Rarely has a single model had the responsibilities that General Motors has heaped upon the new Chevrolet Malibu. It is, according to product manager Jim Brown, charged with putting Chevrolet back in the car business. Its arrival, he noted at the vehicle’s regional introduction last week in New York, marks the re-launching of Chevrolet cars.
For those who wonder just when Chevrolet left the car business, necessitating a re-launch, the answer is that the brand has always offered passenger cars. Mr. Brown is not speaking literally. A check of the number of Chevrolet sedans on Connecticut’s roads, however, suggests that his figurative reference to a re-launch is not far from the mark. Chevrolet’s share of the passenger car market has eroded seriously over the past 25 years. That is what happens when you concentrate on more profitable trucks and let the sedans slide.
Those days are over, according to Mr. Brown. And, a day spent driving several new Malibu models in New York confirms that he is right on the money. The new Malibu is a very good car.
Start with the design. The new Malibu features appealing, nicely proportioned lines, with careful attention paid to the details that can often make or break a design. The car is pleasing from any angle, an advantage in my mind that it holds over the new Accord and the current Camry.
Inside, the attention to detail continues with a nicely executed design and the use of quality materials. The top of the instrument panel is soft-to-the-touch. The bottom half is not, but it still looks good. A dual arch originating in the central console stack echoes Chevrolet styling themes of the past, while handsome two-toning or a rich monochrome treatment enhances the new Malibu’s visual appeal.
Buyers can choose from five trim levels, starting at just $19,995, which includes $650 in destination charges. The base model is the LS, which is nicely equipped with a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine, four-speed automatic transmission, electric power steering and a full lineup of the expected comfort and convenience items. That includes air conditioning, power windows, power mirrors and remote power locks. Safety is addressed with standard anti-lock brakes, front, side front and side curtain air bags. Every Malibu also comes with the latest OnStar Safe and Sound package, which includes automatic advanced crash notification, which can help emergency responders know what to expect in the wake of a crash.
Sadly missing from the LS is electronic stability control as either a standard or optional addition. It is, however, offered on the mid-level LTs, the upper level LTZ and the Hybrid as standard equipment.
For the first time in the Malibu lineup, Chevrolet expects the four-cylinder engine to take the lion’s share of the orders. For buyers who simply must have more power, Chevrolet is offering a 3.6-liter V-6 mated to a six-speed automatic transmission as an option on the LTs and as standard equipment on the first LTZs. Later, when the four-cylinder engine is mated to the six-speed automatic, it will become standard on the LTZ, too.
All of which raises the question of just how good the Malibu with the four is. In the past, General Motor’s four-cylinder engines have not led the way for smoothness and refinement. Far from it.
The new four in the Malibu, however, breaks this curse. It was actually smoother at high rpm than the standard four-cylinder engine in a 2008 Accord that Chevrolet made available for a test drive.
Peppier yet is the V-6, of course. But its operation is not perfect. The six-speed automatic shifts smoothly, but when it comes time for a throttle-prompted downshift, it takes a little time to reach the lowest appropriate gear ratio for maximum acceleration for passing or merging. To overcome this reluctance to go from sixth gear, directly to third without pausing for an inordinate amount of time in fifth, Chevrolet does offer paddle shifters on the steering wheel. But these only work after the console-mounted shift lever is moved from “D” to “M” for manual operation. Only then will the steering wheel shift controls work.
Acceleration with the four-cylinder is more than adequate. The Malibu was pleasantly brisk with the V-6. Trip computer mileage figures on a route of mixed driving showed 25.8 miles per gallon with the four and 21.5 miles per gallon with the V-6. No Hybrid was available for a drive. EPA ratings are 22 miles per gallon in the city and 30 miles per gallon on the highway with the four. Trip computer readings that reached 28 miles per gallon on a highway stretch suggest that 30 miles per gallon should be reachable on a long trip. The V-6 is rated at 17 miles per gallon in the city and 26 miles per gallon on the highway.
On the road, the new Malibu offered a firm but comfortable ride. Handling in the V-6s, which use hydraulic power steering, was very good. The steering, however, felt artificially heavy and also suffered from a slight amount of on-center play. The electric power steering in the four was lighter to the touch, though the on-center play was also part of the package with this steering arrangement.
The front seats are roomy and comfortable, even with the optional power sunroof. In the rear, those over six-feet will find headroom marginal and, with the front seats all the way back, only the scooped out seat backs allowed my legs and knees to fit comfortably. Average size adults and children will have no problems. The trunk is big, but the opening to it is not. The rear seat back is split and folds nearly flat to enlarge cargo capacity.
Bright sunshine causes distracting reflections from the instrument panel’s attractively detailed top. It can also prompt enough rear window reflections off the rear parcel shelf to block the view from the mirror.
Chevrolet has expended a significant effort in keeping the Malibu’s interior quiet and this work has paid real dividends. The Malibu cruises on the highway in the kind of silence formerly reserved for luxury cars. Wind, road, engine and tire noise were all notable for their near absence.
My conclusion: The new Chevrolet Malibu is now fully competitive in the mid-size sedan market. It offers smooth and refined drivetrains, even four-cylinder models, or perhaps I should say, especially in four-cylinder vehicles. The car is wonderfully quiet on the road, even at higher speeds. Ride and handling are both good. My only minor complaint deals with the slight amount of on-center steering play. Comfort is good and the styling is now easily among the best in its class and noticeably superior to its most significant Asian competitors. In short, Jim Brown, the product manager, is right. The Chevrolet bowtie has been successfully re-launched in the sedan market. Buying a competitive vehicle without first trying the Malibu would be a real mistake.
