We saw the cart before the horse, with teaser pictures of the all-new 2009 Pontiac Vibe hatchback being presented before Toyota released the official pictures and information on its new ‘09 Matrix, which more likely took the engineering lead for the two. Then the curtains came up on the Matrix at the 2007 SEMA show, followed weeks later by the Vibe at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show.
Now that we’ve driven the horse—before Pontiac got us behind the wheel of the Vibe—we can share a few things that are bound to be common driving characteristic between both of these completely redesigned crossovers.
While the Matrix and Vibe may share underpinnings, the sheetmetal is, and has always been, unique to the competing brands. The look of the new Matrix is intended to be sportier and more aggressive than before, and in some respects it is. But in its quest to add some sharpness and angularity to the Matrix, Toyota seems to have taken out the more interesting aspects of the previous model, and we found it to be rather less exciting than before.
Indeed, while the new 2009 Corolla, which looks like a size-smaller Toyota Camry, the new Matrix looks more like a size-larger Scion xD, only duller, unless there is body cladding attached to it. The Vibe, on the other hand, looks better than ever, especially without body cladding. Wait, did we just say that?
The similarities between the Matrix and the Scion xD and Scion xB should hardly be a surprise, as there is very little differentiation in terms of their five-passenger tall-wagon program, high seating position and powertrain choices. For its part, Toyota claims that the Scions are intended to appeal to “urban trendsetters” while the Matrix—like the new Corolla—is aimed at more “mainstream youth.” Then Toyota coughed up this somewhat surprising statistic: about one-third of all Scion intenders that chose not to get a Scion ended up walking in the other showroom and picking out a Toyota. So maybe there is room for both after all. The Matrix will be available in three trims: standard, S, and the XRS. The goal of the interior of all trims is a cockpit feel with bright white lighting offsetting red-lit needles, and a large and dominant speedometer. Everything from sport seats to the three-spoke steering wheel is new. However, much of the brightwork and interesting design of the prior Matrix has given way to cheaper, monotone materials, and thus, in spite of additional equipment and so-called upgraded fabrics, it’s hard to consider the new interior much of a step forward in design. By comparison, the Scions appear much more interesting. And cheaper, too.
But the Matrix is available with a lot of cool new bits, including Toyota’s latest navigation system with XM traffic reporting, a JBL audio system, and stability control (the latter available across all trim levels). Storage, too, is impressive, with cubbies upon cubbies and a massive glovebox. And in terms of safety, besides stability control, there are no options: six air bags come standard.
Under the hood, the Matrix and Matrix S share a new 1.8-liter, four-cylinder base engine with the Corolla, generating 132 horsepower and 128 lb-ft of torque, and featuring dual VVT-I (variable valve timing with intelligence). Unlike the Corolla, however, or any Scion for that matter, the Matrix is offered with all-wheel drive on the S trim level. The brakes, too, have been upgraded to four-wheel discs instead of the Corolla’s front disc/rear drum setup. Transmission choices are either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. Toyota says it expects at least 30 mpg from its new small cars, and both the Matrix and Vibe have been engineered to accommodate a hybrid powertrain as well, which we expect to hear more about within a year or so. During our limited amount of driving on glassy smooth, low-speed-limit roads around suburban Raleigh, North Carolina, the Matrix and Matrix S performed as well as expected; i.e. completely forgettable. And for traditional Toyota people, and those who evidently consider Scions too edgy, that’s probably a good thing. The new 1.8-liter inline-four revs smoothly, if not terribly quietly. Feel through the tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel was rather tepid and springy. Yawn. The top-of-the-line Matrix XRS and the Matrix S with all-wheel-drive, on the other hand, both utilize the strong 158-hp, 162-lb-ft 2.4-liter four-cylinder found in the Scion xB and Scion tC, which also has VVT-i. Mated to a choice of five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmissions, the latter with a manumatic function, the XRS motor is infinitely more entertaining than the base power plant, even though it’s down a few horsepower compared with the high-revving 1.8-liter found on top-shelf Matrixes in the past.
But the XRS and S AWD have another trick up their sleeves that piqued our interest, namely the replacement of the rear torsion beam suspension with an independent, control-arm rear end. The XRS goes a step further with a front strut tower brace, stability control, and attractive 17-inch-wheels. Equipped thus, there’s a night-and-day difference between the XRS and the base model, all of which go a long way to add some life to the innate artificiality of the electric power steering. This was somewhat less true of the S AWD, but it still deserves credit for being more engaging than the base. Our advice for Toyota loyalist for a penchant for handling (tee-hee, are there any?): get the much, much sharper XRS. End of story.
So while there is a lot of news to talk about with the new Matrix, it’s hard to get excited about what we see here. Even after our first stint behind the wheel, when we’re usually the most excited about any new car. But then, we’re not part of the “mainstream youth” market that Toyota plans to attract with the new Matrix. Now, it appears, we’re much more the Scion xB/Pontiac Vibe types.