[FenwickHockey65]

Born Again: Next-Gen Chevrolet Malibu Announced
Larger, lighter and more efficient Malibu to be unveiled at New York Auto Show
General Motors

March 4, 2015

DETROIT – Designed to deliver more efficiency, connectivity and advanced safety features than ever, the next-generation 2016 Chevrolet Malibu will make its public debut at the New York International Auto Show this April.

Using a blank slate approach, Chevrolet designers benefited from an entirely new architecture, which for Malibu includes a wheelbase nearly four inches longer than the outgoing model. That, in turn, provides increased rear legroom and interior space.

Due to a higher-strength steel structure, the new Malibu is also expected to be 300 pounds lighter than the current model, which benefits the sedan’s fuel economy and handling.

“Malibu’s gorgeous styling is the result of a masterful understanding of proportions,” said Ed Welburn, General Motors’ vice president of Global Design. “The roofline has been stretched rearward giving a more sleek profile, while the front wheels have moved forward and front and rear overhangs have been reduced. Along with the sculpted body side, these cues help Malibu appear more dynamic and sophisticated.”

More details about the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu will be shared each week leading up to the vehicle’s global debut. The 2016 Malibu is expected to go on sale by the end of 2015.

[shaffe]

Please tell me the fixed the awful ass end. I have always thought the Malibu was a good looking car but that ass end always killed it for me.

[ssrs2lt]

I'm currently renting a 2015 Malibu ltz eco. I will say I'm glad gm addressed the rear leg room, I'm not a giant but the backseat...the eco on off is kind of annoying but it works. The thing that surprises me is the lack of back up sensors and camera..lol..the Malibu was a sales beast so I hope it regains that form

[King T]

Originally Posted by ssrs2lt

I'm currently renting a 2015 Malibu ltz eco. I will say I'm glad gm addressed the rear leg room, I'm not a giant but the backseat...the eco on off is kind of annoying but it works. The thing that surprises me is the lack of back up sensors and camera..lol..the Malibu was a sales beast so I hope it regains that form

Yes I would like to see the Malibu become a top seller in its category (behind the Camry and Accord of course). The Fusion and Altima have really been kicking ass lately



As of Mid-size car sales for the month of February, the Altima and Fusion were above the Accord, putting it in 4th place

The Toyota Camry secured its place at the top of the sales charts among midsize cars again last month. With 32,942 sales, the Camry came in ahead of second-place finisher Nissan Altima, which moved 28,474 units.

The Ford Fusion earned a spot in the top three with sales of 22,732 units last month. The Honda Accord dipped to fourth place with sales of 21,616 units, down 12.2 percent from February 2014. It's unclear if this drop was caused by West Coast port delays that forced the automaker to cut production last month, but it's an unusual turn for the Honda Accord. In 2014 the sedan finished the year second in overall midsize sedan sales, just behind the Camry.

The Chrysler 200 and Hyundai Sonata took fifth and sixth place respectively, each improving upon their sales from a year ago. The Chevrolet Malibu, which scored seventh place, saw its numbers decline significantly with 13,971 sales, down from 17,448 last February. Rounding out the top ten were the Kia Optima, Volkswagen Passat, and Mazda6.

[stoopid]

I still can't fathom what people see in the Camry.

I liked my 2013 Malibu. Acceleration was decent for a 4 banger (2.5L). It was the reason I ended up in the Camaro, it teased me into expecting more from a car. Any improvements in what I thought was already an undervalued car is only bonus.

[IBM]

Originally Posted by stoopid

I still can't fathom what people see in the Camry.

I liked my 2013 Malibu. Acceleration was decent for a 4 banger (2.5L). It was the reason I ended up in the Camaro, it teased me into expecting more from a car. Any improvements in what I thought was already an undervalued car is only bonus.

Too many people are still under the impression that Toyotas & Hondas last forever, and everything else is crap.

[IBM]

The rear profile almost reminds me of a Genesis coupe.

[Frank in MD]

I spy a panoramic sunroof and LED DRL's. I hope the LED's are standard fare on LT trim level and the roof an option on all trims. It's time Chevy went back to what made them a household name, giving people more than they expected.

[FenwickHockey65]

Food for thought:



This was launched less than 3 years ago. The fact that GM is ready to launch a brand new model in response to a weak product in a relatively short period of time is refreshing.

[Erik427]

Originally Posted by IBM

Too many people are still under the impression that Toyotas & Hondas last forever, and everything else is crap.

Well said!

[KMPrenger]

300 lbs lighter is very nice. Nice to see another (hopefully great!) GM chassis that will perform great and shed weight like Alpha has done. Very curious to see if its 300 lbs off all trims, or maybe only the currently higher...heavier trims?

So with this car growing even more....will it start to step on Impala's toes a bit? You can tell from other teasers floating around out there that it has some Impala like features.

[FenwickHockey65]

I fear we may end up with Nissan's problem for a while: Altima stepping on Maxima's toes.

Impala is still supposed to be a bigger car so we'll have to see how this works out.

[stoopid]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Food for thought:



This was launched less than 3 years ago. The fact that GM is ready to launch a brand new model in response to a weak product in a relatively short period of time is refreshing.

I wonder if it has to do with a shared platform being retired. Maybe the Cruze and Malibu both use the same platform and since the Cruze is changing it necessitated the Malibu's new gen?

Malibu's a fleet car. It's going to be a cold day it truly competes with the Accord in the eyes of the market. I think there's other technical reasons for the change, there's no wheel to reinvent here.

[shaffe]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

I fear we may end up with Nissan's problem for a while: Altima stepping on Maxima's toes.

Impala is still supposed to be a bigger car so we'll have to see how this works out.

I know the Impala has been selling well but isn't the full size sedan market on the way down?

Could that be why the Malibu may get a bit bigger to try and get some of those full size buyers?