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Pontiac Vibe to be cheaply priced
By Yoann Besnard on 10 December 2007 | 
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Pontiac has announced the prices for the recently unveiled Vibe which will be on sale in next February. The entry level will start at $15,895/£7,822 followed by the four-wheel drive at $19,495/£9594. The top of the range, the GT will have a price tag of $19,895/£9,791.
GM has unveiled the new Pontiac Vibe at the last Los Angeles Auto Show. Like its sister, the Toyota Matrix, it derives from the ubiquitous Toyota Corolla/Auris. Indeed, the NUMMI joint venture authorizes GM to do the styling, the final calibration and tuning for every new model. Other actions fall to Toyota. Obviously, the Japanese carmaker select the closest components available in its range, which is the Corolla model.
Compared to the previous generation, the new Vibe offers a more customized style and switches from a SUV-like design to a sportier look, especially the GT version. Nevertheless, GM still describes the car as a crossover. This a very silly marketing gimmick.
As said earlier Toyota provides underpinnings and engines, which are based on the Corolla. The entry level gets the 1.8 litre VVTi petrol unit which has an output of 132 bhp and a torque of 128 lb-ft. It is available with a choice of a five speed manual gearbox and four speed automatic gearbox. The sporty version, GT, receives a 2.4 litre engine which produces 158 bhp and a torque of 162 lb-ft. Like the entry level, the GT can get a manual gearbox or an automatic gearbox, but with five speeds. The Vibe is also available with an all-wheel drive transmission, which gets the GT engine but associated with a four-speed automatic gearbox. oddly, the entry level can also be equipped with the GT engine as an option. The rear suspension is different among the versions. The 1.8 litre model has a classic torsion-beam rear suspension while the GT gets a multi-link independent rear suspension.
On the inside, the Vibe keeps the original design, but with an improved quality, at least on pictures. The dashboard is more driver-focused with its gear stick inspired from the Toyota Matrix and Auris. Standard features include the GM StabiliTrak electronic vehicle stability system, a tire pressure monitoring system a dual-stage frontal air bags with a passenger sensing system and, head curtain side air bags, a steering column with telescoping/rake adjustability, a 115-volt, a six-way adjustable driver’s seat and front active headrests. All models are equipped with the latest version of OnStar system.
