Editor's note: The Pontiac Vibe was a compact car, marketing from 2003 to 2010. The Chevrolet Borrego never went ito production.

General Motors used the Los Angeles Motor Show as the launch platform for the Pontiac Vibe, a new sport utility vehicle (SUV). GM also unveiled a new concept car, the Chevy Borrego, based on a Subaru four wheel drive platform. The 1.8-liter, four-cylinder Vibe seats up to five passengers and will compete with small SUVs such as Toyota's RAV4, Subaru's Outback and Honda's CRV. Standard equipment includes a CD player, a unique 110V AC dashboard outlet to power household appliances, remote control central locking, front and side airbags and the OnStar navigation and communications system. The Vibe has a front passenger seatback that folds flat on to the seat base and this, combined with a fold-flat rear seat, allows long objects like surfboards to be carried, following a precedent established by Mazda and other manufacturers. A roof rack is also standard. The Vibe goes on sale next year as a 2003 model and will be targeted at competitors such as the Outback, Ford Focus and Honda Civic, models that are often bought by young, first-time new car owners. The intended demographic was evident at the show-business style debut of the vehicle in L.A., which included "slam poets" offering their interpretations of the "Vibe." Younger buyers are also the target of the Chevy Borrego, on display at Los Angeles as a concept car. GM owns 20 percent of Fuji Heavy Industries, maker of Subaru, which has donated the Borrego's four-wheel drive platform. The Borrego looks something like a cross between a low-slung sports coupe, a mini-SUV and a small pickup. To convert the Borrego from a two-seater to a four-seater, the rear window retracts, the mid-gate slides back and a full roof, which normally stays under the pickup truck load floor, is snapped into place. Self-inflating seals ensure the expanded passenger cabin stays waterproof. The Borrego is powered by a Subaru-built horizontally-opposed "flat-four" engine.