Rumored: Saab's MINI Rival

There are some sketches on the internet that were rumored to be found in GM design studio and they're a little interesting: a MINI rival from the General Motors. But it's not clear which GM division's badge would the car carry.

While the drawings spotted reportedly featured Chevy design cues, the scribes over at Motor Trend venture that Chevrolet couldn't sell it at high enough a price-point to make it a viable option. It'd be too small for Buick or Cadillac, and too European-flavored for Pontiac. It doesn't fit Hummer's and GMC's lineups, either. That leaves Saab and Saturn, either or both of which (in possible collaboration with Vauxhall/Opel) could present a good alternative to BMW's popular MINI retro-hatch, which will compete with Fiat's hot-selling 500 and Alfa Romeo's upcoming Junior model soon.

2009 Pontiac Wave5 Unveiled In Montreal

The badge engineering is one of the favourite jobs of GM. With its countless rebadged models, American automaker unveiled in Canada a rebadged version of the Chevy Aveo sedan, which calls Pontiac Wave.

With the arrival of the facelifted Aveo5 comes a new Wave5 for Canada. It's the new Aveo5 with a Pontiac twin-grille. Unlike the Pontiac G5, this won't be coming across US border.

For more on the Wave5, click here to read CanadianDriver.com's coverage from the Montreal Auto Show.

Officially Unveiled: 2009 Pontiac Vibe

After the dropping of the Corolla and Matrix, it's time for new Vibe, their Pontiac badged sibling. The Pontiac Vibe has been producing since 2003.

We got our first official shot about a monthe ago. So there isn't any surprise. The five-door hatchback layout is preserved. The new Vibe comes in Base, AWD and GT trim levels. The base starts with a 132 hp 1.8L four with a 158 hp. The 2.4L is optional. The AWD and GT models use the bigger engine exclusively. A five-speed manual is standard equipment with either engine, and an automatic transmission is available as an option.

Gallery: 2009 Pontiac Vibe

Officially Unveiled: 2009 Pontiac Vibe GT

GM has revealed the first official picture of the 2009 Pontiac Vibe. With the new Vibe GT trim level makes its return. There aren't any more info. GM has published a ultra-brief press release, which doesn't include any tech specs.

The 2009 Vibe will be officially unveiled at the LA Auto Show, and the GT will be joined by an AWD model as well. The car will be on sale early 2008. The Vibe's mechanical sibling, the Toyota Matrix, will debut at SEMA later this month.

PRESS RELEASE

2009 Pontiac VibeAll-new, but still retaining the original's blend of style performance and versatility, the 2009 Pontiac Vibe also signals the return of the popular all-wheel drive and performance-oriented GT models. The 2009 Vibe will make its public debut at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show and will be available at Pontiac dealerships in early 2008.