...What Ever Happened to the Vibe (Voltz)? Oh my...

[YSSMAN]

Spy photographers have snapped some photos of the 2008 Pontiac Vibe. While similar in size to the current Pontiac Vibe, the new model has a more slanted windshield and rear window. The beltline is higher, resulting in shorter side windows, and the overall stance looks lower. A peek inside through the side window gives a glimpse of chrome ringed instrument gages, round A/C vent outlets, and a silver painted area just to the right of the instrument cluster, all carry-over design elements of the current Vibe. The slanted antenna mounted in the center of the roof near the rear, plus the small XM radio antenna also mounted towards the rear but on the passenger side, once again are similar to the current Vibe.

The current Vibe has been on the market since January of 2001, and has had only minor styling updates since then. And the word in Detroit is that an all-new Vibe will be released for the 2008 model year. The one prototype on steel wheels appears to be a standard model, while the other car has sporty alloy wheels with low profile tires, and aerodynamic lower body sill extensions with a scoop just in front of the rear wheels, indicating that this is a high-performance sports model.

...Once again the cammo hides far too much, but from what I can see it may be a good looking crossover. It seems to be bigger than the outgoing model, so I'm wondering if Pontiac will be smart enough to kill the Torrent and just sell the Vibe.

But wait a tick; Is this still based on the Corolla, or is this all-GM design this time around? I'm confused...

 

[weiss_komet]

I cant see the picture...

 

[weiss_komet]

I cant see the picture... I liked the original Vibe, especially the GXP concept. Too bad it didn't do so well with the ricer community. GM would have had a margianal gain on the Japaneese manufacturers.

Sorry for the double post...oops

 

[YSSMAN]

...Let me see if I can fix the picture...

EDIT: FIXED IT!

 

[JohnBM01]

I'm surprised it's still around. I thought it was dead. I haven't seen any Torrents on the road. So maybe they're trying to kill that abomination (better than the Aztek/Ass-Tec) with this. I never really connected with the Vibe. I'm not going to get into the "ricer" thing because that's not my focus. It was a spunky American version of the Toyota Voltz. I was inclined to call it an SUV, but it's actually an aggressive hatchback that looks like an SUV. If this keeps up, this could be WORSE than the Torrent. Only Pontiacs that even remotely interests me are the latest GTO and the Solstice. This Vibe is on the outside looking in.

 

[usedHONDA]

Don't you mean "is this still bassed on the Matrix?", not "is this still bassed on the Corolla?"

Check these concept pictures out! 👍

I don't like the short exhaust tip, though.
I didn't want to make a new thread for these pictures, so I posted it in another Pontiac concept forum.

 

[TopHat]

Ummm, thats not a Vibe/Voltz, thats a Solstice/Sky/Opel GT.

 

[Sakiale]

Yeah, and the Matrix is a hatchback.

The Solstice GXP is NOT.

 

[YSSMAN]

Don't you mean "is this still bassed on the Matrix?", not "is this still bassed on the Corolla?"

1) The Pontiac Vibe and the Matrix are BOTH based on the Corolla, therefore my reasoning is correct.
2) The Voltz is a re-badged Pontiac Vibe, as the Vibe came first. Pontiac and Toyota did work together on the two cars, but the Pontiac was it's own design that Toyota decided to market in Japan.

 

[usedHONDA]

My bad.
And that is not a Solstice GXP. Its a Solstice Weekend Club Car Concept.

I am feeling so good now that I got a new avatar

 

[skip0110]

'twould be cool if it was Cobalt/HHR/Delta underneath.

I remember looking at a Matrix in late '01 when my parents were looking (and bought the Impreza that is now mine). If they combined the AWD and the 180 hp engine, it would have been much more attractive.

 

[usedHONDA]

One more thing.
Pontiac has a concept for a Solstice Hardtop.

And that is all I have to say about the Solstice for a few months.

EDIT: or the Sky or the Opel GT

 

[YSSMAN]

'twould be cool if it was Cobalt/HHR/Delta underneath.

...I'm thinking that it is. I'm not sure if GM and Toyota have decided to carry-on the NUMMI agreement or not. It certainly appears to be a modified Delta chassis (in terms of size), but it could also ride on the Astra platform as a modified Zafira...

I remember looking at a Matrix in late '01 when my parents were looking (and bought the Impreza that is now mine). If they combined the AWD and the 180 hp engine, it would have been much more attractive.

We looked at the Matrix for a while too and decided against it. It wasn't that it was a bad vehicle, it just didn't have that "thing" that Mom wanted. Long story short, she still hasn't bought anything... But hatchbacks are still pretty high on the list of things to look at...

BTW: I think they could have sold quite a few Matix XRS' with AWD. Problem is, could their system have taken the power?

 

[Sakiale]

One more thing.
Pontiac has a concept for a Solstice Hardtop.

And that is all I have to say about the Solstice for a few months.

EDIT: or the Sky or the Opel GT

ORLY? Is it called the Chevrolet Nomad?

\

Cause they seem really similar...

My dad was testing cars, and he didn't like the Matrix at ALL. He liked the HHR, though, but instead I persuaded him to go for the Mazda3. Which he prefers the HHR over....

 

[Tornado]

BTW: I think they could have sold quite a few Matix XRS' with AWD. Problem is, could their system have taken the power?

I believe the transmission in the XRS is FWD only.

 

[1X83Z]

Saw an '07 Matrix today. Looks like another front-end restyle. That's the third front end since inception.

Yes - the tranny in the Matrix XRS (a 6-speed manual) is only mated to front-drive vehicles. I'm not sure if it's front-drive only, but it sure seems to be. Of course, they could've just changed the transmission. Little-known fact: when the Matrix came out for '03, the XRS had an optional 4-speed automatic, which was dropped the following year. Bet you folks didn't know that one.

 

[Tornado]

Little-known fact: when the Matrix came out for '03, the XRS had an optional 4-speed automatic, which was dropped the following year. Bet you folks didn't know that one.

I'd imagine that any less than 6 gears when hooked up to the 2ZZ-GE would probably cause a rather large amount of frustration. And, as the XRS had the same tranny choices as the dearly departed Celica, I did know that it came with a 4 speed.

 

[JohnBM01]

As an off-topic note, I SERIOUSLY dig that Solstice Weekend Racer concept. I'd probably want to see a rich blue color for it like Midnight Blue or something like that. Maybe even a crimson color. I'm okay with the exhaust tips. Maybe Pontiac should make that thing into a special racing variant with the works (like they do with the GTO.R). Thanks for clearing up the Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Voltz relation, YSSMAN.

 

[niky]

Hmmm... XRS and AWD (I can see where YSSMAN is getting at) would have been interesting... except for the fact that there's not enough torque there to make it worthwhile. Maybe if they had a 2 liter or 2.4 liter engine from the Camry in it, even with similar HP to the 1.8, it would've gone better with the AWD drivetrain.

Vibe? Why don't they just come up with another name if they're not budding it off of the old Corolla/Matrix platform? It's not like there's any big cachet in the name, anyway.

 

[YSSMAN]

Thanks for clearing up the Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Voltz relation, YSSMAN.

And in other interesting facts on the two cars, did you know that Toyota didn't sell the Matrix in Japan, only the Voltz? Interestingly enough, what was baisically the Vibe was sold in Japan with the Matrix's interior...