Pontiac to get its own Aveo

DETROIT --- General Motors Corp. says it will begin selling a Korean-built small car under the Pontiac nameplate next year.

The G3, a rebadged version of the Chevrolet Aveo, will arrive in showrooms in the spring and be the lowest-priced Pontiac.

GM said the five-door hatchback with a 1.6-liter, 106-horsepower four-cylinder engine gets an estimated 27 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway. It will have five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions.

Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson said pricing hasn't been released yet, but the G3 likely will have a base price around $15,000. That's more than the $10,895 base price of a 2008 Aveo, but Mr. Hopson said the Pontiac will be better-equipped, with standard air conditioning, CD/MP3 player with auxiliary input, fog lamps and OnStar, GM's help line for drivers.

Toyota adds rear window air bag

TOKYO --- Toyota has developed a rear window air bag to upgrade protection for back-seat passengers, the company said.

In a rear-end collision, the bag is ejected from the roof lining above the rear window and spreads like a curtain to protect the heads of the rear passengers. Toyota Motor Corp. said the rear window curtain-shield air bag is the world's first.

The safety gear will debut in the iQ compact four-seat vehicle this year. Toyota said the air bag is expected to double the safety of rear passengers.