William Maley

Audi of America reports July sales increase as new A5 Sportback and Q7 lead consumer demand Q7 sales rose 44 percent for best–ever month for model Sales of A5 more than tripled; Demand for A4 sedan increased 1.5 percent Audi SUV sales increased 4.1 percent for the month HERNDON, Virginia, August 1, 2017 – Audi of America reported a July sales increase of 2.5 percent to 18,824 vehicles, led by the Q7, the Q3 and the new A5 Sportback. July was the 79th straight month of record sales for Audi of America. The previous July record was set last year with 18,364 deliveries. Through July, Audi has sold 121,795 vehicles in the U.S., outpacing the premium market. Audi SUV sales were 9,338, led by 3,334 deliveries of the Q7, the model’s best month ever. The Q7 has now risen 18 percent this year through July. Sales of the Q3 rose 3.8 percent to 1,888. Through the first half of the year, Audi SUV sales have risen 4.1 percent. Deliveries of the new Q5 are down because of inventory constraints. For the year, Q5 sales have risen 11 percent to 29,863. The new A5, including the coupe, Sportback and Cabriolet, more than tripled to 2,255 vehicles, led by the Sportback, with 1,164 deliveries. The A4 sedan posted sales of 2,652, a 1.5 percent increase for the month and 14 percent year-to-date, as Audi sedans continue to outperform a challenging market for sedans. “Audi is showing that you can win in a challenging segment with design and technology, based on the positive customer response,” said Cian O’Brien, chief operating officer, Audi of America. AUDI US SNAPSHOT --MTD-- --YTD-- Model Line July '17 Actual July '16 Actual Yr/Yr % change July '17 YTD Actual July '16 YTD Actual Yr/Yr % change A3 2,300 3,038 -24% 14,837 19,622 -24% A3 e-tron 218 349 -38% 2,338 2,291 2.1% A4 2,652 2,612 1.5% 19,921 17,531 14% A5 2,255 744 203% 8,994 5,078 77% A6 1,218 1,822 -33% 9,187 10,150 -9.5% A7 266 417 -36% 2,556 3,473 -26% A8 270 327 -17% 1,871 2,268 -18% allroad 271 131 107% 1,654 968 71% Q3 1,888 1,819 3.8% 10,974 10,287 6.7% Q5 4,116 4,833 -15% 29,863 26,819 11% Q7 3,334 2,322 44% 20,066 17,063 18% R8 73 88 -17% 554 350 58% TT 181 211 -14% 1,318 1,689 -22% Total Audi Sales 18,824 18,364 2.5% 121,795 115,298 5.6% Total CPO Sales 4,594 4,066 13% 26,831 27,130 -1.1% NOTES: - A3 includes A3 Sedan, S3 Sedan and A3 Cabriolet, but does not include A3 Sportback e-tron. - A4 includes A4 Sedan and S4 Sedan, but does not include A4 allroad. - A5 includes A5 Coupe, S5 Coupe, RS 5 Coupe, A5 Cabriolet, S5 Cabriolet and RS 5 Cabriolet. - A6 includes A6 Sedan and S6 Sedan. - A7 includes A7 Sedan, S7 Sedan and RS 7 Sedan. - A8 includes A8 Sedan, A8 L Sedan and S8 Sedan. - Q5 includes Q5 and SQ5. - R8 includes R8 Coupe and R8 Spyder. - TT includes TT Coupe, TTS Coupe and TT Roadster.

Subaru of America, Inc. - Up 6.9% (55,703 Vehicles Sold This Month, 360,513 Vehicles Sold This Year) Toyota Motor North America - Up 3.6% (222,057 Vehicles Sold This Month, 1,377,222 Vehicles Sold This Year) Audi of America - Up 2.5% (18,824 Vehicles Sold This Month, 121,795 Vehicles Sold This Year) Mitsubishi Motors North America - Up 1.7% (8,025 Vehicles Sold This Month, 62,601 Vehicles Sold This Year) Porsche Cars North America, Inc. - Up 0.6% (3,901 Vehicles Sold This Month, 31,469 Vehicles Sold This Year) American Honda Motor Co. - Down 1.2% (150,980 Vehicles Sold This Month, 942,866 Vehicles Sold This Year) Mazda North American Operations - Down 3% (27,089 Vehicles Sold This Month, 168,713 Vehicles Sold This Year) Nissan Group - Down 3.2% (128,295 Vehicles Sold This Month, 947,983 Vehicles Sold This Year) Jaguar Land Rover North America - Down 4% (9,081 Vehicles Sold This Month, 65,585 Vehicles Sold This Year) Volkswagen of America - Down 5.8% (27,091 Vehicles Sold This Month, 188,329 Vehicles Sold This Year) Kia Motors America - Down 5.9% (56,403 Vehicles Sold This Month, 352,139 Vehicles Sold This Year) Ford Motor Company - Down 7.5% (200,212 Vehicles Sold This Month, 1,501,314 Vehicles Sold This Year) FCA US LLC - Down 10% (161,477 Vehicles Sold This Month, 1,228,839 Vehicles Sold This Year) BMW Group U.S. - Down 13.7% (26,363 Vehicles Sold This Month, 197,654 Vehicles Sold This Year) General Motors Co. - Down 15.4% (226,107 Vehicles Sold This Month, 1,640,553 Vehicles Sold This Year) Volvo Car USA, LLC - Down 18.8% (6,967 Vehicles Sold This Month, 41,072 Vehicles Sold This Year) Hyundai Motor America - Down 27.9% (54,063 Vehicles Sold This Month, 400,423 Vehicles Sold This Year) Maserati North America, Inc. - Mercedes-Benz USA - Brands: Acura - Up 3.7% (14,177 Vehicles Sold This Month, 88,048 Vehicles Sold This Year) Alfa Romeo - Up 2,749% (1,225 Vehicles Sold This Month, 4,944 Vehicles Sold This Year) Audi - Up 2.5% (18,824 Vehicles Sold This Month, 121,795 Vehicles Sold This Year) BMW - Down 14.8% (21,965 Vehicles Sold This Month, 171,051 Vehicles Sold This Year) Buick - Down 30.5% (15,966 Vehicles Sold This Month, 126,282 Vehicles Sold This Year) Cadillac - Down 21.7% (11,227 Vehicles Sold This Month, 83,300 Vehicles Sold This Year) Chevrolet - Down 15.3% (151,502 Vehicles Sold This Month, 1,120,384 Vehicles Sold This Year) Chrysler - Down 30% (13,303 Vehicles Sold This Month, 115,398 Vehicles Sold This Year) Dodge - Down 12% (31,264 Vehicles Sold This Month, 292,244 Vehicles Sold This Year) Fiat - Down 18% (2,244 Vehicles Sold This Month, 16,926 Vehicles Sold This Year) Ford - Down 7.7% (191,337 Vehicles Sold This Month, 1,436,102 Vehicles Sold This Year) Genesis - N/A (1,644 Vehicles Sold This Month, 11,563 Vehicles Sold This Year) GMC - Down 7.3% (47,412 Vehicles Sold This Month, 310,587 Vehicles Sold This Year) Honda - Down 1.7% (136,803 Vehicles Sold This Month, 854,818 Vehicles Sold This Year) Hyundai - Down 30.1% (52,419 Vehicles Sold This Month, 388,860 Vehicles Sold This Year) Infiniti - Up 9% (10,840 Vehicles Sold This Month, 89,983 Vehicles Sold This Year) Jaguar - Down 7% (3,166 Vehicles Sold This Month, 23,831 Vehicles Sold This Year) Jeep - Down 12% (69,351 Vehicles Sold This Month, 475,642 Vehicles Sold This Year) Kia - Down 5.9% (56,403 Vehicles Sold This Month, 352,139 Vehicles Sold This Year) Land Rover - Down 3% (5,915 Vehicles Sold This Month, 41,754 Vehicles Sold This Year) Lexus - Up 3.6% (28,902 Vehicles Sold This Month, 162,662 Vehicles Sold This Year) Lincoln - Down 2.5% (8,875 Vehicles Sold This Month, 65,212 Vehicles Sold This Year) Maserati - Mazda - Down 3% (27,089 Vehicles Sold This Month, 168,713 Vehicles Sold This Year) Mercedes-Benz - MINI - Down 7.9% (4,398 Vehicles Sold This Month, 26,603 Vehicles Sold This Year) Mitsubishi - Up 1.7% (8,025 Vehicles Sold This Month, 62,601 Vehicles Sold This Year) Nissan - Down 4.1% (117,455 Vehicles Sold This Month, 858,000 Vehicles Sold This Year) Porsche - Up 0.6% (3,901 Vehicles Sold This Month, 31,469 Vehicles Sold This Year) Ram Trucks - 0% (44,090 Vehicles Sold This Month, 323,685 Vehicles Sold This Year) Smart - Subaru - Up 6.9% (55,703 Vehicles Sold This Month, 360,513 Vehicles Sold This Year) Toyota - Up 3.6% (193,155 Vehicles Sold This Month, 1,214,560 Vehicles Sold This Year) Volkswagen - Down 5.8% (27,091 Vehicles Sold This Month, 188,329 Vehicles Sold This Year) Volvo - Down 18.8% (6,967 Vehicles Sold This Month, 41,072 Vehicles Sold This Year) *Mercedes-Benz's sales numbers include Mercedes-Benz Vans. View full article

Equinox, Acadia, Envision and XT5 Achieve Best July Ever Crossover and trucks account for 80 percent of sales for best monthly mix ever July incentive spending as a percentage of ATP below industry average, driving ATPs up nearly $1,000 Commercial sales up 40 percent for best July since 2007 Lowest daily rental sales mix of any full-line automaker DETROIT — General Motors (NYSE: GM) today reported July U.S. retail sales of 202,220 vehicles, down about 14 percent from strong sales in July 2016. In July, GM’s crossovers and trucks account for 80 percent of sales for the company’s best monthly mix ever. While the U.S. market continues to moderate, sales of GM’s newest crossovers were strong in July: Chevrolet Equinox - up 4 percent for its best July ever. Chevrolet Bolt EV – 1,832 Bolts were sold in July for the best month ever. August will be the first month the Bolt EV is available on a national basis. GMC Acadia - up 30 percent for its best July ever. Buick Envision - up 89 percent for its best July ever. Cadillac XT5 - up 6 percent for its best July ever. GM’s July incentive spending as a percentage of average transaction prices (ATP) was 11.5 percent, more than 1 full percentage point below the industry average, and 0.5 percentage points below GM’s 2016 calendar year average. Some of GM’s competitors, without strong truck and crossover businesses, are offering significantly higher incentives across their entire portfolios, according to J.D. Power PIN estimates. In addition, GM’s ATPs were about $36,000, up nearly $1,000 from July 2016. “We have strategically decided to reduce car production rather than increase incentive spending or dump vehicles into daily rental fleets, like some of our competitors,” said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president of Sales Operations. “We are working hard to protect the residual values of our new products and growing quality retail and commercial sales, and July’s ATPs reflect that discipline.” GM’s U.S. commercial vehicles sales were up 40 percent from last July, the best July since 2007, led by strong large van sales (up 89 percent), small utilities (up 61 percent) and large pickup sales (up 21 percent). Year to date, GM commercial sales are up 11 percent. U.S. daily rental sales were down more than 11,200 vehicles or 81 percent in July, as planned. In July, GM’s daily rental sales accounted for only 1 percent of GM’s total sales. GM continues to have the lowest U.S. rental mix of any full-line automaker at about 7 percent of total sales year to date. GM’s July total sales were 226,107 vehicles, down about 15 percent from strong levels last year. “Changing customer tastes have driven us to refocus our business on higher margin, faster growing segments, like the crossover segments. We are launching the most all-new crossovers in our history to take full advantage of the changes occurring in the U.S. marketplace,” added McNeil. “Our newest crossovers are performing very well in the marketplace and we’ll build on that momentum with the all-new Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Terrain, Buick Enclave and the introduction of the Regal TourX through the second half of 2017.” By the end of 2017, GM will offer customers the U.S. industry’s newest and broadest lineup of crossovers. “U.S. auto sales continue to moderate from last year’s record pace, but key U.S. economic fundamentals remain supportive of strong vehicle sales,” said Mustafa Mohatarem, GM chief economist. “Under the current economic conditions, we anticipate the second half of 2017 will be much stronger than the first half.” July Brand Retail Highlights (vs. July 2016 unless noted) Chevrolet Colorado was up 22 percent. Both Camaro and Cruze were up slightly. Crossovers best year to date: Equinox, Traverse and Trax. Volt has best year to date. Volt and Bolt EV July sales combined for more than 3,300 deliveries. Silverado LD double cab was up 4 percent. Buick Best year to date retail sales since 2005, up 2 percent. July ATPs are highest since December 2015. SUV mix is highest ever at 85 percent. GMC ATPs are the highest ever, up 8 percent from last July. Sierra boasts the highest ATPs in the full-size pickup segment. Sierra HDs up 6 percent in July and year to date up 9 percent, the best in a decade Yukon up 4 percent. Yukon had its best July since 2007. Cadillac CT6 up 7 percent. Year to date, XT5 retail sales are up 10 percent vs. combined SRX and XT5 sales a year ago. July ATPs up more than $3,000 and lead the luxury market and more than $3,000 higher than its closest competitor. Guidance on U.S. Vehicle Inventory Levels We anticipate we will end 2017 at or below last year’s level, with fewer cars and more trucks, crossovers and utilities in the mix. Pickup, crossovers and utility sales, GM’s strength, are expected to be stronger in the second half of 2017 vs. the first half of the year. We continue to monitor the marketplace and will make additional production adjustments if needed.

FCA US Reports July 2017 Sales Jeep® Compass, Chrysler Pacifica and Ram ProMaster City each post their best July sales ever Jeep Grand Cherokee records best July sales since 2005 Chrysler 300 logs double-digit percentage increase in July August 1, 2017 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC today reported sales of 161,477 units, a 10 percent decrease compared with sales in July 2016 (180,389 units). In July, retail sales of 145,391 units were down 6 percent compared with the same month in 2016 and represented 90 percent of total sales. In line with FCA’s strategy to reduce sales to the daily rental segment, fleet sales of 16,086 units were down, as expected, 35 percent year over year. The largest planned volume reduction in July fleet sales came from the Jeep® brand, which reduced its fleet sales number by 82 percent year over year. Fleet sales represented 10 percent of total July sales. Three FCA US vehicles – the Jeep Compass, Chrysler Pacifica minivan and Ram ProMaster City – each posted their best July sales ever. The Jeep Grand Cherokee turned in its best July sales since 2005. Chrysler 300 sedan sales were up 31 percent in July, the largest year-over-year percentage increase of any FCA US vehicle in the month. Dodge Charger sales were up 9 percent in July as well, compared with the same month a year ago. Jeep® Brand Three Jeep models posted year-over-year increases in July. The Jeep Compass turned in its best July sales ever, while the Jeep Wrangler – the most capable and recognizable vehicle in the world – recorded a slight year-over-year increase in the month. Sales of the Jeep Grand Cherokee – the most-awarded SUV ever – were up 14 percent for its best July sales since 2005. The Wrangler was named best-in-class Entry SUV in Strategic Vision’s annual Total Quality Impact™ (TQI) report in July. Ram Truck Brand Ram Truck brand sales were up slightly year over year for its best July sales since 2005. In addition, the brand’s retail sales were up 7 percent in July, compared with the same month a year ago. The Ram ProMaster City van posted its best July sales ever. Ram Truck was the industry’s most improved truck brand in the recent J.D. Power 2017 U.S. Initial Quality Study™ (IQS). Ram Truck improved by nearly 25 percent its initial quality score from last year’s study. Dodge Brand Four Dodge brand vehicles – the Dodge Charger, Dodge Journey, Dodge Durango and Dodge Viper – each posted year-over-year sales increases in July, compared with the same month a year ago. Charger sales were up 9 percent year over year, while the Durango turned in its best July sales since 2011. For the fifth time in seven years, the Dodge Challenger ranked highest among all vehicles in the Midsize Sporty Car segment in J.D. Power’s 2017 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study™. Chrysler Brand Sales of the all-new Chrysler Pacifica minivan and Chrysler 300 full-size sedan were up year-over-year in July. Sales of the Pacifica – the most-awarded minivan of 2016 and 2017 – increased 5 percent for its best July sales ever. Sales of the 300 increased 31 percent, the largest percentage increase of any FCA US model in July. The Pacifica continues to accumulate awards and accolades in 2017, ranking highest among minivans in its inaugural year in J.D. Power’s 2017 APEAL study. The study measures how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive, based on customer evaluations of 77 vehicle attributes of new 2017 model year vehicles. The Chrysler brand was the industry’s most-improved brand in the APEAL study. FIAT Brand Sales of the Fiat 500 and Fiat 500X were up in July, compared with the previous month of June. The all-new 2017 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth took the top award in the Small Convertible category at the seventh annual Topless in Miami Presented by Haartz competitive car event hosted by the Southern Automotive Media Association (SAMA). Alfa Romeo Brand Alfa Romeo brand sales of 1,225 units were up significantly compared with the same month a year ago. Method of Determining FCA US LLC’s Monthly Sales. FCA US’s reported vehicle sales represent unit sales of vehicles to retail customers, deliveries of vehicles to fleet customers and to others such as FCA US’s employees and retirees as well as vehicles used for marketing. Most of these reported sales reflect retail sales made by dealers out of their own inventory of vehicles previously purchased by them from FCA US. Reported vehicle units sales do not correspond to FCA US’s reported revenues, which are based on FCA US’s sale and delivery of vehicles, and typically recognized upon shipment to the dealer or end customer. As announced on July 26, 2016, FCA US has modified its methodology for monthly sales reporting as follows: Sales to retail customers by dealers in the U.S. are derived from the New Vehicle Delivery Report (“NVDR”) system and are determined as the sum of (A) all sales recorded by dealers during the month net of all unwound transactions recorded to the end of that month (whether the original sale was recorded in the current month or any prior month); plus (B) all sales of vehicles during that month attributable to past unwinds that had previously been reversed in determining monthly sales (in the current or prior months). Fleet sales are recorded upon the shipment of the vehicle by FCA US to the customer or end user. Other retail sales are recorded either (A) when the sale is recorded in the NVDR system (for sales by dealers in Puerto Rico and limited sales made through distributors that submit NVDRs in the same manner as for sales by U.S. dealers) or (B) upon receipt of a similar delivery notification (for vehicles for which NVDRs are not entered such as vehicles for FCA employees).

Mercedes-Benz has been selling an electric vehicle - the B-Class Electric Drive - in the U.S. since December 2013. But you have likely not seen on. Mercedes has only sold 3,651 B-Classes, mostly in states that follow zero-emission vehicle mandates such as California. Now, Mercedes-Benz has made the decision to drop the B-Class Electric Drive. Mercedes-Benz USA spokesman Rob Moran confirmed the news to Automotive News, saying production of the Electric Drive would be phased out in the next quarter. Part of the reason for the vehicle being dropped is Mercedes putting more focus on their upcoming EQ lineup of electric vehicles. "Due to our strategic focus on [connectivity, autonomous driving, sharing and electric drive systems] for the mobility of the future, we are planning the step-by-step electrification of our portfolio. Moreover, we are evaluating the production of our new generation of electric vehicles at all of our locations of Mercedes Benz Cars," said Moran in an email. The other part as to why the B-Class Electric Drive is being kicked out is Mercedes will be converting the plant in Rastatt, Germany to produce the next-generation compact lineup. Mercedes will continue to produce the B-Class (gas & diesel variants) for other markets. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' CEO Sergio Marchionne made a surprise announcement during the company's second-quarter earnings calls last week. The company is planning to have more than half of its lineup to have electrified powertrains by 2022. Leading the charge will be Maserati which will offer some sort of electrified powertrain (hybrid and electric-only). What caused Marchionne, a person who hasn't been a fan of electric vehicles for quite a while, to change his tune? A lot of it has to do the various emission scandals on diesel vehicles. "What has really made the issue absolutely mandatory now is the fate of diesel … especially in Europe. Some type of electrification on gas engines is inevitable," said Marchionne. Also, the announcement of some European countries announcing bans of gas and diesel vehicles in the coming years caused a change of heart for FCA. “We [FCA] have been reluctant to embrace that avenue until we saw clearer the path forward," said Marchionne. There are issues for FCA's electrified future as the variable production costs for various components (batteries, electric motors, etc) will not come down quickly. To shoulder these costs, Maserati will take the lead on this initiative. "When it completes the development of its next two models, it will effectively switch all of its portfolio to electrification," said Marchionne. "It's an integral part of the development of all of the group." Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Autocar View full article

General Motors CEO Mary Barra said something interesting about the Chevrolet Bolt EV earlier this year. “…the Bolt is our platform that we’re going to continue on and have a huge range of vehicles.” Now, a new report from InsideEVs has possible details on one of these new models. According to a source that attended a focus group in California, the vehicle in question is a new Buick crossover that is said to look like a next-generation Encore. The model will use the Bolt's structure and powertrain, but come with a different design and features such as a floating roof and a push-button drive selector. The Buick crossover will be about the same size as the Bolt, but offer slightly more rear legroom. It will also be slightly slower than the Bolt - a 0.4-second difference in 0-60 mph time.Bolt, but offer slightly more rear legroom. No timeframe was given as to when we might see this new Buick EV crossover. Source: InsideEVs View full article

Chevrolet’s previous attempts at building a hybrid version of the Malibu are less than stellar. Their first attempt in the late-2000s was not well received due to mediocre performance and fuel economy figures that fell way behind the pack. The second attempt was the last-generation Malibu Eco. Chevrolet hoped to draw people in with a lower price and slightly better fuel economy figures due to the mild-hybrid system. But once again, it would prove to be a flop as the performance was meh and fuel wasn’t that noticeably better from the regular four-cylinder model. Chevrolet isn’t one to give up though. When the next-generation Malibu was revealed a couple of years ago, they announced a hybrid variant would be available. But this one was going to be different as the model would feature ideas and tech from the Volt. We spent over a week in a 2017 Malibu Hybrid to find out if Chevrolet has repeated the same mistakes as before or if they have learned from them. The Malibu Hybrid powertrain is made up of a 1.8L DOHC four-cylinder paired up to the Volt’s electric drive unit - comprised of two electric motors. Power for the electric motors comes from an 80-cell, 1.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Total output is rated at 182 horsepower. This powertrain is quite surprising. The Malibu Hybrid leaves a stop effortlessly and quickly thanks to the instantaneous power available from the electric motors. If you keep a light throttle, you can get up to 55 mph on just electric power alone. If you need to make a pass or get up to speed somewhat quickly, the gas engine kicks on and delivers the extra shove. It needs to be noted that the gas engine will make a fair amount of noise when you have your foot to the floor. Otherwise, the engine is muted for the daily grind. Transitions between electric and hybrid power is mostly smooth thanks to the gear-free transmission and a number of clutches from the Volt. There were a few times during our testing that we felt the gas engine kick on, but this mostly happened at times where we needed the extra power. Fuel economy is rated at 49 City/43 Highway/46 Combined by the EPA. We saw an average of 45 MPG on a 50/50 mix of city and highway driving. Brakes are the key weak point on most hybrid vehicles as they tend to feel very grabby due to the regenerative system. The Malibu Hybrid may have the best brakes we have ever driven on a hybrid vehicle. They feel linear and have the bite of a normal braking system. Thank the Volt for lending its braking system. Despite being a few hundred pounds heavier than the last Malibu we drove, the Hybrid retains the balanced ride and handling characteristics we liked so much. The suspension keeps the vehicle composed over some of the roughest roads on offer in Detroit. On a winding road, the Malibu feels agile and stable. Some will be disappointed by the lack of feel offered by the steering, but most buyers won’t notice this. Unlike most hybrid midsize sedans, the Malibu Hybrid doesn’t scream about it. Looking at it from all angles, you would find it to look like the standard Malibu. Only the ‘H’ badge on the trunk reveals its true identity. One of the issues we had on the last Malibu was material choices. For the price, the fabric covering for the dash and a large amount of hard plastics felt like a huge misstep and put the Malibu way behind the pack. The Hybrid does show some improvements if you order the Leather package that replaces the fabric covering for leather on the dash. It not only makes the Malibu look more premium, it also feels much nicer. Now Chevrolet needs to work on adding more soft-touch materials around the dash, door panels, and center console to make the Malibu truly stand out. Trunk space is slightly smaller in the Hybrid - 11.6 cubic feet vs. 15.8 - due to the battery pack. There is a trunk pass-through, albeit a small slot. It's better than nothing. The Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid carries the most expensive base price of any midsize hybrid sedan of $27,875. But you do get a decent amount of equipment such as dual-zone climate control, push-button start, keyless entry, backup camera, automatic headlights, power driver’s seat, and a 7-inch touchscreen. Our tester came fully loaded with three packages - Leather, Driver Confidence, and Convenience & Technology - to bring the as-tested price to $32,730 with destination. For the money, it is quite the value. Disclaimer: Chevrolet Provided the Malibu Hybrid, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2017 Make: Chevrolet Model: Malibu Trim: Hybrid Engine: 1.8L DOHC VVT Four-Cylinder with Direct Injection, Two Electric Motors Driveline: Two-Motor Drive, Front-Wheel Drive Horsepower @ RPM: 122 @ 5,000 (Gas), 182 Total Torque @ RPM: 130 @ 4,750 (Gas), 277 @ 0 (Electric) Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 49/43/46 Curb Weight: 3,366 lbs Location of Manufacture: Kansas City, Kansas Base Price: $27,875 As Tested Price: $32,730 (Includes $875.00 Destination Charge and $745.00 Leather Package Discount) Options: Leather Package - $2,140.00 Driver Confidence Package - $1,195.00 Convenience & Technology Package - $895.00 8-Inch MyLink System with Navigation - $495.00 View full article