1996 Pontiac Grand Am

General Motors is determined to keep its sporty Pontiac Grand Am its top-selling compact car by pouring on improvements for 1996.

Safety sells in today's market, so the $13,499-$15,449 Grand Am has new items, including a passenger air bag and daytime running lights. Anti-lock brakes and driv. er's air bag already were standard.

Styling also sells. Thus, the smoother- looking 1996 Grand Am, which is nearly as sporty with four doors as with two, has a new hood, grille, headlights, fenders, trunk lid and taillights. Even the rear spoiler, which cuts fuel-robbing wind drag a bit, flows into the trunk lid with no center support.

Wheels are a big deal for sporty cars, and thus the Grand Am offers three new cast- aluminum ones. The new crosslace, 15-inch aluminum wheels on the 1996 Grand Am SE sedan I recently tested enhanced its looks, but cost $275 and looked like they might tempt thieves.

There's also an intelligently redesigned instrument panel, with user-friendly soft touch controls and new, easily read analog instrumentation that includes a tachometer and temperature gauge.

Sound system enhancements include steering wheel radio controls and a perfor. mance six-speaker system with ``shark fin'' tweeters

. The Grand Am has been popular since its 1985 debut partly because Pontiac has kept prices reasonable. That tradition continues because the 1996 Grand Am comes as the $13,499 SE two-door coupe or four-door sedan or as the sportier, better-equipped $15,499 GT two- or four-door.

The Grand Am always has had extrovert. ed styling, but the new model has a more subdued appearance. GM knows that glitz is out in the conservative mid-1990s. Even the old, protruding side moldings have been tossed to let one appreciate the car's clean. er lines.

There's also a new standard dual-over. head-camshaft, 2.4-liter four-cylinder. Called the Twin Cam, this 16-valve engine is a big improvement over the 2.3-liter Quad 4 four-cylinder in previous Grand Ams.

The Quad 4 was so rough and noisy it prompted many to select the optional 155- horsepower Grand Am V-6. The 3.1-liter V- 6, which costs an extra $395, still is offered, but requires a $795 four-speed automatic transmission.

The Twin-Cam, which powered my test car, produces 150 horsepower and comes with either the standard five-speed manual transmission or smooth-shifting automatic.

The Quad 4 also generated 150 horsepow. er. But the Twin Cam--derived from the Quad 4--has a longer piston stroke and pumps out more torque at lower engine speeds. That results in a greater boot in the back when the throttle is floored at low- and mid-range driving speeds.

The Grand Am with the Twin Cam hits 60 m.p.h. in just 7.8 seconds and doesn't run out of breath during 65-75 m.p.h. pass. ing maneuvers on highways. The engine makes quick merges into fast traffic a breeze.

Yet, the Twin Cam delivers an EPA- estimated 23 m.p.g. in the city and 33 on highways. That gives it an estimated cruis. ing range of just over 500 miles with its 15.2-gallon fuel tank.

Economy with the automatic is virtually the same, at 22 and 32, thanks to the efficient overdrive automatic. The V-6/ automatic combination is 21 city, 29 high way. Happily, both engines call for only 87- octane gasoline.

Despite balance shafts to smooth out a four-cylinder's typical vibration, the Twin Cam's noise level still may be uncomfort. ably high to some car buyers. For them, the V-6 is the answer. Besides being more powerful, it kicks out more torque than the Twin Cam. The Grand Am easily seats four tall adults. But three adults definitely are a crowd in the back seat, and the sedan's narrow rear door openings make entry and exit awkward. Trunk space is decent for a compact car.

The Grand Am's steering is quick and precise, and its suspension easily absorbs bumps to provide a comfortable ride for a car with a rather short 103.4-inch wheel. base. The coupe and sedan weigh virtually the same--about 3,000 pounds--so there is virtually no performance difference be. tween the two.

It would be surprising if the Grand Am doesn't continue its winning ways.