Gregson Mathe
After the new Malibu scared the living crap out of me by busting through paper background, it came out to excellent fanfare and applause.
Since the current gen Malibu is ranked highest in midsized dependability and initial quality by JD Power, this next version needs to be huge for Chevy. This is the first for Chevy in a stretch that will unveil 5 new cars this year. And since the midsized segment is the largest in the country (1 out of every 7 cars is midsized), the Malibu is shooting for the stars.
This Malibu is reportedly 300 pounds lighter than its predecessor and 4″ longer. That’s lighter than the Accord, Camry, and Altima. The base model will get a brand new 1.5L, turbocharged engine producing 160/184 hp/lbft torque with the 2.0L engine producing 250/258 (32mpg highway).
The other big news is the Malibu will now have a hybrid brother to go along with the normal gas model. Specs include: a 1.8L, naturally aspirated gas motor paired with the 2 drive equipment pulled from the Volt. Mpg is expected to be 48/45 city/highway.
Can the Malibu compete with the leaders in the segment? Only time will tell, but this isn’t a bad start.
Find new roads indeed.
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