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Chevrolet News:General Motors Quietly Drops The Malibu Eco
William Maley posted a topic in Chevrolet
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 11, 2013 This week saw General Motors quietly announcing that Malibu Eco will not be returning for 2014. The reason given is that the 2014 Malibu 2.5 achieves the same fuel economy numbers as the Eco model (25 MPG City/36 MPG Highway) thanks to stop/start technology. The Chevrolet Malibu Eco was never a big seller in the Malibu. According to The Detroit News, the Eco model only made up of 10 percent of total sales last year. Add in the fact that many reviews criticized the Malibu Eco's real-world fuel economy didn't match up to the EPA ratings, and easy to see why the Eco was given the boot. Chevrolet spokesman Chad Lyons tells Motoramic that GM "will continue to offer eAssist technology on other Chevrolet and GM products, and is "committed to this technology." Source: The Detroit News, Motoramic William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article -
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 11, 2013 This week saw General Motors quietly announcing that Malibu Eco will not be returning for 2014. The reason given is that the 2014 Malibu 2.5 achieves the same fuel economy numbers as the Eco model (25 MPG City/36 MPG Highway) thanks to stop/start technology. The Chevrolet Malibu Eco was never a big seller in the Malibu. According to The Detroit News, the Eco model only made up of 10 percent of total sales last year. Add in the fact that many reviews criticized the Malibu Eco's real-world fuel economy didn't match up to the EPA ratings, and easy to see why the Eco was given the boot. Chevrolet spokesman Chad Lyons tells Motoramic that GM "will continue to offer eAssist technology on other Chevrolet and GM products, and is "committed to this technology." Source: The Detroit News, Motoramic William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. -
By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com February 2, 2013 Read any review of the Chevrolet Malibu Eco and most, if not all will say the mild hybrid system used doesn’t provide enough improvement in the fuel economy to justify the price. Chevrolet dealers are saying the same thing with consumers skipping over the Eco model. "For most people, it's hard to justify the extra money based on the extra fuel economy of a combined 3 mpg more than the base model. You've got the base LS model sitting next to it that's just as nice and luxurious," said Jeff Tuckman, inventory manager at Castle Chevrolet in suburban Chicago. Another Chevrolet dealer in New Jersey puts it more bluntly. "The fuel economy difference from the other models isn't so great that buyers are saying, 'I'll choose a smaller trunk and pay more money.'" This isn’t good news for General Motors. The company is making a big bet with mild hybrids, known as eAssist. Last year, GM set an ambitious goal of selling 500,000 electrified vehicles by 2017; the vast majority being mild hybrids. GM says the take rate for the Malibu Eco is 8% of total Malibu sales, below the initial forecast of 10%. "Getting the consumer to embrace the incremental gains in fuel efficiency from the mild-hybrid system can be problematic given all the improvements that have been made" on regular gasoline engines. I think GM knows they've got to improve" eAssist's mpg numbers,” sid Alan Baum, a Detroit-area automotive analyst who tracks electrified vehicle sales. Source: Autoweek William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. -
By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com February 2, 2013 Read any review of the Chevrolet Malibu Eco and most, if not all will say the mild hybrid system used doesn’t provide enough improvement in the fuel economy to justify the price. Chevrolet dealers are saying the same thing with consumers skipping over the Eco model. "For most people, it's hard to justify the extra money based on the extra fuel economy of a combined 3 mpg more than the base model. You've got the base LS model sitting next to it that's just as nice and luxurious," said Jeff Tuckman, inventory manager at Castle Chevrolet in suburban Chicago. Another Chevrolet dealer in New Jersey puts it more bluntly. "The fuel economy difference from the other models isn't so great that buyers are saying, 'I'll choose a smaller trunk and pay more money.'" This isn’t good news for General Motors. The company is making a big bet with mild hybrids, known as eAssist. Last year, GM set an ambitious goal of selling 500,000 electrified vehicles by 2017; the vast majority being mild hybrids. GM says the take rate for the Malibu Eco is 8% of total Malibu sales, below the initial forecast of 10%. "Getting the consumer to embrace the incremental gains in fuel efficiency from the mild-hybrid system can be problematic given all the improvements that have been made" on regular gasoline engines. I think GM knows they've got to improve" eAssist's mpg numbers,” sid Alan Baum, a Detroit-area automotive analyst who tracks electrified vehicle sales. Source: Autoweek William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article
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Now that the Sonic and Cruze have launched, by all accounts, successfully, Chevy is eager finish up the upper two models in its family car lineup. This 2013 Malibu Eco marks the three quarter mark on this refresh project while the Impala awaits its turn for 2014. The outgoing Malibu was on the large end of the mid-size scale, nearly approaching big brother Impala in overall size. And, while not the most feature laden of family cars, it offered a good combination of space, performance, efficiency, and value. In fact, even when viewed next to more modern designs like the Kia Optima and Toyota Camry, the 2012 Malibu was still an attractive and handsome car, especially in upper trims. That generation of Malibu had fairly good reports for build quality and reliability as well. Chevy could likely have gotten away with a minor styling refresh with some power train updates and kept that model on sale for another two years. Instead, Chevy decided to push the new Malibu out sooner in spite of not all of the engines being ready at launch. So instead of a full Malibu lineup, the car was launched in only the Eco trim which comes only with a mild hybrid setup GM called eAssist. I sampled the eAssist set up in the 2012 Buick Lacrosse back in January where I achieved an astounding 36mpg highway and 27mpg city. I was impressed with the performance of the eAssist because it gave the 4-cylinder gasoline engine more of a smooth V6 feel while rolling around town yet was still able to get to those fuel efficiency numbers without employing one of the more expensive full-hybrid configurations in a car that is not at all light weight. So the 2013 Malibu has two main tasks to convince me of: First prove that it is better than the outgoing Malibu and second perform at least equal or better than the bigger and heavier Buick Lacrosse eAssist. A few weeks ago, you got William Maley’s review on the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco and now it is my turn. Is the new Malibu up to the two tasks I have set out for it? Next up: How is the Malibu inside? As GM’s value brand, it is Chevy’s job to offer good value for the money. Clocking in at an eye popping $29,380 as tested, this Malibu has a number of nice features, but a notably absent one at this price being a full navigation system instead of just OnStar turn-by-turn. In the prior model, the only navigation option was OnStar, but the rest of the car upped the value quotient with a lot of car for your dollar with good passenger space and plenty of trunk room. With the new Impala coming, Chevy had to kick the Malibu down a notch in size and shaved 4.5 inches out of the wheelbase while trimming exterior length by just 2/10ths of an inch. I know we usually start our tour with the driver’s position, but this 4.5 inch drop has the largest impact on rear seat passengers. Chevy claims it was able to keep rear legroom about the same by the numbers, but I wasn't able to find it. Rear leg room is on the tight side and even though I’m only 5’10”, my knees were almost in the back of the front seat. In fact, knee room feels roughly on par with the Malibu’s little brother Cruze. The Cruze get there by having cutouts in the rear of the front seat. It seems to me this same trick could have been employed to get a little more room for the Malibu, but no such luck. Even the Jetta, a car that should not even be playing in this size class, has a good bit more leg room than the Malibu. Headroom in back is merely acceptable, but don’t be much taller than I am. Those wishing for a rear center armrest that the previous model lacked finally get their wish fulfilled. The rear seats themselves are firmly supportive and comfortable. Moving up to the pilot’s position, we are greeted with a new take on Chevy’s dual cowl dashboard. The design is now split horizontally with black plastic ribbing inside the split and a thin chrome strip running through the center. No one’s pictures (especially mine) do the design justice, but it does look very attractive in person especially when the night time ambient lighting kicks on. The plood on the steering wheel, doors, and center console looks especially fake with the dark veins of grain looking printed on almost to the point of being pixilated. The large oval center stack dominates and the camaro-esque instrument panel gives a nod to the Malibu’s sportier cousin. Controls on the center stack are laid out logically and have a high quality feel to them. An attractive addition is the active backlight behind the controls that gives a swooshing lighting effect when you make adjustments on certain dials. Chevy’s MyLink system is here and it is simple enough to use for even the most technically inept. I did find the response from the touch screen to be rather laggy, but otherwise I experienced no bugs. There is a compartment under the MyLink screen which would be useful for storing your MP3 player or smart phone if Chevy had included a USB port inside. Without that, the smart phone was relegated to the center console. The only thing I found the compartment useful for was storing my toll transponder. The HVAC system is more than up to the task of cooling the cabin rapidly. There are two modes for the system : Eco and Comfort. Eco will allow the eAssist system to stop the gas engine when the car has come to a stop, in effect stopping the cooling ability of the A/C compressor. The Comfort setting will continue to run the engine to keep the cabin cool. Being somewhat eco conscious, I kept the setting in Eco, however the car seemed to want to override my selection from time to time and bump back into Comfort. If outside temperatures are over about 85 degrees Fahrenheit you will probably want to keep the car in Comfort as cabin temperature can rise rapidly at a long light. Interior build quality is not one of the new Malibu’s strong suits. I found numerous assembly defects in my test vehicle. Frankly, given the great strides GM has made on its interiors lately, the number and severity of the defects in this Malibu was shocking. Hitting heavy turbulence, I noticed the instrument pod had a bit of extra shake to it. After poking at that I found the cover just peels back. Even just small amounts of pressure was able to move part of the dash on the passenger side around, and just a one handed small tug pulled the whole piece off. The carpet on the passenger side was not installed correctly, leaving a large gap in the foot well. Interior panel gaps were misaligned all over. I’m not sure how this particular car ever passed Q/C much less end up in the press fleet. Next up: Can we judge a book by its cover? With a new model comes new exterior styling as well. Personally, I felt the dearly departed previous generation Malibu to be one of the most handsome vehicles in the segment. If I were in the market, I could have written a check for the LTZ without remorse. Out front Chevy butched up the face of the Malibu with a lot more creases and folds. Rather than one subtle crease in the hood like the previous model, Chevy upped the ante with no less than 7 folds of the metal making up just the hood. It has to be a very expensive part to produce and on my example it did line up perfectly. In fact, all of the body panels lined up well with tight gaps. Around back, Chevy incorporated more Camaro into the tail lights. Taken as a whole, I like the overall more masculine effect. It’s not better or worse than the previous body, just a different style. If I had any specific complaint about the exterior, it is that the 17” aluminum wheels look too small, but that is likely a compromise for Eco’s sake. If you’re expecting to need to haul a lot in the trunk, just wait for a non-Eco model. The battery pack takes up so much room back there you end up with one of the smallest trunks in the class and again bested by Cruze and Jetta. Next up: Yes, but how does the Malibu Eco drive? In spite of the Camaro cues incorporated into various parts of the Malibu design, it isn't especially sporty out on the road. The suspension is more concerned with providing comfort than strong cornering abilities. Out on the highway, the Malibu is a comfortable long distance cruiser soaking up road imperfections before they infiltrate the cabin. One of the reasons you can buy a 2013 Malibu today rather than having to waiting till the fall is because GM management at the highest levels decided to push the car out early in spite of not all engines being ready for production. Since the 2.4 liter Ecotec with eAssist was the only engine ready to go at launch time desired by management. This put Chevy in the disadvantage of having its new midsize entry come with an initial base price thousands of dollars above the competition. Functionally, the eAssist starts and runs like any other engine out there available. During light acceleration conditions, the 15 horsepower electric motor adds some twist to the wheels to help out the gas engine and save some fuel. The additional power mostly comes on at lower speeds, giving the 4-cylinder a more torquey feel that one might expect from a V6. On the highway, the system will give slight boost to crest light waves in the highway while regenerating the battery on the downside of the hill. The transition between assist and regeneration is absolutely seamless and, unless you have one of the power train displays up, you will have no idea what is going on under the hood. When stopping at a light, the eAssist will also stop the gasoline engine unless the HVAC system is set to Comfort as mentioned above or if the engine is not yet at operating temperature. Full throttle acceleration is not what I would call brisk. Swing the tach too far past the 4,000 mark and the engine seems to run out of breath. Don’t expect much help from the electric motor at that point either, its 15 horsepower only goes so far. While I appreciated the eAssist in the Buick Lacrosse back in January, the lack of Buick’s quiet tuning was quite apparent here with much more engine noise entering the cabin. Brake feel has the same lack of feedback that nearly every hybrid I've driven has. There were a couple of times when coming to a stop that I rolled out further than I expected to due to this lack of feel. Fuel economy for an “Eco” midsize was terrible. As I mentioned earlier, I left the climate control in Eco mode as much as possible and averaged just 23.7 mpg combined for the week. On one longer trip I hyper-miled it and still was only able to manage 28mpg. There are circa 300 horsepower V6es in heavier cars that can do better than that, Chevrolet’s own Camaro V6 being the most obvious example and Chrysler 300 is another. At first I thought the atrocious fuel economy was a problem limited to one car as I had done substantially better in the Buick Lacrosse eAssist review, however William Maley experienced similar terrible fuel economy during his review of the 2013 Malibu Eco a few weeks ago. In the end, it just reinforces the idea that if Chevrolet went through the hassle of fitting batteries into the car, shouldn't it get substantially better fuel economy than those cars without? Next Up: What it all boils down to... In the end, the 2013 Malibu Eco failed the two tasks I set out for it. The unacceptable build quality of my example ruined any chance of it being judged better than the prior model. The diminish rear seat room that has the Malibu matching with the Jetta and Cruze, the class smallest trunk space, the real world fuel economy below a larger Buick with the same power train, and higher-than-competition base price tag remove the value proposition. About the only thing this Malibu has going for it at the moment is its looks and a decent entertainment system. It is abundantly clear that this was a rush job on GM’s part, a rush job that wasn't even necessary with the already competent, though aging, previous generation Malibu out there for sale and doing good for GM’s reputation. Sorry GM, this one wasn't done cooking before you took it out of the oven. Better see what you can do to salvage things. General Motors provided the Chevrolet Malibu Eco, one tank of fuel, and insurance. Make: Chevrolet Model: Malibu Model Year: 2013 Trim: Eco 2SA Engine: Transversely mounted 2.4 liter 4-cylinder with eAssist Transmission: Front Wheel Drive, 6-speed manual Max horsepower @ RPM: 182 hp @ 6200 rpm Max torque @RPM: 171 lb-ft of torque @ 4900 rpm EPA Fuel Economy: 25 City / 37 Highway Exterior color as tested: Crystal Red Tintcoat Interior color as tested: Cocoa Location of Manufacture: Kansas City, Kansas, USA MSRP as tested: $29,380.00 Drew Dowdell is Managing Editor of CheersandGears.com and can be reached at [email protected] or on twitter as @cheersngears -
Now that the Sonic and Cruze have launched, by all accounts, successfully, Chevy is eager finish up the upper two models in its family car lineup. This 2013 Malibu Eco marks the three quarter mark on this refresh project while the Impala awaits its turn for 2014. The outgoing Malibu was on the large end of the mid-size scale, nearly approaching big brother Impala in overall size. And, while not the most feature laden of family cars, it offered a good combination of space, performance, efficiency, and value. In fact, even when viewed next to more modern designs like the Kia Optima and Toyota Camry, the 2012 Malibu was still an attractive and handsome car, especially in upper trims. That generation of Malibu had fairly good reports for build quality and reliability as well. Chevy could likely have gotten away with a minor styling refresh with some power train updates and kept that model on sale for another two years. Instead, Chevy decided to push the new Malibu out sooner in spite of not all of the engines being ready at launch. So instead of a full Malibu lineup, the car was launched in only the Eco trim which comes only with a mild hybrid setup GM called eAssist. I sampled the eAssist set up in the 2012 Buick Lacrosse back in January where I achieved an astounding 36mpg highway and 27mpg city. I was impressed with the performance of the eAssist because it gave the 4-cylinder gasoline engine more of a smooth V6 feel while rolling around town yet was still able to get to those fuel efficiency numbers without employing one of the more expensive full-hybrid configurations in a car that is not at all light weight. So the 2013 Malibu has two main tasks to convince me of: First prove that it is better than the outgoing Malibu and second perform at least equal or better than the bigger and heavier Buick Lacrosse eAssist. A few weeks ago, you got William Maley’s review on the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco and now it is my turn. Is the new Malibu up to the two tasks I have set out for it? Next up: How is the Malibu inside? As GM’s value brand, it is Chevy’s job to offer good value for the money. Clocking in at an eye popping $29,380 as tested, this Malibu has a number of nice features, but a notably absent one at this price being a full navigation system instead of just OnStar turn-by-turn. In the prior model, the only navigation option was OnStar, but the rest of the car upped the value quotient with a lot of car for your dollar with good passenger space and plenty of trunk room. With the new Impala coming, Chevy had to kick the Malibu down a notch in size and shaved 4.5 inches out of the wheelbase while trimming exterior length by just 2/10ths of an inch. I know we usually start our tour with the driver’s position, but this 4.5 inch drop has the largest impact on rear seat passengers. Chevy claims it was able to keep rear legroom about the same by the numbers, but I wasn't able to find it. Rear leg room is on the tight side and even though I’m only 5’10”, my knees were almost in the back of the front seat. In fact, knee room feels roughly on par with the Malibu’s little brother Cruze. The Cruze get there by having cutouts in the rear of the front seat. It seems to me this same trick could have been employed to get a little more room for the Malibu, but no such luck. Even the Jetta, a car that should not even be playing in this size class, has a good bit more leg room than the Malibu. Headroom in back is merely acceptable, but don’t be much taller than I am. Those wishing for a rear center armrest that the previous model lacked finally get their wish fulfilled. The rear seats themselves are firmly supportive and comfortable. Moving up to the pilot’s position, we are greeted with a new take on Chevy’s dual cowl dashboard. The design is now split horizontally with black plastic ribbing inside the split and a thin chrome strip running through the center. No one’s pictures (especially mine) do the design justice, but it does look very attractive in person especially when the night time ambient lighting kicks on. The plood on the steering wheel, doors, and center console looks especially fake with the dark veins of grain looking printed on almost to the point of being pixilated. The large oval center stack dominates and the camaro-esque instrument panel gives a nod to the Malibu’s sportier cousin. Controls on the center stack are laid out logically and have a high quality feel to them. An attractive addition is the active backlight behind the controls that gives a swooshing lighting effect when you make adjustments on certain dials. Chevy’s MyLink system is here and it is simple enough to use for even the most technically inept. I did find the response from the touch screen to be rather laggy, but otherwise I experienced no bugs. There is a compartment under the MyLink screen which would be useful for storing your MP3 player or smart phone if Chevy had included a USB port inside. Without that, the smart phone was relegated to the center console. The only thing I found the compartment useful for was storing my toll transponder. The HVAC system is more than up to the task of cooling the cabin rapidly. There are two modes for the system : Eco and Comfort. Eco will allow the eAssist system to stop the gas engine when the car has come to a stop, in effect stopping the cooling ability of the A/C compressor. The Comfort setting will continue to run the engine to keep the cabin cool. Being somewhat eco conscious, I kept the setting in Eco, however the car seemed to want to override my selection from time to time and bump back into Comfort. If outside temperatures are over about 85 degrees Fahrenheit you will probably want to keep the car in Comfort as cabin temperature can rise rapidly at a long light. Interior build quality is not one of the new Malibu’s strong suits. I found numerous assembly defects in my test vehicle. Frankly, given the great strides GM has made on its interiors lately, the number and severity of the defects in this Malibu was shocking. Hitting heavy turbulence, I noticed the instrument pod had a bit of extra shake to it. After poking at that I found the cover just peels back. Even just small amounts of pressure was able to move part of the dash on the passenger side around, and just a one handed small tug pulled the whole piece off. The carpet on the passenger side was not installed correctly, leaving a large gap in the foot well. Interior panel gaps were misaligned all over. I’m not sure how this particular car ever passed Q/C much less end up in the press fleet. Next up: Can we judge a book by its cover? With a new model comes new exterior styling as well. Personally, I felt the dearly departed previous generation Malibu to be one of the most handsome vehicles in the segment. If I were in the market, I could have written a check for the LTZ without remorse. Out front Chevy butched up the face of the Malibu with a lot more creases and folds. Rather than one subtle crease in the hood like the previous model, Chevy upped the ante with no less than 7 folds of the metal making up just the hood. It has to be a very expensive part to produce and on my example it did line up perfectly. In fact, all of the body panels lined up well with tight gaps. Around back, Chevy incorporated more Camaro into the tail lights. Taken as a whole, I like the overall more masculine effect. It’s not better or worse than the previous body, just a different style. If I had any specific complaint about the exterior, it is that the 17” aluminum wheels look too small, but that is likely a compromise for Eco’s sake. If you’re expecting to need to haul a lot in the trunk, just wait for a non-Eco model. The battery pack takes up so much room back there you end up with one of the smallest trunks in the class and again bested by Cruze and Jetta. Next up: Yes, but how does the Malibu Eco drive? In spite of the Camaro cues incorporated into various parts of the Malibu design, it isn't especially sporty out on the road. The suspension is more concerned with providing comfort than strong cornering abilities. Out on the highway, the Malibu is a comfortable long distance cruiser soaking up road imperfections before they infiltrate the cabin. One of the reasons you can buy a 2013 Malibu today rather than having to waiting till the fall is because GM management at the highest levels decided to push the car out early in spite of not all engines being ready for production. Since the 2.4 liter Ecotec with eAssist was the only engine ready to go at launch time desired by management. This put Chevy in the disadvantage of having its new midsize entry come with an initial base price thousands of dollars above the competition. Functionally, the eAssist starts and runs like any other engine out there available. During light acceleration conditions, the 15 horsepower electric motor adds some twist to the wheels to help out the gas engine and save some fuel. The additional power mostly comes on at lower speeds, giving the 4-cylinder a more torquey feel that one might expect from a V6. On the highway, the system will give slight boost to crest light waves in the highway while regenerating the battery on the downside of the hill. The transition between assist and regeneration is absolutely seamless and, unless you have one of the power train displays up, you will have no idea what is going on under the hood. When stopping at a light, the eAssist will also stop the gasoline engine unless the HVAC system is set to Comfort as mentioned above or if the engine is not yet at operating temperature. Full throttle acceleration is not what I would call brisk. Swing the tach too far past the 4,000 mark and the engine seems to run out of breath. Don’t expect much help from the electric motor at that point either, its 15 horsepower only goes so far. While I appreciated the eAssist in the Buick Lacrosse back in January, the lack of Buick’s quiet tuning was quite apparent here with much more engine noise entering the cabin. Brake feel has the same lack of feedback that nearly every hybrid I've driven has. There were a couple of times when coming to a stop that I rolled out further than I expected to due to this lack of feel. Fuel economy for an “Eco” midsize was terrible. As I mentioned earlier, I left the climate control in Eco mode as much as possible and averaged just 23.7 mpg combined for the week. On one longer trip I hyper-miled it and still was only able to manage 28mpg. There are circa 300 horsepower V6es in heavier cars that can do better than that, Chevrolet’s own Camaro V6 being the most obvious example and Chrysler 300 is another. At first I thought the atrocious fuel economy was a problem limited to one car as I had done substantially better in the Buick Lacrosse eAssist review, however William Maley experienced similar terrible fuel economy during his review of the 2013 Malibu Eco a few weeks ago. In the end, it just reinforces the idea that if Chevrolet went through the hassle of fitting batteries into the car, shouldn't it get substantially better fuel economy than those cars without? Next Up: What it all boils down to... In the end, the 2013 Malibu Eco failed the two tasks I set out for it. The unacceptable build quality of my example ruined any chance of it being judged better than the prior model. The diminish rear seat room that has the Malibu matching with the Jetta and Cruze, the class smallest trunk space, the real world fuel economy below a larger Buick with the same power train, and higher-than-competition base price tag remove the value proposition. About the only thing this Malibu has going for it at the moment is its looks and a decent entertainment system. It is abundantly clear that this was a rush job on GM’s part, a rush job that wasn't even necessary with the already competent, though aging, previous generation Malibu out there for sale and doing good for GM’s reputation. Sorry GM, this one wasn't done cooking before you took it out of the oven. Better see what you can do to salvage things. General Motors provided the Chevrolet Malibu Eco, one tank of fuel, and insurance. Make: Chevrolet Model: Malibu Model Year: 2013 Trim: Eco 2SA Engine: Transversely mounted 2.4 liter 4-cylinder with eAssist Transmission: Front Wheel Drive, 6-speed manual Max horsepower @ RPM: 182 hp @ 6200 rpm Max torque @RPM: 171 lb-ft of torque @ 4900 rpm EPA Fuel Economy: 25 City / 37 Highway Exterior color as tested: Crystal Red Tintcoat Interior color as tested: Cocoa Location of Manufacture: Kansas City, Kansas, USA MSRP as tested: $29,380.00 Drew Dowdell is Managing Editor of CheersandGears.com and can be reached at [email protected] or on twitter as @cheersngears View full article
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com June 13, 2012 All of us have had the experience of something not meeting our expectations. Whether it’s an expensive hotel that provides the same service of a Motel6, a nice restaurant that serves the equivalent of Burger King, or a highly recommended mechanic that somehow charges $650 for an oil change. This happened to me with the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco. When it arrived onto my driveway for a few days, I was excited at the premise of the Eco model. However when my time with the Malibu Eco was up, I was a bit deflated. Onward to the exterior Exterior When I first saw the new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu at the North American International Auto Show in earlier this year, I was a bit disappointed. Compared to the outgoing Malibu, the new one didn’t have the presence and the sexy curves. Instead, it went for a mishmash of Cruze and Camaro, giving it an unpleasant look. However, when you drop the bright lights of an auto show and bring it into the real world, the Malibu design begins to grow on you Up front, there is a lot of Cruze influence. The front end juts out, putting the double grille opening with chrome accents running around the edge as the main focus. A pair of projector headlights extends up into the front fenders. The side profile shows off the Malibu’s beltline going up a slight angle. The back end features a Camaro inspired trunk lid and taillights. Also, the Malibu Eco includes a Camaro inspired narrow rear window view. Thankfully, this Malibu Eco was equipped with a rear-view camera, making it easier to back up. Now Meet The Malibu Eco's Interior Interior One place where the new Malibu runs rings around the old one is in the interior. Stepping into the Malibu Eco for the first time, my jaw dropped. I couldn’t believe how much effort GM put into the Malibu’s interior design. Organic curves, HVAC vents molded into the dash, soft touch materials used throughout the cabin, and some impressive build quality. The Malibu Eco is one the first vehicles in Chevrolet’s lineup to come equipped with the MyLink infotainment system. A five-inch touch screen radio takes center stage in the dash, providing controls and information for whatever you’re playing (AM/FM/XM/iPod/Aux). MyLink also includes Pandora and Stitcher internet radio that uses your smartphone to play though. The system had its hiccups though. From time to time when using Pandora, no sound would come out. That was remedied by unplugging and plugging my iPhone back into the system. Also, MyLink froze up on me, causing me to turn off the car and turn it back on. Now, this is a first generation product and I expected some bugs to come with it, but hopefully GM has some fixes on the way to squash them. As for passengers, those sitting in the front won’t find much to complain about as the optional leather wrapped seats provide enough comfort and support. Passengers sitting in the back will complain about the claustrophobic feelings they’re having. Headroom and legroom is on the short end, especially when compared to other midsize sedans. The space deficiency is even more apparent when you compare the Malibu Eco to its little brother, the Cruze. Trunk space is also on the small size, measuring in at 14.3 cubic feet. That’s due to the Eco having a battery in its trunk. If you want more trunk space in your Malibu, you’re going have to wait till later this year when the 2.5L four comes out. What's Under The Hood Ride & Drive Underneath the Malibu Eco’s hood lies GM’s eAssist mild-hybrid system. eAssist is comprised of a 2.4L Ecotec four-cylinder producing 182 HP and 172 lb-ft of torque, and a electric motor producing 15 kW and either 110 (cranking) or 79 (electric assist) lb-ft of torque hooked up to a 115V lithium-ion battery. eAssist differs from a regular hybrid on how the electric and gas powertrains deliver their power. In a regular hybrid, the electric motor can power the vehicle alone at low speeds. eAssist cannot do that at all. Instead, eAssist uses the electric motor to help the gas engine in acceleration. Also, eAssist allows stop/start tech to be used. Driving with the eAssist system was an interesting experience. Pulling away from a stop, it gives you the illusion of having a more powerful engine. You can thank the gas and electric motors working together. After the initial acceleration, the electric motor switches off and the 2.4L provides adequate power for most driving. If you need to make a pass, the electric motor kicks back on to provide extra power. The transition from hybrid to gas power is seamless; the only way to know when it happens is when you have the hybrid powertrain screen up. But all is not perfect with the eAssist powertrain. Like most hybrids, the Malibu Eco’s brakes don’t give the kind of reassurance you want. Also, the stop/start system doesn’t stop all of time. At most stoplights, the system would leave the engine idling. Part of that was due to the Air Conditioning running in what is called comfort mode, which needs the engine to run. But when the Air Conditioner was off, the engine still would not turn off. I was left wondering if I was doing something wrong with braking or if this was a problem with this particular Malibu Eco. And that leads me to the biggest disappointment of the Malibu Eco; the fuel economy. The EPA rates the Malibu Eco at 25 City/37 Highway/29 Combined. My average for the Malibu Eco was 26.5 MPG. Now, I am going to put a good amount of blame on the Stop/Start system possibly not working. But even with 29 MPG combined in the EPA cycle, cars like the Toyota Camry, Kia Optima, and Volkswagen Passat with their base engines can meet or exceed that average. It left me wondering why GM went forward with the eAssist mild hybrid and not a regular hybrid system or something else. Those problems with the powertrain are a big shame since the Malibu’s ride shines as a long distance cruiser. The suspension does a great job of providing a very comfortable ride, soaking up many road imperfections. The steering weighted perfectly for what the Eco is built for. Also, Chevrolet must have stolen a few of Buick’s quiet tuning engineers since the Malibu Eco is very, very quiet. And The Verdict Verdict As my time with the Malibu Eco was coming to a close, I was getting more and more disappointed. The Malibu Eco has some very positive points: a comfortable and quiet ride, good looking exterior, impressive interior, and the new MyLink infotainment system. But those positive points cannot hide some very glaring problems of the Malibu Eco: the smallest back seat in the class, the stop/start system that didn’t stop, and the not so impressive fuel economy of the eAssist system. And there is one thing I haven’t brought up yet. The Malibu was originally waiting on the new 2.5L four-cylinder to go into production. However, GM CEO Dan Akerson wanted the Malibu out sooner and the decision was made to start building the Eco early since it the closest to being ready. My question is this: if GM had kept the original date, could this have made the Malibu Eco a better car? The Malibu Eco is a car full of hopes and dreams, but sadly cannot reach all of them. Cheers: Comfortable Ride Interior and Exterior Design MyLink Infotainment System Jeers: Fuel Economy Non Auto Stop/Start System Interior Space Year - 2013 Make - Chevrolet Model - Malibu Trim - Eco Engine - 2.4L DOHC Four-Cylinder with eAssist Driveline - Front Wheel Drive, Six Speed Automatic Horsepower @ RPM - 182 @ 6200 Torque @ RPM - 172 @ 4900 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 25/37/29 Curb Weight - 3620 lbs Location of Manufacture - Kansas City, Kansas Base Price - $26,845.00 As Tested Price - $29,380.00 (Includes $760.00 Destination Charge) View full article
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com June 13, 2012 All of us have had the experience of something not meeting our expectations. Whether it’s an expensive hotel that provides the same service of a Motel6, a nice restaurant that serves the equivalent of Burger King, or a highly recommended mechanic that somehow charges $650 for an oil change. This happened to me with the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco. When it arrived onto my driveway for a few days, I was excited at the premise of the Eco model. However when my time with the Malibu Eco was up, I was a bit deflated. Onward to the exterior Exterior When I first saw the new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu at the North American International Auto Show in earlier this year, I was a bit disappointed. Compared to the outgoing Malibu, the new one didn’t have the presence and the sexy curves. Instead, it went for a mishmash of Cruze and Camaro, giving it an unpleasant look. However, when you drop the bright lights of an auto show and bring it into the real world, the Malibu design begins to grow on you Up front, there is a lot of Cruze influence. The front end juts out, putting the double grille opening with chrome accents running around the edge as the main focus. A pair of projector headlights extends up into the front fenders. The side profile shows off the Malibu’s beltline going up a slight angle. The back end features a Camaro inspired trunk lid and taillights. Also, the Malibu Eco includes a Camaro inspired narrow rear window view. Thankfully, this Malibu Eco was equipped with a rear-view camera, making it easier to back up. Now Meet The Malibu Eco's Interior Interior One place where the new Malibu runs rings around the old one is in the interior. Stepping into the Malibu Eco for the first time, my jaw dropped. I couldn’t believe how much effort GM put into the Malibu’s interior design. Organic curves, HVAC vents molded into the dash, soft touch materials used throughout the cabin, and some impressive build quality. The Malibu Eco is one the first vehicles in Chevrolet’s lineup to come equipped with the MyLink infotainment system. A five-inch touch screen radio takes center stage in the dash, providing controls and information for whatever you’re playing (AM/FM/XM/iPod/Aux). MyLink also includes Pandora and Stitcher internet radio that uses your smartphone to play though. The system had its hiccups though. From time to time when using Pandora, no sound would come out. That was remedied by unplugging and plugging my iPhone back into the system. Also, MyLink froze up on me, causing me to turn off the car and turn it back on. Now, this is a first generation product and I expected some bugs to come with it, but hopefully GM has some fixes on the way to squash them. As for passengers, those sitting in the front won’t find much to complain about as the optional leather wrapped seats provide enough comfort and support. Passengers sitting in the back will complain about the claustrophobic feelings they’re having. Headroom and legroom is on the short end, especially when compared to other midsize sedans. The space deficiency is even more apparent when you compare the Malibu Eco to its little brother, the Cruze. Trunk space is also on the small size, measuring in at 14.3 cubic feet. That’s due to the Eco having a battery in its trunk. If you want more trunk space in your Malibu, you’re going have to wait till later this year when the 2.5L four comes out. What's Under The Hood Ride & Drive Underneath the Malibu Eco’s hood lies GM’s eAssist mild-hybrid system. eAssist is comprised of a 2.4L Ecotec four-cylinder producing 182 HP and 172 lb-ft of torque, and a electric motor producing 15 kW and either 110 (cranking) or 79 (electric assist) lb-ft of torque hooked up to a 115V lithium-ion battery. eAssist differs from a regular hybrid on how the electric and gas powertrains deliver their power. In a regular hybrid, the electric motor can power the vehicle alone at low speeds. eAssist cannot do that at all. Instead, eAssist uses the electric motor to help the gas engine in acceleration. Also, eAssist allows stop/start tech to be used. Driving with the eAssist system was an interesting experience. Pulling away from a stop, it gives you the illusion of having a more powerful engine. You can thank the gas and electric motors working together. After the initial acceleration, the electric motor switches off and the 2.4L provides adequate power for most driving. If you need to make a pass, the electric motor kicks back on to provide extra power. The transition from hybrid to gas power is seamless; the only way to know when it happens is when you have the hybrid powertrain screen up. But all is not perfect with the eAssist powertrain. Like most hybrids, the Malibu Eco’s brakes don’t give the kind of reassurance you want. Also, the stop/start system doesn’t stop all of time. At most stoplights, the system would leave the engine idling. Part of that was due to the Air Conditioning running in what is called comfort mode, which needs the engine to run. But when the Air Conditioner was off, the engine still would not turn off. I was left wondering if I was doing something wrong with braking or if this was a problem with this particular Malibu Eco. And that leads me to the biggest disappointment of the Malibu Eco; the fuel economy. The EPA rates the Malibu Eco at 25 City/37 Highway/29 Combined. My average for the Malibu Eco was 26.5 MPG. Now, I am going to put a good amount of blame on the Stop/Start system possibly not working. But even with 29 MPG combined in the EPA cycle, cars like the Toyota Camry, Kia Optima, and Volkswagen Passat with their base engines can meet or exceed that average. It left me wondering why GM went forward with the eAssist mild hybrid and not a regular hybrid system or something else. Those problems with the powertrain are a big shame since the Malibu’s ride shines as a long distance cruiser. The suspension does a great job of providing a very comfortable ride, soaking up many road imperfections. The steering weighted perfectly for what the Eco is built for. Also, Chevrolet must have stolen a few of Buick’s quiet tuning engineers since the Malibu Eco is very, very quiet. And The Verdict Verdict As my time with the Malibu Eco was coming to a close, I was getting more and more disappointed. The Malibu Eco has some very positive points: a comfortable and quiet ride, good looking exterior, impressive interior, and the new MyLink infotainment system. But those positive points cannot hide some very glaring problems of the Malibu Eco: the smallest back seat in the class, the stop/start system that didn’t stop, and the not so impressive fuel economy of the eAssist system. And there is one thing I haven’t brought up yet. The Malibu was originally waiting on the new 2.5L four-cylinder to go into production. However, GM CEO Dan Akerson wanted the Malibu out sooner and the decision was made to start building the Eco early since it the closest to being ready. My question is this: if GM had kept the original date, could this have made the Malibu Eco a better car? The Malibu Eco is a car full of hopes and dreams, but sadly cannot reach all of them. Cheers: Comfortable Ride Interior and Exterior Design MyLink Infotainment System Jeers: Fuel Economy Non Auto Stop/Start System Interior Space Year - 2013 Make - Chevrolet Model - Malibu Trim - Eco Engine - 2.4L DOHC Four-Cylinder with eAssist Driveline - Front Wheel Drive, Six Speed Automatic Horsepower @ RPM - 182 @ 6200 Torque @ RPM - 172 @ 4900 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 25/37/29 Curb Weight - 3620 lbs Location of Manufacture - Kansas City, Kansas Base Price - $26,845.00 As Tested Price - $29,380.00 (Includes $760.00 Destination Charge)
