GM pulling ahead production of 2009 Pontiac Vibe

The current 2008 Pontiac Vibe

One General Motors model that hasn't received much attention lately is the Pontiac Vibe, but that will be changing in the next few months. The current Vibe has been around for six years and shares a platform and assembly line with the Toyota Matrix. Both cars are built at the GM/Toyota NUMMI joint venture in Fremont, California. Toyota has primary engineering responsibility for both cars and is pulling ahead production of the 2009 Matrix because it's unhappy with the sales mix of the current model. Production of both cars should be starting in the first quarter of 2008 and they will probably make their first public appearance at either the L.A. or Detroit auto shows in November or January, respectively. We briefly got a look at some spy photos of the new Vibe last month and the basic shape is carried over but still in keeping with other current Pontiac models. The styling, however, is much cleaner without the strakes and cladding of past Pontiacs.

[Source: Wards Auto World]

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