The new Malibu is lighter, longer, roomier and loaded with advanced technologies and they all come with a price that’s lower than that of the outgoing model.
Text and photos by Clare Dear
Some pundits say the mid-size sedan segment is dead as consumers shift to sport utility vehicles and crossovers, but the decision-makers at General Motors don’t agree. In fact, they’re so confident there’s plenty of life left in the mid-size segment they’ve created an all-new Chevrolet Malibu to compete in that market. More than 100,000 mid-size cars were sold in Canada last year, making it the second-largest car segment in the country – in fact, one of every six cars sold was a mid-size model. “There’s still a lot of opportunity in this segment,” says Chevrolet assistant brand manager Jamie Dewhuerst. So to draw mid-size buyers to the Chevy brand, the Malibu has been given a complete makeover inside and out – it’s now lighter, longer, roomier and loaded with advanced technologies, all with a price that’s lower than the outgoing model.
Chevy designers have given the 2016 Malibu a stylish new exterior shell that’s more aerodynamic, with a lower hood and a windshield that’s tilted back more than its predecessor.
The headlamps and daytime running lights have been updated to modern, efficient LED units
The body flows back to a sculpted rear end, giving the car a more fashionable, more European look.
Stylish new taillights freshen the rear of the Malibu.
Chromed exhaust tips peek out below the sculpted rear fascia.
The engineers set out to make the new Malibu the lightest sedan in the mid-size segment. This newest iteration of the iconic mid-size nameplate (it made its debut decades back in 1964) is now 58 millimetres longer (4,922 mm overall) and the wheelbase has grown 101 mm (2,829 mm), making it the largest mid-size sedan on the market. However, the car’s curb weight has dropped 136 kilograms (1,405 kg, making it the lightest sedan in the segment, yet the Malibu’s chassis felt rigid during our test drive over highways and demanding paved logging roads on Vancouver Island. The stretched wheelbase contributed to improved ride comfort regardless of the road conditions, while the suspension (MacPherson struts with specially tuned coil springs and an anti-roll bar up front; a four-link independent setup with an anti-roll bar in the rear) swallowed potholes without complaints and kept the car stable in the turns.
The Malibu’s roomy interior has been totally redesigned with the sweeping instrument panel flowing into an integrated centre stack dominated by a large full-colour MyLink display screen.
A set of four analog gauges are centred in front of the driver, with a large tachometer and matching speedometer separated by a full-colour information screen. Above the display screen are a fuel gauge and coolant temperature gauge. An oil pressure gauge would have been a much-appreciated addition.
The increased wheelbase has been put to good use inside the cabin, with improved legroom, especially in the rear seat where occupants will appreciate an additional 3.3 mm of legroom (now 967 mm.) Up front, total legroom is 1,067 mm, while headroom is 993 mm. Rear headroom is 953 mm – still adequate even for six-footers.
The cargo area has 447 litres of space, which should easily handle the results of a Costco run or a family’s luggage for a weekend getaway. If more space is required, the 60/40-split rear seatbacks fold down, although the resulting cargo floor is not flat. Still, it will readily accommodate longer items.
A new 1.5-litre, double overhead-cam, turbocharged Ecotec four-cylinder with direct fuel injection and variable valve timing replaces the previous generation’s base 2.5L four-banger. With the turbo providing up to 17 pounds-per-square-inch of boost, this small-displacement four-cylinder punches above its weight class, cranking out 163 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 184 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 revs. During our test drive, that output, channelled through a Hydra-Matic six-speed automatic transaxle, provided good acceleration from launch and for highway cruising, with adequate power in reserve for overtaking and merging. The transmission didn’t spend time searching for the right gear and the engine purred along serenely without the annoying noise associated with some four-bangers. This engine is fitted with stop/start technology, helping it achieve impressive fuel economy numbers: 8.7 litres/100 km in city driving; 6.3 on the highway for a combined rating of 7.6 L/100 – one of the best in its class.
The up-level engine is a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder that generates 250 horsepower at 5,300 rpm and 260 ib-ft of torque at 1,700 revs. This engine, standard on the new Premier trim level, is coupled to an eight-speed automatic – GM’s first application of this new transmission in a front-wheel-drive vehicle. Not surprisingly, it delivered more snap on acceleration and was instantly responsive when I needed to overtake a chugging logging rig on a windy two-lane road. Although there was a greater range of ratios to choose from, the transmission’s choices were decisive and almost seamless. The only negative note was the ride – the comfort level was still good, but not quite as comfy as the lower trimmed LT I tested. A Chevy engineer explained the difference in ride (and nimbleness, to some degree) was attributed to the fact the Premier, with all its comfort and technology add-ons, weighs about 82 kg more than its sibling. Its fuel consumption ratings are 10.6 L/100 km in city driving; 7.1 on the highway and 9.0 combined.
Chevrolet has borrowed bits from the Volt parts bin and, coupled with the experienced gained with that vehicle, put it all together in an all-new Malibu Hybrid. The new architecture it shares with its conventionally powered siblings, in particular the 101-mm stretched wheelbase and the 136-kg reduction in curb weight, contributes to the new Hybrid’s improved ride, while a new two-motor drive unit, borrowed from the Volt and modified to suit the Malibu, enhances the vehicle’s overall efficiency. Overall, the Malibu Hybrid’s drive unit generates 182 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque while its fuel consumption is rated at 5.0L/100 km in city driving; 5.1 on the highway.
Under the hood there’s a direct-injected 1.8L four-cylinder that features the first application an exhaust gas recovery system. The engine, which produces 122 horsepower, combines with two electric motors, one of which functions as a motor and a generator while the second motor is optimized for propulsion. The system is designed to operate in two modes – one is for electric driving and optimal acceleration; the other is optimized for highway cruising. The hybrid system’s battery is a 1.5 kWh lithium-ion modular unit and it’s capable of powering the car up to 80 km/h on its own.
Wheel sizes range from 16-inch steel rims on the base L trim and 16-inch aluminum on the LS to 17x8-inch with P225/55 R-17 all-season tires on the volume-leading LT model (shown here.) The top-of-the-line Premier model (formerly the LTZ) has 18x8-inch aluminum rims standard, but 19x8.5 alloy rims fitted with P245/40R-19 all-season tires are available.
The 2016 Malibu is loaded with advanced technologies, including connectivity features such as Apple Carplay and Android Auto – standard on LS trim and up – as well as GM’s exclusive 4G LTE Wi-Fi and OnStar features. The Malibu also makes available (on LT trim and up) a suite of advanced safety features – the most in the mid-size segment. The list includes low-speed collision avoidance braking for other vehicles (up to 60 metres ahead) and a pedestrian braking system (up to 40 metres ahead.) Some of the other safety features are lane departure warning with a lane-keeping assist that nudges the steering wheel back into the centre of the lane, adaptive cruise control and lane change alert with blind spot warning.
The safety feature creating the most buzz, however, is the Teen Driver system – an industry first and exclusive to the Malibu (at least for now.) The system is intended to encourage safer driving habits, especially in the 16- to 19-year-old segment, where the rate for fatal crashes per kilometre driven is three times greater than for drivers over 20 years old. The GM system, which is activated by a “teen” key fob, monitors driving behavior, including distance driven and maximum speed attained on the drive; the number of times the driver exceeded the preset (by the parents) speed limit; the number of times the anti-lock braking, stability control, forward collision alert and collision avoidance systems were activated.
The results are posted in a report card displayed on the centre stack screen. The system also issues a visual and audible warning when the driver exceeds the preset speed limit. It can also limit the volume level of the audio system to a preset point and mutes the audio system until the seatbelts are fastened. It automatically activates safety features such as traction control and stability control and does not allow the systems to be disengaged – a real spoiler for drifting. Rather than pitching Teen Driver as a nanny for teen drivers, GM says parents can apply it in a positive manner as a teaching tool, reviewing the report card with the young driver to help him/her improve their driving skills. Sounds like a life saver to me.
Perhaps the best news f all. pricing for all four trim levels has been reduced from 2015 models. The base L starts at $21,745, a decrease of about $3,500; the LS is $24,245 (down nearly $1,000) and the mid-range LT, which is expected to account for about 65% of all Malibu sales in 2016, starts at $25,242 – a reduction of more than $1,800. The line-topping Premier model lists at $32,045, down about $2,900 from the starting price of the LTZ, which it replaces. (The all-new Malibu Hybrid starts at $28,850.) Shipping charges across the lineup are $1,650. There are only a handful of option packages available – four for the LT and two for the Premier – so the build combinations have been reduced to just 22 configurations, making the purchase decisions easier for consumers, the ordering less confusing for dealers and the actual production (in Fairfax, Kansas) more efficient for Chevrolet.
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