Spied: 2012 Chevrolet Malibu

[FenwickHockey65]

Spy Photos: 2012 Chevy Malibu
Link to article

By Mike Magrath
August 20, 2010

Spy photographers have once again run into the forthcoming 2012 Chevy Malibu. This new Malibu, which should begin production late 2011 in GM's recently updated Fairfax, Kansas assembly plant, looks to be a thorough revisioning of the Malibu platform with new sheetmetal-- the cutline has been lowered and follows through the door handles, the trunk has a new bustle to it and wheel arches are more subtle-- and underpinned by a version of the Epsilon II platform currently used by the Buick Regal and Opel Insignia. That would make this Malibu more likely to be a global offering from GM as opposed to strictly a US market proposition.

The 2012 Malibu is also slated to drop the tired four-speed automatic and offer only a six-speed offering. This new Malibu should come with either the 3.6-liter V6, a base, but direct injection four-pot, and for drivers who want more power and more mpg, a turbo-charged direct-injection ECOTEC motor to hang with the new crop of Ecoboost Fords. A hybrid powertrain will also be offered.

A complete interior overhaul is also expected clearing the way for an optional navigation screen.

Spy photos at the link.

[Amphibian]

Like the XTS Platinum Concept, that rear overhang looks ginormous. They shouldn't trim the wheelbase like rumors have said they supposedly will.

Also, I hope this continues with a 3.6L and not the NA 3.0L. That will make it much slower even if it has the 263 hp that the Equinox has, an 11 hp improvement.

Hope Chevy NAILS this one even harder than the 08.

[Hitman1970]

Yeah but the Malibu is dropping the four speed automatic BEFORE 2012!. Do your homework Edmunds.

[FenwickHockey65]

Like the XTS Platinum Concept, that rear overhang looks ginormous.

I don't know, I actually kinda like rear overhang. Just a weird quirk with me I guess.

[Amphibian]

Yeah but the Malibu is dropping the four speed automatic BEFORE 2012!. Do your homework Edmunds.

Are they dropping it for 2011? I was disappointed to find out that the base LS still has one.

[FenwickHockey65]

Are they dropping it for 2011? I was disappointed to find out that the base LS still has one.

Yes. The Malibu no longer has a 4-speed available.

[Hitman1970]

Are they dropping it for 2011? I was disappointed to find out that the base LS still has one.

2011 Malibu loses four-speed automatic

[Amphibian]

That's good news. That was one of my only real complaints other than no rear center armrest (or just on certain models, I don't know).

The engines were really good in this generation, though. The I-4 was a little low on power but the weight accentuated most of that, but you don't buy the 4-banger for performance. It was economicaly and very, very quiet for an I-4. The V-6 had a lot of pop, too.

[2648562]

My 2 cents: The character line, with its radical angle, seems to make the front end look really heavy and it might not mesh well with the C-pillar/rear door glass (I'm just imagining). The door handles look low. The lower edge of the rocker panel is too rounded and doesn't match the treatment given to the bumper (I hope this is just unfinished). Must the reflectors be positioned so high in the bumper?

When it's all said and done it's going to have the Equinox or Traverse nose with Camaro tail lights. Yawn.

[fastball]

Day late and a dollar short for available navigation though.

GM's most serious fubar under the Bob Lutz era was making the current Malibu without navigation, while Honda, Toyota, and Ford all have had navi available in their respective competition vehicles since as early as 2003!

[04bonnie]

Can someone explain why we are getting a new Malibu before a new Impala? Are we sure these spy shots are the Malibu and not the next Impala?

[Amphibian]

GM's most serious fubar under the Bob Lutz era was making the current Malibu without navigation, while Honda, Toyota, and Ford all have had navi available in their respective competition vehicles since as early as 2002!

I think GM tried to use OnStar as an excuse.

[fastball]

Can someone explain why we are getting a new Malibu before a new Impala? Are we sure these spy shots are the Malibu and not the next Impala?

No, it's the Malibu..... GM will lumber the Impala on for the next 50 years with minimal changes.

But seriously, I've heard at least 2013 before we see a new Impala. If we're lucky.

[Amphibian]

Can someone explain why we are getting a new Malibu before a new Impala? Are we sure these spy shots are the Malibu and not the next Impala?

Looks too small to be the new Impala.

We are getting this before the new Impala because a few idiots within GM don't understand that they can build a new Impala and KEEP the current, very profitable car for fleet usage and so on like Ford did with the Crownie. Instead they wanna ride this profit-whore W-Body out as long as they can.

[Kennyboy]

Looks like this car will be a cheaper version of the Buick/Opel Insignia/Regal. The dimensions are the same, the engine choices are the same except for the hybrid version and even the steering wheel is the same. However, I do like the concept of a cheaper version of the Regal. Hopefully, the grill is different from the Regal.