Pontiac Sunfire, the completely restyled and re-engineered Sunbird for 1995 model year, had a good sales record since its birth. Pontiac made it a point to give Sunfire the revisions and upgrades it deserved. For 1996, the Sunfire have GM's 2.4-liter Twin Cam 4-cyl for the sedan, coupe and convertible as the optional engine, standard in Sunfire GT coupe, which replaces the previous 2.3-liter Quad 4 engine. It's the same engine, with more displacements and a pair of balance shafts to smooth out vibrations. In addition, a 4-speed automatic transmission with traction control now is available on all models.

All have standard daytime running lights and GM's PASSlock anti-theft system. Remote keyless entry and steering wheel radio controls were added on all models as well. And a number of refinements also were made to the ride and steering. No other changes were made in the interior of the Sunfire. However, the most significant change for 1996 is availability. In 1995, GM's Lordstown, Ohio assembly plant, which makes the Sunfire coupes and sedans, was plagued with startup production problems that limited availability of the cars. Those problems apparently are behind the plant, and the supply of Sunfire models in dealer showrooms should be vastly improved for 1996.