In a simultaneous world premiere at the New York Auto Show in the States and the Shanghai Auto Show in China, General Motors will lift the curtain on its brand new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, one of the firm’s most important models in years. The online debut of the brand’s new mid-size model comes on the same day that Chevrolet announced its best ever first-quarter results with 1.1 million sales worldwide.
What’s important about this generation of the Malibu is that Chevy’s mid-size saloon will become a global player, as GM plans to sell the car in nearly 100 countries across the world and build it in multiple locations, including China. The North American version will be manufactured at the Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas City, and at the Hamtramck factory in Detroit.
Redesigned from the ground up, the new Malibu sports a new exterior styling with lines and curves inspired from Chevy’s most recent models such as the Cruze up front and even the Camaro at the back with the LED dual-element taillamps.
“The exterior design of the all-new Malibu carries DNA from its sister vehicles, the Camaro and Corvette, to bring a sporty sensibility to the family sedan segment,” said Bryan Nesbitt, executive director for GM exterior design.
The interior has also been revamped featuring a more fluid design with a prominent instrument panel incorporating a pair of Camaro-esque circular gauges set in squared-off housings, and a new top-hinged, flat panel display on the center console that articulates up and down revealing a six-inch-deep hidden, illuminated storage compartment. In the US, the Malibu will be offered with Chevrolet’s new MyLink infotainment package that integrates wireless connectivity through Bluetooth.
Under the fresh sheetmetal, the Malibu rides on GM's Epsilon II platform, which is found on a variety of vehicles including the Opel Insignia / Buick Regal, Buick LaCrosse and the new Saab 9-5.
The 107.8-inch (2,738mmng ) wheelbase is 4.5-inches (114 mm) shorter than the model it replaces. However, the new Malibu also gets 62-inch (1,574 mm) front and rear tracks that are more than 2 inches (51 mm) wider than before. As a result, GM claims that the 2013 Malibu offers nearly 4 cubic feet (113 L) of additional interior volume, along with increased front and rear shoulder and hip room, plus more than 1 cubic ft. of extra trunk space at 16.3 cu.ft (462 lt).
The new Malibu measures 191.3-in. (4,859mm) in length, 73.0-in. (1,854mm) in width and 57.6-in. (1,462mm) in height). This means the 2013 Malibu is 0.5-in. shorter, 3.0-in. wider and 0.5-in. taller than the current model.
At launch, the North American Malibu will be offered with an all-new 2.5-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine with direct-injection, linked to a six-speed automatic transmission. Final numbers are still being worked out, but GM estimates the four-pot will deliver more than 190-horsepower and 180 lb.-ft. of torque (245 Nm). GM has not ruled out a V6 unit for the future.
Chevy’s new mid-size model is fitted with revamped MacPherson strut front and mutli-link rear suspensions, while stopping power comes courtesy of ventilated front disc and solid rear disc brakes, clamped on by dual-piston front and single-piston rear aluminum calipers.
Standard safety features include an array of airbags along with an available lane departure warning system with forward collision alert.
In North American spec, the 2013 Malibu comes in LS, LT and LTZ trim levels, with a choice of 10 exterior shades and four interior colors.
Production and U.S. sales will begin in the first quarter of 2012. Details on the European, Australian (as the Holden Malibu) and other international versions of the Malibu are to be released at a later date.
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34 Comments:
YEAH GM THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN ABOUT!
Can buy this at the Buick dealership and vice versa? The rear does look nice though.
WOW, What a sweet looking ride Chevy. Where is my bowtie?
Ugh I like the new VW beetle and I like this too. I can only afford one new car though. I like how the dashboard has a brown leather look, very handsome.
Only hitch up in the interior are the boring air vents.. I mean come on GM. Exterior is somewhat bland but everything else is looking not too shabby at this point.
Pretty pictures, but GM needs to show ACTUAL pics and not the computer generated ones.
It won't look that pristine and upscale on the interior when they take the real pictures.
I like this A LOT!!! This looks great! I hope it comes with a turbo and all wheel drive a little later.
way to go Chevy! Nice Looking Sedan!!
I spoke too soon, it appears. Nice job. But, I'm still wondering when GM will get better at designing tail lamps.
Very Handsome... Looks far more muscular/aggressive this time with just enough Camaro elements to lend it a nice family resemblance.
The interior just looks fantastic - Well Done!
Prefer the excellent current design- elegant and looks expensive, this update kind of bland. Hopefully, the back seat will have headroom. Won't those taillights look odd on colors other than red??
This is the US downsizing their engines... From massive V6's and V8's to a 2,5 four pot.
I don't think these vehicles will be sold much in Europe (or China and India for that matter) as gas prices are around 9.37 dollar per gallon now.
The car looks pretty good and great effort for trying though.
^ Agreed, those lights look fine on the back of a Camaro, with it's strong stance and flared wheel arches, but on a budget box sedan?
What you mean this car won't sell in Europe because of the small engine size????? Have you been here before? Have you seen what little cars they drive around in? Regardless of gas prices people will buy this because it's cheaper to run then HUGE SUV's that take over US roads! This will do well in Australia, even the Cruze is overselling the big, V6 and V8 powered Holden Commodores which are big sedans!
Guess I was expecting more. Doesn't look a whole lot different than the current Malibu. I do like the look though, simple and sleek.
"Ugh I like the new VW beetle and I like this too. I can only afford one new car though. I like how the dashboard has a brown leather look, very handsome."
Well, it depends on what you want, you want a 50 years old boring design on a small car that is driven mostly by hippies, woman and gays, get the VW bug. If you want a real comfy car, with a lot of space, modern design and good handling, you get the Malibu.
I hate Chevys but I love this Chevy ...it's gonna do extremely well outside the states....
WTF? Dude, what have you been smoking? I know European mid size sedans with the same engine capacity if not bigger, 2.5 is a small decent engines, also it will probably get more engines, both smaller and bigger(SS) once the car will be in showrooms. You didn't expected a 1 liter, 3 cylinder engine on a car as big as a mid sizer, didn't you?
Should sell ok to rental fleets and retirees but the mainstream will pass over this for Elantra, Camry etc.
Finally an HID headlights, GM finally woke up, and consider it a some sort of super luxury, kudos for the LED's as well, it is time to use the new technology.
This is a sick kewl SWEET ride and even though I am only 16 I want one . My grand dad has a Chevy Chevelle and this is kool like his ride. Dang chevy you got your mojo back. My dad like this car too and say his wish Chevy had its mojo in the eighties when he was in school. Thanks Chevy for a car that I can dream about. wow who would had thought that Chevy is making hip cars and Toyota and Honda are the ones making very blend or ugly cars.
Dang it dudes my heart is pounding every time I look at these pics of the malibu, this is love at first sight.
Chevy Rocks, yea'American Pie' dudes I am jaming to it and freaking over these pics, its a sick ride no doubt
I like how CS did close ups and cut in close toward the details of the Malibu, Now I wish someone could change the color on photo shop and show it in black , white, and blue. So we can see it in different colors. I like to see if the blue makes this car looks less good then red does. some cars do not look good in certain colors and blue may not rock it on the Malibu. The teaser of it in blue does not look hot as the red one does.
"Finally an HID headlights, GM finally woke up, and consider it a some sort of super luxury, kudos for the LED's as well, it is time to use the new technology."
Little slow there. The STS and CTS had HIDs for years now, and Cadillac was the first brand to offer LED tailights on the '99 Deville.
They aren't 'that' outfield.
duh!!!The car is red, so it looks sleek and exciting. Where is a direct side view shot?? might look chunky....what w/ it look like in a lighter color?? The current design s/ have been kept, just lower the beltline and/or increase height. The formal roofline made it look expensive. Too many designs lately have high beltlines and swoopy roofs, limiting visibility and roominess.
Good design, but miss a real glass roof and an AWD. Don't follow, get ahead !
Opel Insignia. Where's the striking Elantra?
yO ANON21 ,yEA BRO i AM WITH YOU in the fact it is one sick ride but i'm only 14 and gotto wait 2 yrs to even get my driver permit. the tail lamps are dope
When GM Chevrolet does a update on the Cruze, they should use some of the styling cues from this Malibu. The tail lamps and front bumper, also the dash , all would go a long way in Making the cruze a really outstanding model like this Malibu is. Also to the anonymous poster who said red make this look sleek, yes it does but the styling is what completes it.
looks far better than the teaser photos indicated, yet i cannot decide whether i like it better than the current malibu.
MattJ & anon11 you need to learn to read better. V6's and V8's will not be sold that much in EU as gas prices are so high and increasing every day. The 2,5liter will be the next victim to this trend.
most engines in the uk in the bigger cars like this are in the range of 2.0 to 2.5 liters to anon11. Any ways the way engines are getting more HP and mpg from smaller engines, in the near future I would bet the malibu will be sporting a 2.0 turbo as the top engine with about 300 hp and around 260 lb ft of tq.
This car brings to the table all that is great about american car style and leaves behind all that made american car style cheap. This is truly a handsome car and yes very american looking but great at being american looking. This Malibu is the american Dream
I disagree with those who think the old Malibu is better.
This is one of Chevy's best designed cars I've ever seen. Love the Camaro touch on the back, with the Cruze style on the front. Very sleek. Interior looks very classy. It may come off as a gimmick, but I like the storage space behind the LCD panel in the console (for the iPhone or whatever else).
We may yet see some other changes to this design, but so far I'm very excited
I work at a Chevy dealership and I cannot wait for this car to come out, not just to sell but i want one for myself. I cannot wait
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