![]() Whatever Pontiac chooses to call it, the well-equipped Vibe looks to us as if it will be a definite "w" for "winner.It is important to find the right replacement for your Pontiac Vibe engine to ensure a safe drive. The blower is expected to raise the power of the base engine to the GT's 180 horsepower and top it off with a more substantial increase in torque. Within 12 months it expects to have a full catalog of accessories that includes a dealer-installed supercharger kit. GM is using the Vibe as a spearhead into the small-car aftermarket. GM says to expect "popularly equipped" two-wheel-drive versions to be about $18,500. Eight colors will be offered, including lime green, and buyers can pay extra if they desire body-colored lower cladding. Buyers can choose their powertrain, 17-inch wheels with unidirectional tires, an upgraded stereo with an in-dash six-CD stack or navigation system, a sunroof, and a Power package that includes keyless entry. Otherwise, Pontiac plans to keep the Vibe's order sheet simple when it hits dealerships in February. The glass in the two-piece tailgate is hinged to open separately from the door.Ī 200-watt single-CD player, a roof rack, and a 110-volt two-prong dashboard outlet will be standard. Tracks set in the plastic rear floor will accommodate a forthcoming range of dealer-sold accessories, including picnic tables and pet screens. The rear-seat bottoms move forward and the seatbacks fold flat in one smooth, articulated motion that creates 57 cubic feet of flat-floored cargo space, not much less than in the Saturn VUE. Chrome and brush-finished electroplated plastic will add even more burnish, while GTs will get a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. GM spent money to liven up the dashboard with red backlit gauges ringed by elegant chrome bezels. Does this mean future Pontiacs will get by with less plastic? "It's a safe bet," says Hunter. "We wanted to keep a clean look," says assistant brand manager James Hunter, so body side ribs were limited to subtle spears on the front and rear bumpers, small blisters in the taillights, and tiny riblets in the headlight clusters. GM designers tried to give the Vibe a characteristic Pontiac look without the characteristic yards of plastic tack-on. That hot 180-hp motor is from the Celica GT-S, and this model will come with front-drive only, bolted to a six-speed manual gearbox, and include firmer springs and shocks, stiffer control-arm bushings, thicker anti-roll bars, and standard ABS on four disc brakes bearing Akebono calipers.Įxcept for the outside mirrors and roof panel, which are shared, the Vibe and Matrix wear different skins. The GT will have the same 1.8-liter block fastened to a Yamaha-developed cylinder head offering 11.5:1 compression and featuring Toyota's variable valve timing and lift system (VVTL-i). A hands-free four-wheel-drive system using a viscous wet-clutch center coupling will be available only with the base engine (in 120-hp trim) and either manual or automatic transaxles. It will turn the front wheels through a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. The base 1.8-liter DOHC in-line four offers 130 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque. Ford Focus, Pontiac Vibeīoth the Vibe and its sister car, the Toyota Matrix, will offer the same two engines and three driveline choices.
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