[UPDATED] Refreshed Malibu Likely to Sport Revised Look, New Features

[nsap]

Chevy will attempt to remedy the Malibu with some minor tweaks.
www.GMInsideNews.com
December 6, 2012
By: Nick Saporito

Thanks to the close proximity of updates the Malibu will be receiving in the coming years, there has been some confusion regarding powertrain changes on the car. As GM CEO Dan Akerson confirmed to Automotive News, the mid-cycle enhancement for the Malibu is slated to launch within the next 12 months. Sources have clarified that the 2014 Malibu is not likely to see any significant powertrain changes. Instead, the 1.6-liter turbo that we have reported below will launch in the Malibu at a date later than the announced mid-cycle enhancement.

To recap: the 2014 Malibu will receive cosmetic changes, additional features and possibly minor powertrain alterations only. The following year or later is more feasible for the 1.6-liter turbo to launch in the Malibu.

Earlier this week General Motors CEO Dan Akerson confirmed what many already knew: that the company is planning to refresh Chevrolet's midsize sedan within the next year. The revisions are said to be in line with what the company refers to as a mid-cycle enhancement, meaning the changes will be lesser than a typical redesign. GMI has been told that the changes will likely include a revised exterior design and at least one new potential engine offering.

Despite being fairly new on the market, the 2013 Malibu is already wearing an old Chevrolet design theme. Starting with the new 2013 Traverse and upcoming 2014 Impala, Chevy is ditching the traditional cross-bar grille design in favor of a softened variant of it. Sources familiar with GM product planning have stated that the refreshed Malibu will borrow cues from the new Impala and other recent Chevy products to bring the look in line with the rest of the brand. Specifically, the Malibu will receive revised front and rear fascia designs. The car's sheet metal is expected to remain largely unchanged.

Perhaps the most interesting change is the alleged addition of a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine. The 1.6-liter turbo has been in use in Europe for some time now, and GMI confirmed months ago that the engine was going to come over stateside. It is quickly sounding like the revised Malibu will be one of the first applications of the engine in North America.

In Europe the 1.6-liter turbo makes just under 200 horsepower and around 170 foot-pounds of torque. While the fundamental engine will be the same in North America, sources have said to expect the 1.6-liter to gain start/stop technology that allows the engine to shut off while the vehicle is stopped.

It is unclear if the 1.6-liter turbo, if utilized for Malibu, will replace the current 2.5-liter or 2.4-liter engines in the 2013 Malibu.

Ford's recently launched 2013 Fusion, a Malibu competitor, utilizes a turbocharged 1.6-liter as well. In Ford's application the engine generates 178 horsepower and 184 foot-pounds of torque, and also encompasses start/stop technology.

Details surrounding interior changes, if any, are largely unknown at this time. Sources have indicated that the Malibu will be the recipient of the next-generation Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system, which is debuting on the all-new Impala and trucks next year.

The refreshed Malibu has been planned for well over a year. GMI sources have indicated that the car would launch as a 2015 model, though Akerson's comments suggest the car has been pushed up to launch next year.

[mjd1001]

I can't see it replacing the 2.5. Sure, the 2.5 is going to go into the Impala, but isn't that the same engine we have been hearing about for seemingly a couple of years...how much better it is going to be than the 2.4 and just how good it is overall? I guess you wouldn't need both the 2.5 and the 1.6t, but it would seem like a lot of time and money not spent wisely if the 2.5 was dropped from the one high volume car it was targeted for the most.

[FenwickHockey65]

I wonder if the 1.6T will replace anything at all?

Oh, and isn't the new MyLink system debuting on Impala first?

[1487]

Chevy will attempt to remedy the Malibu with some minor tweaks.
www.GMInsideNews.com
December 6, 2012
By: Nick Saporito


Earlier this week General Motors CEO Dan Akerson confirmed what many already knew: that the company is planning to refresh Chevrolet's midsize sedan within the next year. The revisions are said to be in line with what the company refers to as a mid-cycle enhancement, meaning the changes will be lesser than a typical redesign. GMI has been told that the changes will likely include a revised exterior design and at least one new engine offering.

Despite being fairly new on the market, the 2013 Malibu is already wearing an old Chevrolet design theme. Starting with the new 2013 Traverse and upcoming 2014 Impala, Chevy is ditching the traditional cross-bar grille design in favor of a softened variant of it. Sources familiar with GM product planning have stated that the refreshed Malibu will borrow cues from the new Impala and other recent Chevy products to bring the look in line with the rest of the brand. Specifically, the Malibu will receive revised front and rear fascia designs. The car's sheet metal is expected to remain largely unchanged.

Perhaps the most interesting change is the addition of a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine. The 1.6-liter turbo has been in use in Europe for some time now, and GMI confirmed months ago that the engine was going to come over stateside. It is quickly sounding like the revised Malibu will be one of the first applications of the engine in North America.

In Europe the 1.6-liter turbo makes just under 200 horsepower and around 170 foot-pounds of torque. While the fundamental engine will be the same in North America, sources have said to expect the 1.6-liter to gain start/stop technology that allows the engine to shut off while the vehicle is stopped.

It is unclear if the 1.6-liter turbo, if utilized for Malibu, will replace the current 2.5-liter or 2.4-liter engines in the 2013 Malibu.

Ford's recently launched 2013 Fusion, a Malibu competitor, utilizes a turbocharged 1.6-liter as well. In Ford's application the engine generates 178 horsepower and 184 foot-pounds of torque, and also encompasses start/stop technology.

Details surrounding interior changes, if any, are largely unknown at this time. Sources have indicated that the Malibu will be the recipient of the next-generation Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system, which is allegedly debuting on the all-new trucks next year.

The refreshed Malibu has been planned for well over a year. GMI sources have indicated that the car would launch as a 2015 model, though Akerson's comments suggest the car has been pushed up to launch next year.

Impala is first chevy with new MyLink. Gm just announced this last week.

[Tone]

I'd guess GM will match the Malibu to Fusion, with the 2.5 as the base "value" engine (with more power than the Fusion's base motor) and the 1.6 as an optional fuel economy motor, perhaps replacing the 2.4 e-assist on the Eco. With start-stop and long gearing, the aim would be to get a big fuel economy figure. That said, knowing that the value of e-assist is how easy it is to add, along with its truly seamless start-stop functionality, I wonder if the Eco might be a 1.6T/e-assist package. That would give GM a fuel economy advantage over the Fusion; a 40 mpg highway Malibu would certainly grab some positive attention back to the car.

Great to see the new GM respond to the obvious shortcomings of the product ... this probably isn't needed to simply sell Malibus and keep the product competitive. Some adjustments to pricing could have done that as witnessed by sales of the Chrysler 200. This is about fighting for mindshare and establishing the Malibu as a class leader -- the kind of fighting spirit GM needs to have.

[derek77]

I could see the 1.6T replacing the standard 2.5L, but I see the 2.4L with eAssist being replaced by the 2.5 with eAssist, if that marriage is to ever happen.

But maybe those two would be to close to each other in mileage to make sense.

[1487]

no wheelbase change so people need not get excited. Better FE, new MyLink (probably scheduled for 2014 anyway) less fake wood and a exterior nip/tuck are what we will see. Hopefully they will add more standard kit to each trim level and reduce number and price of options. The car will probably be better but if the main knock on the car is the rear seat room I dont see this changing the media's perception. I wonder if regal will get the 1.6 turbo next year.

[mjd1001]

Ok, as a few others have said, what makes the most sense is keeping the powertrain lineup the same except replacing the 2.4 eassist with the 1.6t, especially if it has start-stop.

The 2.5 makes sense as the base engine, the 2.0 turbo as the top power choice, as those are both pretty new engine designs.

However, the 2.4 e-assist has been around for a while, and is a bit dissapointing in its performance for mpg, so why not replace that with the 1.6. Now you can advertise the ECO model with a new engine, and better numbers without changing too much anywhere else. Plus, as mentioned before, you are mirroring what Ford is doing with the Fusion.

[knack0125]

i'm thinking the 2.4L would be dropped if anything so its more like the fusion set up. Non-turbo 4 banger on the entry model, turbo fuel effecient model, then the 2.0T for the LTZ models. So maybe they are dropping the Eassist from it due to (yes increasing mpgs) lower then expected mpg increases vs an actual hybrid model which the Eco is not. Probably is mudying the waters, much like the volt being electricly driven but have a gas generator onboard. I'd personally make it optinal on all trims, what if someone wants the luxury but also higher mpg? Thats one thing that other competitors do.

[jzchev28]

Chevy can call their version "More powerfull and more efficient then an ecoboost" It's Chevyboost! lol

[ab348]

Hopefully these changes will be enough to make a difference. This car looked old from the day it was introduced and is visually worse than the previous model. While the interior is said to include numerous upgrades over the previous model the design is just "off". What GM needs to do is figure out how the 2013 Malibu got to be the way it was and deal with the decision process that got it to where it was such a poor design upon introduction.

[minnfang]

I think a turbo 1.6 with e-assist has the potential to be a great high MPG configuration. Let's just hope the 1.6 doesn't have a habit of catching on fire like Ford's does.

[jzchev28]

Here's an idea, after this year keep making the malibu in its current condition and sell them fleet only. Make the updated version public only.

[tripowergto]

I don't get it. The Malibu already offers THREE different 4-cyl engines so why offer another similar, yet smaller cube variant without offering a V6, especially when the majority of the competition already offers a V6.

[Pisswilly]

Eassist should cost no more then 1k, 3k is extremely high for a battery and bigger alternator.