Pontiac Vibe

One week after Toyota introduced its new Matrix at the SEMA show in Las Vegas, Pontiac presented the new redesigned Vibe at the LA Auto Show, a five-door hatchback short wagon that - like the Matrix - is derived from a lengthened and widened Corolla platform.

Clear brand differentiation between the two cars is done through the styling of the Vibe's excusive sheet metal and different interior finishes and trim. To better relate the Vibe to the Pontiac Solstice or G8, designers wanted to express more muscle and leave behind last generation's "mini-SUV" look. Chief designer Ron Aselton says: "Clean lines, minimal overhangs and wheels pushed to the corners give the vehicle its muscular stance."

In addition to the front-wheel-drive base model, the Pontiac Vibe will have an AWD version and a performance oriented version: the Vibe GT that gets its own front fascia and many sporty exterior accents. Inside it gets standard leather-trimmed seats. AWD and GT models step up to a multi-link independent rear suspension instead of a torsion-beam.

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