Pontiac Vibe Overview

When Pontiac first revealed the Vibe, it did it with slam poets describing the vehicle's appeal. If you don't know what a slam poet is, you're probably not in the target market for the Vibe GT, although you still may be a customer for the entry-level model.

Innovative and interesting, the Vibe was built in response to research into what the youth market wants in a vehicle in the early years of the 21st Century. So this five-door hatchback has a roomy interior, a creative cargo-carrying system and even a standard 110-watt electrical outlet so occupants can plug in a laptop computer or video game unit. Speaking of those laptops, GM used the Internet to let potential customers name the Vibe's colors, which include Lava, Satellite and Envy.

For those who want a sport compact but don't want to do all the work themselves, Pontiac offers a Vibe GT model. There's also an all-wheel-drive version.

But regardless of the buyer's age or model chosen, the Vibe may offer the best of at least two automotive worlds: it was conceived by General Motors but is built with Toyota components and assembly standards. (Toyota did its own exterior styling for the Matrix, its version of the car for the North American market. However, for the Japanese market, Toyota simply sells right-hand-drive versions of the Pontiac-styled Vibe as the Toyota Voltz. See separate review of the Toyota Matrix at nctd.com.)