Pontiac loses 2 of the Vibe models after 06 model year

[Pontiac Ninja]

Pontiac drops 2 Vibe models after '06 model year
Jamie LaReau | Automotive News / March 30, 2006

DETROIT -- Pontiac will discontinue the GT and all-wheel-drive versions of the Vibe wagon after the 2006 model year due to sluggish sales of those models and changes in U.S. emissions standards that would have made them costly to redesign.

Pontiac will continue to offer the base-model Vibe for the 2007 model year. It may bring back the GT and awd versions with the next-generation Vibe, a spokesman says.

In a bulletin to Pontiac dealers Thursday morning, Buick-Pontiac-GMC General Manager John Larson told dealers they had until April and May to put in their last requests for the GT and AWD versions. Larson cited changes to U.S. regulatory standards as the reason.

"These changes would affect key structural components," Larson wrote. "The cost of redesign is prohibitive."

U.S. regulatory policy for 2007 has an ultralow emissions standard that the GT and awd versions did not meet. The base does meet the standard, says a Pontiac spokesman.

Sales also factored into the decision. Pontiac sold 64,271 units of the Vibe last year. That was up 9.1 percent from 2004. But dealers say the base model has accounted for the bulk of those sales.

"The GT and awd are very low-penetrating models right now," says Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson. "There's still a very good possibility we'll resurrect both of those as we look at the next generation of the Vibe over the next couple of years."

The Vibe is a joint project that GM builds with Toyota Motor Corp. at the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. plant in Fremont, Calif. Toyota builds the engine. Sources close to Pontiac say the NUMMI arrangement is profitable and the killing of these versions does not indicate that the relationship will end.

Pontiac will produce about 45,000 Vibes for 2006 model year, Hopson says. In July, Pontiac starts production on the 2007 base Vibe.

The base Vibe price starts at $16,990, the awd starts at $19,990 and the GT is $20,665. All prices include shipping.

Link to article

[Sleepwalkr]

They just need to lower the price overall so it can compete directly with the new Dodge Caliber. It would just figure that the Caliber would come in and take all that segments' sales, just as Pontiac scales down production. Since the Caliber is pretty much a rip-off of the Vibe anyway, GM needs to lower prices and then eventually offer a GTP model that'll compete against the upcoming Caliber SRT-4.

[bigbenSC]

So does this mean that the Matrix AWD and XRS versions will also die? The Vibe continues to be a pretty nice little car, but it never had the power behind it that the PT Cruiser and now HHR do. The lack of an auto transmission option always hurt the GT IMO, along with the high price.

[RAZE]

I didn't even know they still made the Vibe. Based on the picture alone, I can see why sales are lacking.

[Cormaster]

Why don't they just do away with the vibe all together? Its not a true GM car anyway, does Pontiac really need a re-badged toyota?

[blake]

Originally Posted by RAZE

I didn't even know they still made the Vibe. Based on the picture alone, I can see why sales are lacking.

, thats what i was gonna say

GM losing another car...go figure

[bigbenSC]

Originally Posted by Cormaster

... does Pontiac really need a re-badged toyota?

Yes, they do.

[Cormaster]

Why don't they rebadge the Scion TC then as a pontiac? They claim they need an entry level, and that car would be pretty neat with pontiac styling cues, plus if they could offer it at the price point Scion does, it could be a big hit for pontiac!

Originally Posted by Cormaster

Why don't they rebadge the Scion TC then as a pontiac? They claim they need an entry level, and that car would be pretty neat with pontiac styling cues, plus if they could offer it at the price point Scion does, it could be a big hit for pontiac!

Hey, I'd buy it!

[GrahamKracka]

Originally Posted by Shad0wguy

Hey, I'd buy it!

i would too....depending on the looks

[Irate]

Pontiac's re-badged Tc would start at $19,5

[Cormaster]

I was being serious too, the TC's a nice car, and I'd definitly buy one with an arrowhead than a matrix with an arrowhead!

[AMRAAM4]

Originally Posted by Cormaster

I was being serious too, the TC's a nice car, and I'd definitly buy one with an arrowhead than a matrix with an arrowhead!

yeah, because the sign on the front makes a focking difference

Dear Cormaster, please return to 2006 from 1986, the whole American verse Asian car battle and "buy American" is long gone. Much of a "100%" american car still has "foreign" parts on it, they realized there is just no way to beat it.

Aside from that, go right ahead and buy a car to "support America" if it makes you feel better at sleeping at night, but if they didn't build garbage, they wouldn't be getting their ass kicked

[Sleepwalkr]

Oh its so nice to read yet another uplifting and heartfelt "thought" from our most analytical and "accurate" most bestest forum contributor.

[Roush GT]

Originally Posted by Sleepwalkr

Oh its so nice to read yet another uplifting and heartfelt "thought" from our most analytical and "accurate" most bestest forum contributor.

Bob is right though. if you want a scion go buy a scion, if you want a matrix buy a matrix. we don't need no stinking rebadged toyota. toyota cars are about as bland as they come. They should kill all the vibe models and concetrate on what really matters... performance

[Sleepwalkr]

Originally Posted by SilverGT1

Bob is right though. if you want a scion go buy a scion, if you want a matrix buy a matrix. we don't need no stinking rebadged toyota. toyota cars are about as bland as they come. They should kill all the vibe models and concetrate on what really matters... performance

Actually he's right on 1 point......... building garbage.

America USED to build garbage. That hasn't been true in years.

70's = garbage. 80's = garbage.

Pre-70's & 80's America built resonably good cars.
Post 80's America got steadily better and within the last 5-8 years, "American" cars are every bit as good as foreign cars, and in some cases, even better. Unfortunately, because those 25 years or so were so impressionable on todays society, America has a challenge facing them to somehow prove that they're as good, and buyers just don't see it yet, even though the majority of statistics & studies say otherwise. Bob's opinion is just as noteworthy as anyone else, but unfortunately most opinions are subjective and not objective.

---insert Bob's negative, demeaning, get a rise comment here---

[bigbenSC]

Originally Posted by SilverGT1

toyota cars are about as bland as they come.

I'd agree with that for the most part, but the Cobalt and upcoming G5 are much more bland to me than the tC. Same goes when comparing the IS 250/350 and CTS.

[AMRAAM4]

Originally Posted by Sleepwalkr

Actually he's right on 1 point......... building garbage.

America USED to build garbage. That hasn't been true in years.

70's = garbage. 80's = garbage.

Pre-70's & 80's America built resonably good cars.
Post 80's America got steadily better and within the last 5-8 years, "American" cars are every bit as good as foreign cars, and in some cases, even better. Unfortunately, because those 25 years or so were so impressionable on todays society, America has a challenge facing them to somehow prove that they're as good, and buyers just don't see it yet, even though the majority of statistics & studies say otherwise. Bob's opinion is just as noteworthy as anyone else, but unfortunately most opinions are subjective and not objective.

---insert Bob's negative, demeaning, get a rise comment here---

when you learn what subjective and objective mean, we'll continue this discussion further, because as of right now you have your thoughts reversed.

Objective is: American cars are overpriced, cheaply made, look terrible, and generally don't perform up to the cost-benefit of their competition. If you also know statistics, you'll be aware of outliers, in this case that would be some Jap cars that suck and some American that are great, but those are discarded because they don't define the base of the population.

Simply stating that american car X gets 32mpg, or american car y got a safety rating of A+ means nothing. If it did, american cars wouldn't be getting their ass kicked for almost 10 years now on the ratings that really count.

[Sleepwalkr]

Originally Posted by AMRAAM4

when you learn what subjective and objective mean, we'll continue this discussion further, because as of right now you have your thoughts reversed.

Objective is: American cars are overpriced, cheaply made, look terrible, and generally don't perform up to the cost-benefit of their competition. If you also know statistics, you'll be aware of outliers, in this case that would be some Jap cars that suck and some American that are great, but those are discarded because they don't define the base of the population.

Simply stating that american car X gets 32mpg, or american car y got a safety rating of A+ means nothing. If it did, american cars wouldn't be getting their ass kicked for almost 10 years now on the ratings that really count.

Ok I'll try to put this as simply as possible;

Subjective: Ones own opinion on something based on their personal experiences with that particular something. Example; Myself and others in this forum have a personal belief that you, while greatly informed on certain things you show up and chime in about, are a jerk in your relative disregard for dignity and general respect for others......... just because this is "the internet".

Objective: A newbie who were to click on this thread, not knowing anything about you or I would have a more "objective" view on my stupid comments, and your "above everyone else" mentality..... thereby making them the better judge of character because they're not biased in any way.

Putting in the simplest terms possible; American cars are every bit as good as foreign cars, but the population is still under the incorrect belief that they're not, because they actually weren't a few years ago, and thats too fresh in most people's minds. Its gonna take a while, if GM & Ford have a while, to turn peoples minds around on this. Hyundai sucked just 6-10 years ago and look at them now. Realistically, Hyundai is about as good as Toyota & Honda nowadays and their sales are proving that. If they still have the chance, GM and Ford will do this too.

[AMRAAM4]

Originally Posted by Sleepwalkr

Objective: A newbie who were to click on this thread, not knowing anything about you or I would have a more "objective" view on my stupid comments, and your "above everyone else" mentality..... thereby making them the better judge of character because they're not biased in any way.

Incorrect definition. Reason? Unless the person has been oblivious to the car market the last 10+ years, your comments wouldn't be any more objective than mine, because in their previous car realms they would have already read and been witness to the thorough public colonoscopy the american car has had performed on it by Japanese Dr's.