Prevailing rumors had General Motors euthanizing the Pontiac Vibe, but KGP Photography caught this heavily camouflaged next-generation mule near GM’s Milford Proving Grounds recently, suggesting the model will live on—albeit perhaps under a different name, or even a different brand.

Similarly sized and shaped prototypes have also been seen in the Southwest, but our spotters indicate the Japanese test crew surrounding them and the vehicle’s decidedly un-GM-like disguise would seem to point to those evaluators being the next evolution of the Toyota Matrix, the Vibe’s mechanical twin.

The five-door has been on sale since early 2001, soldiering on admirably with minimal changes over that period. In fact, over the last year or so, GM has pruned the Vibe range dramatically, cutting both GT and all-wheel-drive models, yet the car still sells respectably.

Up until now, however, there were few signs GM would receive a new version of the platform, but it looks like the General will continue to have a product produced at NUMMI, the California joint-venture plant with Toyota. With car czar Bob Lutz suggesting that future Pontiacs will be rear-drive, we can’t help but wonder if the next Vibe will in fact be branded as a Chevrolet.