FIRST LOOK: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu

[haypops]

**Updated**

Now with some equipment information. Again, you'll be well-pleased. Also, vote in the poll!

All that safety equipment, On Star and XM radio stuff is very impressive. I hope that they can keep the price attainable. The typical V6 LT sedan is going to have a VERY impressive equipment list.!

[Paolino]

Okay, I'm impressed with what they're offering standard and standard on LT/LTZ... and this is only some preliminary stuff. Sounds like GM is finally getting competitive again.

[trinacriabob]

see, now you don't have to fantasize about that LaCrosse then, you aspire for this Chevy!

You're funny! No, reg, I have to be true to my yearnings for a LaCrosse with a 3800 for one last time in my life...especially if it gets a new "Lucernified" grille next year.

I will definitely give this one a serious look, though. There has to be enough of a spread in the price point and, somehow, I don't think there will be!

[vince]

This thing although maybe not quite as perfect as I was hoping for is way nicer looking than the Camry and Accord. Although who knows what the next Accord will look like though they bombed last time around. I think once we see the car in person at the Auto Shows next month we will like it even more. I just wish they let you get up close. They will likely have a chain around the Malibu and we will be forced to look from 8 feet away. Either way my $3,500 GM points will finally be used on this Malibu or the Camaro!

[trinacriabob]

Either way my $3,500 GM points will finally be used on this Malibu or the Camaro!

Vince, buddy, check the redemption allowances on the GM card. They're not great when a car is new and hot.

I, myself, have $2,251 and the limits for the 2 cars I am considering most (LaX and MC) is $ 2,000. Now, every once in a while, you'll get a notice in the mail that will bump it up by $ 500 or $ 750 to get you to buy.

Yes, Chevrolet indeed seems to be moving in the right direction.

Edited December 30, 2006 by trinacriabob

[vince]

Vince, buddy, check the redemption allowances on the GM card. They're not great when a car is new and hot.

I, myself, have $2,251 and the limits for the 2 cars I am considering most (LaX and MC) is $ 2,000. Now, every once in a while, you'll get a notice in the mail that will bump it up by $ 500 or $ 750 to get you to buy.

Yes, Chevrolet indeed seems to be moving in the right direction.

I lucked out and have the old GM card. They tried to get me to switch stating you can make $750 in a yr instead of the $500 but I saw allowances on hot cars were only $1,000 and I had over $1k at the time. With my card I can fortunately use all my points and for some reason I am actually at $3,700 right now.

[buyacargetacheck]

With the Zeta Impala not ready for a couple years or so it should be interesting to see how Chevy positions the W-Impala. This new Malibu seems to have everything the Impala has (and more) except 6 passenger seating and a V-8. Maybe we'll see a heavier tilting of Impala SS and bench-seat Impys while we mark time for Zeta? New Malibu handles the high volume mid-market just fine.

[Flybrian]

With the Zeta Impala not ready for a couple years or so it should be interesting to see how Chevy positions the W-Impala.

Fleet queen.

[haypops]

I lucked out and have the old GM card. They tried to get me to switch stating you can make $750 in a yr instead of the $500 but I saw allowances on hot cars were only $1,000 and I had over $1k at the time. With my card I can fortunately use all my points and for some reason I am actually at $3,700 right now.

Vince I too had the old car and refused the new one as you did. Good move. However, now that my card "good to" date has come and gone they mailed me the new one with the very limited redemption opportunity. I would suggest that you "pull forward" and GM vehicle purchase you plan on making. The exception would be the full sized pick ups as they have a $3000 GM card rebate on them. Perhaps one of the friendly sales people here can further guide you.

Best Wishes for the New Year

Ernie

[Paolino]

So when will we be able to see an exterior picture of a V6? All of the ones shown have a single exhaust.

[ToniCipriani]

No matter how good the powertrain is, I still maintain my point: the rear end is hideous.

[trinacriabob]

I lucked out and have the old GM card. They tried to get me to switch stating you can make $750 in a yr instead of the $500 but I saw allowances on hot cars were only $1,000 and I had over $1k at the time. With my card I can fortunately use all my points and for some reason I am actually at $3,700 right now.

That's right. There was one like that. Evidently I got the one with caps.

[trinacriabob]

I still maintain my point: the rear end is hideous.

What could make it a little better is if the rear lamps wrapped around a little bit to the rear quarter panel so you don't have to use those red marker lamps as turn indicators.

[regfootball]

**Updated**

Now with some equipment information. Again, you'll be well-pleased. Also, vote in the poll!

DAMN. GM is GETTING THE MESSAGE

styling-check

features-check

engines and powertrain-check

interior-check

hope the price is ok!

Edited December 31, 2006 by regfootball

[regfootball]

With the Zeta Impala not ready for a couple years or so it should be interesting to see how Chevy positions the W-Impala. This new Malibu seems to have everything the Impala has (and more) except 6 passenger seating and a V-8. Maybe we'll see a heavier tilting of Impala SS and bench-seat Impys while we mark time for Zeta? New Malibu handles the high volume mid-market just fine.

i think the Impala will be flet heavy and SS heavy for the small block buffs.

[avro206]

I give it an A-

Front is my only concern and its not like its hideous or anything. Accord and Camry are not styling standouts by any stretch so the Malibu doesn't have to be either.

I will be curious to see the dimensions on this as it will replace the spot the Impala currently occupies when it goes RWD.

I'll be really shocked to see the 3.6L HF V6 avaible on all models.

I also want an SS version--with some body enhancements, 18's and a hp bump

[VenSeattle]

i think the Impala will be flet heavy and SS heavy for the small block buffs.

I expect Impala will lose the base trim levels (LS & LT) and entry-level 3.5l engine leaving the Impala with loaded LTZ & SS trims in anticipation of the RWD Zeta Impala. The 'Impala' name must continue to be recognized as the Chevrolet Flagship.

[Paolino]

Wait... when are the 3.5 and 3.9 gone? Cause then that only leaves DOHC V6s, no? Save the 3800 which is gone soon.

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

Interesting.. Not a bad looking car. It has the "global" Chevrolet look in the front. It has a better interior. Chevrolet does not mean cheap rental car anymore.. There is some substance with the style. This car looks about 188-192 inches long. It looks as big as the competition. This means the LaCrosse will be smaller next time by a few inches. The Chinese Buick LaCrosse is smaller than the American version. Maybe we might see some Chinese Buick "parts" used on the new American version of the LaCrosse.

I have a feeling if not that, the Chinese Buick will influence the look of the American one. The Grand Prix goes rear drive via Holden and it too will get smaller. It would be the only midsized rear drive GM car in North America too. GM knows what it is doing.. It is playing the parts out and globalizing everything. It takes time to see the restults, but you are beginning to see the big picture.

If anyone looked at the taillamps you can see the cues for the Chevrolet round taillamps in the design. It would have cheapened the rear and made it look like an after thought if they just put the round taillamps on the car.

Not a bad design at all. It should not be compared to other cars on the market until it is driven and tested. Like Lincoln used to say in its promotional materials:

"drive everything else first then drive a Lincoln".

[NOS2006]

First off, good to see ya around, NinetyEight.

It would have cheapened the rear and made it look like an after thought if they just put the round taillamps on the car.

Second, I'll have to disagree...

Original lamps:

Round lamps:

Edited December 31, 2006 by NOS2006

[toesuf94]

I was gonna tell you all to let them slide on the tailights until I just looked at NOS2006's chop...how could Chevy miss the chance to put such an obvious styling cue on this car? That chop would have taken the home run that the car is to a Grand Slam. I cannot believe how much that chop changed the car. Good job NOS!

On a whole - I love the car - it has personality which I cannot say for either the Accord or Camry...nice job GM - now throw us all a curve and put NOS's tailights on the cars in production!

[VenSeattle]

If they create a Malibu coupe... sure, NOS's taillights would look fine. Both the Solara & Accord coupe have some aggressive styling traits.

However, that rear on the Malibu sedan would detract from it being mainstream and a minus against the Camry/Accord sedan crowd.

The Saturn Aura sedan has that extra bit of character and aggressiveness for those who don't want to see their car every 3-5 minutes on the road.

[balthazar]

I'm not drooling over the 'bu's taillights. We should all be used to them by now, that illogical amorphous shape has been on a number of cars: old 3-series, toyota (avalon??), plus at least one other vehicle.

I think I agree with reg here- the quad round lamps look a bit 'lost' in the rear fascia- a bit cheaper. Now.... add at least some sort of cove panel, ala the SS concept and the quad rounds would be perfect. Would also like to see thin chrome rings around the quads- would pick up the border of the license plate nicely.

Edited December 31, 2006 by balthazar

[Paolino]

Any chance there's an extra bulb in the triangular/northern half portion of the taillamp? Maybe for a signal? Or is it completely functionless?

[Paolino]

Round lamps:

Wow... would have looked like the family in the back... it matches the Cobalt Coupe, the previous Impala... but I guess the newer lamps blend in with the current Impala, evolutionary of the current Malibu, similar to the MC, etc.

[Turbojett]

but they still look like a Passat. I'd have been happier if they'd have kept design continuity a little better and productionized the SS concept's rear onto this car.

NOS's chop makes it look worlds better.

Edited December 31, 2006 by Turbojett

[NOS2006]

Powertrain

• LS - 2.4l Ecotec 4cyl (164hp) w/4spd | 3.6l V6 (252hp) w/6spd & TapShift
• LT - 2.4l Ecotec 4cyl (164hp) w/4spd | 3.6l V6 (252hp) w/6spd & TapShift
• LTZ - 2.4l Ecotec 4cyl (164hp) w/6spd & TapShift | 3.6l V6 (252hp) w/6spd & TapShift

Equipment

Head-Curtain Front & Rear Side Airbags - std on all trims

Front Thorax Airbags - std on all trims

OnStar & XM - std on all trims

Antilock Braking - std on all trims

Traction Control - std on all trims

Stabilitrak - opt on LS, std on LT & LTZ

Dual exhaust w/chrome tips - std on V6 trims

Love, love, love that list.

On a side note, Left Lane has some new pics up:

http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/12/29/200...evrolet-malibu/

[balthazar]

NOS- care to take a whack at putting an SS-rear cove on the quad-round-lamps Malibu rear??

[Satty]

On a side note, Left Lane has some new pics up:

http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/12/29/200...evrolet-malibu/

Jesus thats like 9 different interior configurations with the mixing and mtching of colors and accents.

[Paolino]

Jesus thats like 9 different interior configurations with the mixing and mtching of colors and accents.

And a choice of light or dark wood grains

[Derek77]

I like what I see. The Corvette inspired rear end, the nice touches of chrome around the side windows and below the doors and around the tag, the trimless front and rear glass, Hankook tires, old style side marker lights, and side turn signals all look nice. I hope a lot of time was spent in the wind tunnel to make this thing as slick as possible. It would be nice to see some close to 30mpg city/40 hwy numbers under the old system with the 2.4, 6speed, and great aerodynamics.

[NOS2006]

NOS- care to take a whack at putting an SS-rear cove on the quad-round-lamps Malibu rear??

Mmm, I impress myself sometimes.

[Northstar]

I think the taillights are fine. At first I didn't like them, but now that I'm used to them I like them more than NOS's chop. They look more upscale and substantial. NOS's look sportier, but cheaper.

[NOS2006]

Jesus thats like 9 different interior configurations with the mixing and mtching of colors and accents.

Just wait for the CTS. I can only imagine how great that thing will be..

[haypops]

Mmm, I impress myself sometimes.

Very nice!

[bobo]

Any chance there's an extra bulb in the triangular/northern half portion of the taillamp? Maybe for a signal? Or is it completely functionless?

It appears the reflectors are on top. At first the taillights seemed wrong, but they're growing on me.

[Cory Wolfe]

For everyone lamenting the lower grille, take notice in the closeup picture of the red car that half of the bottom half of the main grille is blanked off with part of the bumper, see how the bottom half is closed off? The bottom, separate grille is there for airflow into the engine. Lots of other vehicles with big, lowflying grilles are this way.

I noticed... and to that, I say redirect the air flow. It looks like $h!.

[Paolino]

I just had a thought... which was brought on by seeing NOS' latest chop:

The Impala has a nice large chrome bar across the bottom of the trunk lid... is it possible up-scale Malibu's or V6 versions (since these are all 4-cylinder pictures), will have something like this? It would dress up the back.

NOS, think you could chop the Impala's chrome onto the lower half of the trunk lid?

[Northstar]

I don't think the bottom lower grill is that big of a deal because at least in front-plate states the plate should cover most of it, I think.

[The O.C.]

A great mainstream product from Chevy. I really like it.

This car is what The O.C., much-maligned critic of all things GM, has been waiting for!

I think this car is beautiful, refined, and elegant.....yet sporty in the same vein. I'm not crazy about the taillight treatment, but that's about the only piece of the exterior design that I can criticise.

I also think the interior is a high-water mark for a GM product. I wish the car had bespoke radio/HVAC controls (like most of the other car makers, minus Ford, are moving to) but at least the new corporate center stack controls are of decently-high quality.

I love the simple, yet effective powertrain offerings. GM's best 4cyl.....and their best 6cyl in this "mainstream" Chevy sedan. I grumble a bit about the base cars having the 4-speed auto with the 4cyl.....seems one step back for every ten steps forward.....

The only thing that remains to be seen is the ride-and-handling. I'm confident this car will have a smooth ride and the strucure will be just as taut as every other Epsilon variant.....but WILL Malibu handle crisply? As we've seen with AURA and G6, this platform is HEAVY.....(3,600 lbs +) and that takes a toll on GM's ability to marry a crisp handling feel (a la Accord, Altima) with a smooth ride (a la Camry.)

Nice job Rick and Bob....!

[The O.C.]

This is important:

So if you want the 4cylinder and 6-speed, you can have it, just have to pay a lil more for it.... which is fair.

Why just be "fair?"

Why not give consumers a base car with a fully-competitive and up-to-date powertrain combo of 2.4L L4 WITH a 6-speed automatic?

Once again......we are asked to accept the current L4 powertrain offerings as "good enough."

[The O.C.]

Yes, people forget this is not a market segment that sells on styling..it sells on value, features, reliability, quality, word of mouth..styling is the least of the concerns of Camry/Accord buyers...

Ahhhh......yes but remember......

DCX "re-invented" the midsize segment (okay...midsize-to-large) by redefining the term "style" and "design" with the current LX cars (really begun with the 300-series.)

There's no reason to believe that GM can't do the same in the (even more) conservative Camry/Accord portion of the segment.....

[The O.C.]

It's actually only 86 horses difference - so it's more of a gap than in the Accord - 78 horses difference between 4 and 6, but Altima has a 95 horse difference and Camry has 110 so it's not a gigantic gap for the segment.

More importantly than any "gap" in horsepower, is that, power-wise, the 2.4L and 3.6L are EACH thoroughly competitive now in this market segment. There is absolutely NO NEED for a "stopgap" pushrod V6 in between the two.....

[The O.C.]

I removed the lower grill, and I think it looks much better:

I agree.....TOTALLY.

The only thing I can guess is that this car is a "bottom-breather" (like the Corvette) and the big Chevy grilles up top are fake......or don't contribute to the cooling of the engine....only there as a styling tact...

[Paolino]

Why just be "fair?"

Why not give consumers a base car with a fully-competitive and up-to-date powertrain combo of 2.4L L4 WITH a 6-speed automatic?

Once again......we are asked to accept the current L4 powertrain offerings as "good enough."

The Camry and Accord both only offer 5-speed autos with their 4-bangers. GM is now offering the option of a 6-speed. They're ahead in that regard.

[Northstar]

I think they can't offer the 6-speed standard on the 4cyl models because of lack of production. Once they are able to produce more I see no reason why it won't be standard, as it supposedly doesn't cost any more to make than the 4-speed.

[shesellschevys]

can hardly wait to start selling this car!!! GM nailed it on so many levels with this - definitely a more luxurious looking car from the Malibu we're currently selling. If they can keep their price-points decent, this will be a much more marketable vehicle. While the ride and comfort in the current Malibu is nice, it's definitely missing the 'pizzazz' this has. It has a very Euro almost Volvo-appeal to it.

Way to go GM!

Janette

[ponchoman49]

The good: front end treatment is distinctive, wider use of 6 speed automatic transmissions, use of the 3.6 as the only V6 option, interor much better than the current car.

The bad: No blue tooth, no nav, no keyless start already make this car uncompetitive, dull generic looking exterior copies too many other sedans on the road, rear end is very odd, no bodyside moldings or character lines make the side very dull, doesn't look like a Chevrolet which some may find good but I find annoying. Why the loss of 11 hp on the 2.4 compared to other Chevy models?

I give this one a 50/50. They got the V6/6 speed transmission and interior right but somehow really flubbed up the exterior(except the front end) IMO. And how does the Ecotec lose 11 HP? It's sad that even a Kia Optima has better looking exterior styling and a 5 speed automatic paired with the base 4 cylinder, even on base stripper models. Overall I find the Aura a much better effert on the styling front.

[ichbinjohnk]

Why just be "fair?"

Why not give consumers a base car with a fully-competitive and up-to-date powertrain combo of 2.4L L4 WITH a 6-speed automatic?

Once again......we are asked to accept the current L4 powertrain offerings as "good enough."

Well, you gotta cut GM a little slack on this one. Of the 6 trim-level/powertain combinations, 2/3 come available with the very new and still limited production 6-speed. This tranny is still a year or two away from full production. This may only be the case for the initial model year of the new 'Bu. If by the '10 model year this is still the case...well, by all means, GM deserves the criticism (if not by '09).

On a side note, good to see you posting again, O.C.

[Jason]

My dad builds these in KC so I better be careful what I say. I think it's a pretty attractive car and even like the interior. The selling point for me would be build quality (I'm a lot pickier since I started riding around in Toyotas and Hondas). Also important will be the marketing. I still like a manual transmission which GM never offers in anything that's not an entry model. Every time I try to build a Chevy I end up having to get a V6 to get the wheels I like or I end up having to pay for XM radio in order to get the sunroof. Still, if the fuel economy is there and you build it without paying for the stuff I don't way, I'd take a closer look at this. It's the best looking car Fairfax has built since they launched their last generation of Grand Prix.