Official Photos & Info: 2009 Toyota Matrix - Car News

We saw the cart before the horse, with recent teaser pictures of the Pontiac Vibe hatchback before Toyota released these official pictures and information on the Matrix which essentially took the engineering lead for the two.
But that’s OK. The Matrix and Vibe may share underpinnings, but the sheetmetal is unique to the competing brands. And the Matrix is built at a Canadian Toyota assembly plant in Cambridge, Ontario, while the Vibe hails from a GM-Toyota joint venture in Fremont, California.The new Matrix will be available in three trims: standard, S, and XRS. And like the new 2009 Corolla, which looks like a size-smaller Toyota Camry, the new Matrix is the obvious little brother to larger Toyota products, including the Lexus RX350.The look of the five-door attempts to be sportier and more aggressive—following the trend of utes with lowered rooflines to give off a coupe-like effervescence. The XRS does look sharper, thanks to the fitment of a strut tower brace and an independent rear suspension, but somehow the overall look comes off as less interesting than before.
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, or any Scion, the Matrix is offered with all-wheel drive on the S trim level.The top-of-the-line Matrix XRS borrows the 158-hp, 162-lb-ft 2.4-liter four-cylinder found in the Scion xB and tC, and also have VVT-i. It is mated to a five-speed manual or automatic transmission with a manual shift gate.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.Inside, the goal is a cockpit feel with bright white lighting offsetting red-lit needles, and a large and dominant speedometer. Everything from sport seats to the steering wheel are new, but the use of cheaper, monotone materials makes it hard to consider the interior much of a step forward in design.