Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Pontiac Vibe

When the original Pontiac Vibe hit dealer showrooms for the 2003 model year, it was a different kind of General Motors vehicle in just about every way. Sure, it wore a Pontiac badge and had that horrible plastic cladding hanging off its sides, but the vehicle's basic shape was unlike anything else in the General's lineup. There was a very good reason for this, as the Vibe is produced by GM's joint venture with Toyota called NUMMI, or the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. This JV currently produces the Vibe, Corolla and Tacoma pickup for both automakers, and the new Vibe is basically the same vehicle as the 2009 Toyota Matrix with a different skin and interior.

For 2009, the Vibe loses all that plastic armor but keeps its Toyota ties, receiving the recently updated Corolla underpinnings and powertrains. Will the Vibe's many changes make the little Pontiac good enough for prospective buyers to consider again? We took a brand new 2009 Vibe GT for a week-long spin to find out.


All photos Copyright ©2008 Chris Shunk / Weblogs, Inc.

Toyota's Matrix wagon, Corolla sedan and its mechanical twin the Pontiac Vibe sport wagon are all in hot water after motorists have begun to issue complaints about their power side-front windows. Reports indicate the windows are getting stuck, making popping noises, and in some cases shattering and injuring passengers. To date, more than 503 complaints have been received by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is currently looking into the issue. Ultimately, the investigation may trigger a recall affecting 676,747 vehicles manufactured during the 2003 and 2004 model years at NUMMI, the GM-Toyota joint-venture plant that found itself in a pot of hot water after an employee accused her superiors last November of letting defective vehicles leave the facility.

Interesting to note: This may become the first windows recall that doesn't require PC owners to download a patch. (Hardy har har.)

[Source: Detroit News]

Update: Video of the live reveal of the 2009 Matrix is now posted after the jump.

click above image for more high-res pics of the 2009 Toyota Matrix

Along with the new 2009 Corolla, Toyota unveiled its closest sibling, the 2009 Corolla Matrix at the 2007 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Think of it as a Corolla wagon, though Toyota would like you to believe it's inspired by crossovers and SUVs yet has the "soul of a two-door sports car. Sports cars, however, usually come with larger motors than what the Matrix is packing. The five-door hatch can be had with either a 1.8L four-cylinder producing 132 HP or a 2.4L four generating 158 HP, both of which are shared with the Corolla sedan. Trim levels for the Matrix are trimmed down to just the Standard, S and XRS. Both engines are available with any trim level, and are paired with either a five-speed manual or four-speed auto with the 1.8L engine and five-speed auto with the 2.4L engine. The Standard model rolls on 16-inch steel wheels with a six-spoke wheel cover, while the S model gets 17-inch five-spoke aluminum wheels and the XRS wears 18-inch twin five-spoke rims.

Check out Toyota's full press release after the jump for more details and view the new 2009 Toyota Corolla Matrix in our gallery below.

UPDATE: Video of the Corolla and Matrix tuners is available after the jump

Click the image above for a gallery of high-res pics.

Toyota unleashed the new Matrix in a Halloween-infused joint press conference here in Vegas. The production version of the new (Corolla) Matrix debuted across the street, but we were on hand to see the Rally version unveiled on the floor at SEMA. The new design lends itself well to some modifications, but like most of the vehicles here at the show, it's more about flash than function. The front-mount intercooler helps feed a supercharged version of the Matrix's 2.4-liter four. The OZ wheels and upgraded brakes speak to the concept's functionality, as does the stripped out interior, added fuel cell and multi-point rollcage.

We'll have more details on the production version momentarily, but in the meantime, check the gallery below. Also, in case you missed it, you can check out the new Toyota Corolla right here.

Don't be afraid. Click image to enlarge.

SEMA 2008 coincides with Halloween this year, and as we've already reported, Toyota will use the show as a backdrop for the intros of the new Corolla and Matrix. Yesterday, the automaker revealed the first teaser image of the latter, all dressed up in its Halloween costume. Considering the horrific "costumes" some other SEMA exhibitors use to (cough) enhance their cars, we think Toyota is to be applauded for its restraint here. We're sure forward visibility through the eyeholes is not a problem at all. Plus, it probably just passes through other cars, walls, and assorted road obstacles anyway, so collisions aren't a concern, either.

We'll be there to see what's under the sheet next month.

[Source: Toyota]

More details on Kia's new Carens have surfaced, now that the mini MPV has debuted in Madrid. The five-to-seven seater is widely expected to show up in U.S. dealers as the 'Rondo' where it will mix it up with everything from the Mazda 5 to Chevrolet HHR and Toyota Matrix.

A marked improvement in the visuals over the previous iteration will help the Carens case, as will the fact that it's bigger in virtually every dimension: length, width and height. For the Europeans, at least, a 142 brake horsepower 2.0-liter gasoline engine will be available paired with a five-speed manual, along with a turbodiesel of identical displacement latched to a six-speeder. A four-speed slushbox will be available with either transmission. U.S. consumers can dream, but if the Carens crosses the pond, we imagine expecting the derv-burner would be a stretch.

The Carens is expected to base at around £12,000 ($22,300 USD).

A U.S. on-sale date has not been announced, but the model is slated to hit UK dealers this August.

[Sources: Reuters; Kia]