New Chevy Malibu Hybrid

[hybridbear]

Looks great! Here are a few articles:

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097420_chevrolet-malibu-hybrid-volts-sibling-without-a-plug-may-be-first-of-several

 

http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1097428_2016-chevy-malibu-hybrid-to-take-volts-powertrain-to-the-masses#src=10065

[B25Nut]

And it will be assembled in the same industrial complex that built most of the B-25s in WWII. GM's Fisher Body division built the outer wing panels for most of the North American Aviation bombers made in Kansas City.

Capitalism is great. We rarely have to settle for something that is just good enough. It usually keeps pressure on manufactures to constantly improve.

The B-25 in this photo was built in Inglewood, CA.

[hybridbear]

If it really can achieve 45 MPG combined with folding rear seats and minimal trunk intrusion it could cut into sales of the Fusion Hybrid and Camry Hybrid. Hopefully it will just spur more consumers to buy hybrids. I'd really like to see GM put this powertrain or the Volt powertrain into a crossover or small SUV.

[acdii]

I will reserve judgement until it is actually on the market and has a track record. If GM can get away from the drab ugly colors and get some vibrant ones, they might have something there.

[Automate]

Sounds like GM will be taking a cue from Ford and using the same basic power-train in multiple vehicles (Fusion Hybrid, Fusion Energi, CMax Hybrid, CMax Energi). Spreads out the development/production cost over more vehicles.

[CCalvinN]

I've always been more of a bowtie rather than a blue oval guy. I don't know where it started, but my gut always just took me to Chevy first. It really disappointed me on my last two purchases that Chevy didn't have a good alternative. When I started my previous car search I really wanted a stylish hatchback that got good gas mileage. In the size and price I wanted it came down to the Focus or Veloster as GM just didn't have one to compete. The closest thing they had was the Cruze. Not a hatchback and not nearly as stylish.

 

This past search I had my heart set on a hybrid mid size so that I wouldn't lose out on the good gas mileage I was already getting. Again, GM just didn't have anything to compete. The Volt was the closest thing out there and it was just too small. In a couple years when I'll be looking again it will be nice to have a Chevy join the other manufacturers for my attention.

[acdii]

Just for kicks I wanted to see if the interior on the Silverado was much different. It is, and it is UGLY. Makes the 12YO one in mine look really good. LOL

[machoman1337]

I've rented a Malibu twice, both of this generation. The second one I got was a 2015 facelift with a mechanical parking brake and slightly improved rear legroom and a start-stop engine system (similar to what you can option on the 1.5L EcoBoost Fusion).

 

Apart from a cavernous trunk, the car really wasn't that impressive. It's lacking in standard features (the Fusion now has a rear camera standard, the Malibu still doesn't), the ride is less comfortable than the gas-only Fusion I rented a while ago, and the rear legroom is about the same as the much smaller Cruze (this part was the most disappointing). The start-stop system was rather jerky and irritating, though I'm probably biased as the only other nonhybrid I've driven with such a feature is a BMW.

 

I got to admit, the myLink touch screen infotainment is far more responsive than MFT because it has a smartphone-like capacitive screen. But Ford's already caught up there by introducing QNX :)

 

Definitely wouldn't trade in my FFH for a Malibu Hybrid, even if the trunk is indeed bigger, but I'm still happy to see Chevrolet push out more conventional hybrids. Go hybrids!

[hybridbear]

UPDATE: GM says it will get 47 MPG combined!!

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097420_chevrolet-malibu-hybrid-volts-sibling-without-a-plug-may-be-first-of-several

[Hybrider]

In that article, they also added photos of the new 2016 Malibu. The lower grill opening on that Malibu looks very much like the Fusion grill trapezoid shape, just turned upside down. That with the upper grill opening makes it look somewhat similar to the C-MAX also.

[machoman1337]

http://www.autos.ca/auto-shows/preview-2016-chevrolet-malibu/

 

Ok, I take back some of what I said. I thought it would be the same Malibu as what I rented, but a new gen? Looks awesome.

 

I see the base Malibu now has a 1.5L turbo. Seems like GM's following in Ford's footsteps and aiming to align with the displacement-based car taxation in some Euro/Asian countries.

Edited April 2, 2015 by machoman1337