that's for sure, because it's really tough ask of them. The key thing would be to borrow enough elements from the original to make the lineage of the modern one obvious but also stop before making it just as ugly. Or a new kind of ugly.
Diogo Ropond, a Brazilian independent designer, thinks he might have nailed it. Well, it's unquestionably awkward enough to be a worthy Aztek descendent and yet normal enough to pass as your generic modern crossover. Since we mentioned it, it looks as though the 2022 Aztek could even be a rival for the Ford Mustang Mach-E, though Diogo's sketch suggests it could still use an internal combustion engine (the grille and the two cutaways in the lower part of the rear bumper are the giveaways).
All things considered, we'd file this rendering as a solid effort that manages to keep the disruptive nature of the original's design as well as capture the brand's identity and bring it up to date despite the fact we haven't had a Pontiac model for over a decade.
Speaking of that, have you ever wondered how its name came to be? Could it have something to do with its appearance? Aztec art does have a touch of Picasso about it, so it's a possible explanation, but it still doesn't fully justify why Pontiac decided to call its SUV that. However, it's still a better name (and a better-looking vehicle, if we're honest, we don't know why the poor Aztek gets all the flak) than its sister model, the Buick Rendezvous.
It's hard to imagine GM will ever use the nameplate again, considering how badly the public received the Aztek, but we guess stranger things have happened. Not that it's similar in any way, but let's not forget there is currently a Ford Mustang that's simultaneously electric and a crossover. Names don't always mean what we think they do, but with Pontiac gone, GM would definitely have nothing to gain out of it.
But if we were to entertain the idea for a second, the real question is, what would this modern Aztek look like? You wouldn't want to be in the designers' shoes, that's for sure, because it's really tough ask of them. The key thing would be to borrow enough elements from the original to make the lineage of the modern one obvious but also stop before making it just as ugly. Or a new kind of ugly.
Diogo Ropond, a Brazilian independent designer, thinks he might have nailed it. Well, it's unquestionably awkward enough to be a worthy Aztek descendent and yet normal enough to pass as your generic modern crossover. Since we mentioned it, it looks as though the 2022 Aztek could even be a rival for the Ford Mustang Mach-E, though Diogo's sketch suggests it could still use an internal combustion engine (the grille and the two cutaways in the lower part of the rear bumper are the giveaways).
All things considered, we'd file this rendering as a solid effort that manages to keep the disruptive nature of the original's design as well as capture the brand's identity and bring it up to date despite the fact we haven't had a Pontiac model for over a decade.
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