wonderbot
04-25-2008, 03:30 PM
Filed under: Car Buying (http://www.autoblog.com/category/carbuying/), Hatchbacks (http://www.autoblog.com/category/hatchbacks/), GM (http://www.autoblog.com/category/gm/), Pontiac (http://www.autoblog.com/category/pontiac/), Driving (http://www.autoblog.com/category/driving/)
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/vibe128026_opt.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe-gt/773256/)
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 (http://www.nummi.com/), 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 (http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/31/sema-2007-2009-toyota-matrix-unveiled/) 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 (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-toyota-corolla-xrs/) 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.
Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage - 2009 Pontiac Vibe GT (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe-gt/)
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/00_09vibe_garage_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe-gt/773256/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/01_09vibe_garage_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe-gt/773247/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/02_09vibe_garage_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe-gt/773263/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/03_09vibe_garage_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe-gt/773260/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/04_09vibe_garage_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe-gt/773244/)
All photos Copyright (C)2008 Chris Shunk / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Pontiac Vibe (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/25/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe/)
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/25/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1177678/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/25/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe/#comments)
Read more... (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/25/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe/)
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/vibe128026_opt.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe-gt/773256/)
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 (http://www.nummi.com/), 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 (http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/31/sema-2007-2009-toyota-matrix-unveiled/) 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 (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-toyota-corolla-xrs/) 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.
Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage - 2009 Pontiac Vibe GT (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe-gt/)
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/00_09vibe_garage_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe-gt/773256/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/01_09vibe_garage_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe-gt/773247/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/02_09vibe_garage_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe-gt/773263/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/03_09vibe_garage_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe-gt/773260/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/04_09vibe_garage_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe-gt/773244/)
All photos Copyright (C)2008 Chris Shunk / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Pontiac Vibe (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/25/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe/)
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/25/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1177678/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/25/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe/#comments)
Read more... (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/25/in-the-autoblog-garage-2009-pontiac-vibe/)