The amount of attention a new car draws is a good barometer for how well the designers did their job. It appears Pontiac designers were right on target with the Sunfire, a car clearly inspired by its stablemate, the Firebird.
The Sunfire replaces the 13-year-old Sunbird. Pontiac officials felt the car was so different from its predecessor that it deserved a new name. The Sunfire's cousin from Chevrolet, the Cavalier, has also been dramatically redesigned for 1995, but Chevrolet opted to retain the name.