( Worldcarfans ) - Canada customers will soon meet the new 2009 Wave5, a compact car that will replace the current Pontiac Wave. Although new, the Wave5 may seem a known vehicle to most of you, and it surely is. Change the badge and you will be able to call it Daewoo Gentra, Holden Barina or even Chevrolet Aveo5.
Developed under the code T250, the new Pontiac Wave5 has some interesting improvements over the Wave, such as a new 1.6-litre engine with variable valve timing that delivers 107 cv and 143 Nm, nice numbers for an engine of this size, even though the Renault Twingo RS goes a little further ahead. Besides offering a better performance, the Wave5 needs less petrol than its predecessor. The new car's range, running on regular gasoline, is said to reach 640 km.
With a wheelbase of 2,48 m, the Wave5 must be roomy, as its press release says, but we still can't confirm. The best thing about its possible roominess is that it comes in a relatively small package ( 3,94 m long, 1,68 m wide and 1,51 m high), ideal for the traffic of crowded big cities.
Among other interesting features, the Wave5 includes standard OnStar and the XM Satellite Radio as an option, side air bags and dual-stage frontal air bags with Passenger Sensing System also as standard, a five-year or 160,000 km warranty for the powertrain, six-way adjustable front seats, tilting steering wheel, cruise control, heated outside mirrors and 1,189 l of load capacity with folded seats (no word on its load capacity with seats in normal position in the press release, a clear sign it is small, and it really is: only 198 l). Prices haven't been informed so far, but, as a reference, the Aveo5 starts at US$ 10,895 in the USA. The new Pontiac may cost a little more than that.
