GM to Unwrap ’09 Pontiac Vibe at LA Auto Show

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General Motors Corp. will debut the ’09 Pontiac Vibe at the Los Angles Auto Show in November.

The first redesign for the nearly 6-year-old hatchback also will mark the return of all-wheel-drive and GT variants, which GM discontinued with the ’07 edition.

The new Vibe will arrive at dealers shortly after production begins in first-quarter 2008.

GM originally planned a second-quarter rollout but moved the timetable ahead to accommodate plans by Toyota Motor Corp. to bring its ’09 Toyota Matrix to market sooner. The Vibe and Matrix share a platform.

Beyond reviving GT and AWD models, GM does not provide further details on the ’09 Vibe. Calls seeking additional comment on the vehicle were not immediately returned.

The Vibe has not received much attention from GM since it debuted in ’02 as an ’03 model.

But given current high fuel prices, growing consumer preference to more economical vehicles and proposed legislation for more stringent fuel economy standards, the ’09 version appears destined to play a larger role in GM’s passenger-car portfolio.

The current Vibe achieves a thrifty 33 mpg (7 L/100 km) on the highway.

’09 Pontiac Vibe redesign marks return of GT version, shown here.