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Shanghai: China-only Malibu debuts

5K views 32 replies 23 participants last post by  Commodoreman2000 
#1 ·
From the GM media site : http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/...ges/news/cn/en/2015/april/0419_chevrolet.html

The all-new Malibu made its global debut at Shanghai GM Gala Night. It demonstrates Chevrolet's latest “Designed to Raise your Heartbeat” direction.



All-New Chevrolet Malibu

The all-new Malibu, which is based on the eighth-generation Malibu, was developed especially for China to meet the demands of younger consumers. It demonstrates Chevrolet's latest “Designed to Raise your Heartbeat” direction that reflects muscular body lines and enhanced body proportions.

It is longer than its predecessor. Muscular lines on the hood combined with sculptural outlines on the rear accentuate its powerful stance.

The all-new Malibu’s integrated narrow upper grille with eagle eye-shaped headlights, Chevrolet's iconic sculptural dual-port grille with chrome trim, and semi-framed fog lamps work together to present a sharp three-dimensional look that is balanced by the sedan’s well-rounded rear fascia. Its dual-element taillights were inspired by those on the first-generation Malibu.

True to the brand's “fun to drive” philosophy, the all-new Malibu is equipped with a choice of a 2.4L Ecotec SIDI engine or a 2.0L DVVT engine, as well as a new-generation six-speed automatic transmission.

Its European-style sports chassis, which is built on GM's most advanced upper-medium sedan platform, adds to the driving pleasure that today’s younger car buyers prefer.
 
#2 ·
Re: all-new Malibu @Shanghai is not same as North American malibu

Is it fundamentally different? Is it the same car underneath? Is it based on last gen or different platform than ours?
 
#3 · (Edited)
Re: all-new Malibu @Shanghai is not same as North American malibu

Is it fundamentally different? Is it the same car underneath? Is it based on last gen or different platform than ours?
The press release says that it's based on the "8th generation" Malibu. I'm not sure what the means or if it's PR spin, but from another picture I saw online at AutoNews.com, the sides look a lot like our current Malibu. Take a look:

Image courtesy of, and credit to, AutoNews.com:


What's more, an earlier article on GMI stated that the current Malibu was getting a nip/tuck (courtesy of Holden) as an MCE for China:

Holden-crafted Malibu set for Shanghai

Image courtesy of, and credited to, CarNewsChina.com:
So I don't think that the version we see here is actually based on the new one that debuted at NYIAS. Rather, it's the current version of the Malibu with an MCE that has strong Holden-esque overtones.
 
#5 ·
Re: all-new Malibu @Shanghai is not same as North American malibu

The rest of the world didn't the MCE North America did in 2014, so this is essentially the overseas-market MCE.
Yes. Which looks much better than the MCE we received here (especially the rear-end).

I think this looks great and it should have been what we received in the US market. However, this whole "different Chevy family look for different parts of the world" nonsense is getting out of hand. How many different "looks" can Chevy have before consumers get confused and there's no "brand cohesion"?
 
#7 ·
Ah ha the facelift that the US should have been given not the '14 makeover. This and a repackaged interior for more back seat space by altering the parcel shelf, etc. and it might have faired better. However on the other side of the coin, the new '16 that was just revealed blows this one right out of the water.
 
#22 ·
Interesting that they went with the 2.4L DI engine - think they are just shipping them from wherever they have been built, or did they move the tooling? I can't think of a model that used that engine that is being replaced or wound down at this point. Also don't know what line that 2.0L comes from.
 
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