Filed under: Minivans/MPVs, Videos, Hatchbacks, Pontiac
VIDEO: 2009 Pontiac Vibe drives by early
click above image to view video
The 2009 Pontiac Vibe will be officially unveiled at 4:00PM EST today during an event called the Vibe Slam. You can watch the live reveal here, but we're on hand in person and will bring back all the material info on Pontiac's new people mover for your perusal. Of course, one could argue that the Vibe was debuted last week at SEMA when Toyota debuted its essential clone, the Corolla Matrix. In fact, aside from appearances, there appear to be hardly any mechanical differences. Returning to the Vibe lineup after a hiatus is an all-wheel-drive option and the GT model. Unfortunately, coupling a power-sapping all-wheel-drive system to the car's tiny top shelf engine, a 154-hp 2.4L four-cylinder, is a recipe for the antithesis of excitement. We'll bring you more official info after the car is unveiled at 4PM, but until then you can watch the 2009 Pontiac Vibe motor along on video thanks to a few clips that snuck onto YouTube early.
[Source: GM]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Canteen Boy 3:27PM (11/06/2007)
Looks cool. Hopefully Pontiac addressed any Toyota quality concerns before putting their badge on the fender.
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The Other Bob 3:58PM (11/06/2007)
Funny thing is until recently this car in Matrix form would have received an automatic "recommended" rating with a Toyota badge on the side, but would not have received an automatic recommended rating with the Pontiac badge on it.
toronado455 3:46PM (11/06/2007)
Ha! You're funny.
toronado455 4:00PM (11/06/2007)
My first reply was directed to Canteen Boy.
To The Other Bob, you're absolutely right. Toyotas will no longer get an automatic "thumbs up" from CR.
Kumar 3:35PM (11/06/2007)
I'm not seeing that many people buying this as a 'fun' car. Most of the people I see driving them look very practical and would probably get the AWD more for it's percieved saftey vs. thinking it would tear it up with a WRX.
Now, if they hook it up with a 6-speed manual, it would at least make things a lllitttle more interesting for those granny hotrodders
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Kowell 3:37PM (11/06/2007)
The rear looks better on the Matrix but other than that count me in...... I need to change car this winter and I will seriously consider this if the late February release date is respected.... a shame the base engine is still the 1.8L though.... 145-150HP should be a minimum on this car.
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toronado455 3:52PM (11/06/2007)
This is a million times better looking than the new Matrix. From every angle.
And don't think that the wrap around rear glass on the Matrix improves visibility any. The left and right edges of the rear hatch glass are just blacked out in the same place where there is sheet metal on the Vibe.
Kowell 8:06AM (11/07/2007)
Bottom line.... it,s a pretty sweet car :)
DriverG 3:48PM (11/06/2007)
Looks a lot less sporty than the original. Kia Rondo-esque.
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Huis 4:09PM (11/06/2007)
Is this the only car in the last decade to actually have a power decrease from one generation to the next? What ever happened to the hot 180 hp 1.8 liter GT they sold back in the day when this car came out. Those things could be had with a 6-speed back then, right? Sure, it had no torque, and you had to rev the crap out of it, but it seemed like it gave the car a lot more personality than the blah camry engine that's going to be in the new one.
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geo.stewart 5:26PM (11/06/2007)
it was a 6speed. same setup as available in the celica at the time.
and you could not get it with AWD (what a maroon).
and it was detuned to 170hp after 2004.
it was a nice pocket rocket (8.41 to 60 with 180hp) while it was available.
TriShield 4:30PM (11/06/2007)
This hatch looks good and should be a good seller for GM just as the last one was.
It may not be the sportiest car in the world, but somehow Scion seems to market cars like this as such and get away with it. I don't see how Pontiac or Mazda can't. Even the 138hp Astra is being marketed as a sport compact.
With the Astra and Vibe at least GM will have two competitive small cars to offer.
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John 4:42PM (11/06/2007)
OUCH..live reveal! Part awkward poetry slam, part embarrassing Q & A. Someone got the engineer to spill that it is "parts bin Toyota Corolla." Ooops. This one looks ok, but don't see any reason to trade in the '03 for it. Not much new with engines or features, and the interior is way Star Trek now.
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Kyle 4:43PM (11/06/2007)
It's a very nice little car.
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Tired 4:48PM (11/06/2007)
I was hoping a video called "Vibe Slam" had entirely different subject matter.
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Will 4:49PM (11/06/2007)
To me the 09 Vibe looks 100% better than the 09 Toyota Matrix.
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jeff bishop 5:09PM (11/06/2007)
are you kidding me ? do you mean to tell me even though they are restyling the 2009 vibe..why can't they stuff a 200hp engine in the new vibe gt with all wheel drive i mean come on pontiac get with it..same with you toyota!
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Blake 5:29PM (11/06/2007)
I'm amazed at how much better this looks than the Matrix. I'd buy this over the Matrix even if they weren't essentially the same car. I finally have confidence in the quality of new GM models.
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Tony 5:29PM (11/06/2007)
CR doesn't recommend the Toyota Matrix any more. Whow! I thought it was only the 1st yr of 2007 V6 Camry Trans., GS Awd and New Tundra 4x4 that CR did not recommand.
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The Other Bob 6:07PM (11/06/2007)
They may recommend a Matrix still, but won't just recommend a car simple because it has a Toyota badge, which was the way they did it in the past.