Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu
I saw this out on leftlane news. Spy shots with very little camo of the new 2008 Malibu. There is discussion that it will launch early part of next year.
http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/08/01/spied-2008-chevrolet-malibu-in-detail/
http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/08/01/spied-2008-chevrolet-malibu-in-detail/
Tagged:
0
Comments
Only a four year run on the certain Malibu before GM has redesigned the car, that has to be a record. Finally GM is trying to keep up with current with consumer demands for their cars instead of just hammering out of date cars like the previous Malibu. I'm truly amazed at GM's effort to stay updated with current automotive trends :surprise: .
Rocky
The Saturn Aura gets pretty mediocre mileage with that same drive train. Worse than an Impala with standard engine and 4-speed automatic.
You shouldn't need to be forced to take the 4 cylinder 2008 Malibu if you want over 30 MPG highway on regular gas and US calibrated gallons when an Impala does better than that.
Oh ya , us Canadians get better mpg because an Imperial gallon is 4.54 liters compared to 3.79 liter for an American gallon. So i go farther on a gallon of fuel.
A 4 cylinder 2008 malibu would be a dog on power, gutless.Yes the 3.6 liter burns regular gas not premium! Check out what Honda 4 cylinder and V-6 engines get for mileage about the same as the 3.6 liter GM.
link title
Discuss
If there isn't a more economical V6 than the 3.6 available, it will be pretty bad.
Yet a lot of the interior (and exterior windows, etc.) feel like a clone of the Aura - badge engineering lives again!
Neither of GM's ecotecs is unrefined. The ecotec was revised when the Cobalt came out in 2004 to run more quietly and by all reports the measures were effective. The Malibu will have the 2.4L that is currently in the G6 making 169hp. The real question is whether or not it will be offered with a 6 speed auto. I would guess it wont be. I am also doubting that the 3.6L will be the uplevel engine due to production contraints. I would think the 3.9L will be coupled with a 6 speed auto.
I like that interior picture a lot. It looks very good.
I'm sure it won't happen. They don't have a 5-speed automatic available and they won't use a 6-speed, so that leaves little choice.
Expect a buzzy 4 cylinder with a cheap 4-speed automatic since they will try to make it a price-leader that most people will find unacceptable and want to upgrade from.
Rocky
The ecotec 4 and 3.6 fit the bills just fine. The ecotec can be supercharged, turbocharged, or even as I read Twin-turbocharged, and is a great engine. IMHO, GM needs to make less engines and concentrate on making the ones they like class leading powertrains.
Rocky
I would expect GM to offer the 3.6L w/6-speed auto only at the top end (LTZ & SS) and maybe not until '09. I'd look for the ecotec 4, 3.5 & 3.9 V-6s from the Impala with the 4-speed auto in '08.
With the Aura XE's price established, look for '08 Malibu 4 cylinder models under $19K and the V-6's starting just over $20K. I am looking forward to this car as my '04 has been trouble free and the epsilon chassis is rock solid!
Early look: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu interior revealed
If GM makes the 3.6 available in the Malibu, it will only be in the top model and the 3.5 V6 will be available. It's what they are doing with the 2008 Vue and what Chrysler is doing with the Sebring. You can bet on seeing the 3.5L in the Malibu. No OHV motor is going to have the same specific output of a DOHC motor so it's silly to say the 3.9 should be making 265hp based on it's size. The 3800 only makes 200hp so the 3.9L is actually doing pretty good for an OHV engine.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
Even Bluetooth. Bluetooth costs have dropped low enough that it isn't only for high-end cars anymore. Even the new Nissan Sentra has it available. GM and Ford do seem very slow to adopt Bluetooth in any of their vehicles though, so I won't expect it.
What if you don't have a Verizon phone? The beauty of Bluetooth is that it is network independent. Any Bluetooth equipped phone can work with any Bluetooth equipped car.
If GM does not offer Bluetooth it simply shows how shortsighted and misguided they really are. I bet GM's affiliation with OnStar will also prevent the Malibu from being offered with a built-in satellite navigation system that is optional on most of the competitors, instead relying on a "turn-by-turn" mapless voice guidance system that OnStar is now promoting.
I know. Quite frankly, I'm shocked that the Silverado/Sierra pickup trucks can be ordered with a built in navigation system.
My concern is that GM will prevent this technology from trickling down to their bread-and-butter passenger car offerings. You can get satellite navigation in a Honda Civic and Mazda3, but not in a Chevy Cobalt. Satnav is available in the Accord, Camry, Altima, and Mazda6, but not yet in the Malibu. I'm hoping GM will change this, but I highly doubt it.
I wish GM would offer nav in more cars, but the bottom line is most midsize sedans are not sold with nav. I rarely see an Accord or Camry with navigation. Most people arent willing to shell out $2k for a nav system, especially with aftermarket options being so much cheaper. You are basically paying that money so you can have a nice 6.5" screen in your car because the average driver isnt going to need the mapping function more than a few times a year. GM isnt losing many sales by not offering nav just as Honda and Toyota arent getting sales because they offer it.
I'm sure this car will have stability. It may even be standard because my understanding is that the '08 Aura will have it standard. Remember, all GM vehicles will have it standard by 2010 MY.
Bluetooth is a big deal because it could represent yet another piece of newer technology offered by GM's competitors that isn't available on a mainstream GM vehicle. What's so hard to understand about perception and image? What harm is it for GM to at least make these technologies optional in their car lines. Satellite navigation has been developed for the new Silverado, so it already exists in the parts bin.
If you don't want Bluetooth or sat nav, don't buy it. But don't let GM force the issue by not even allowing these items to be available for people who want them. It just strengthens the image that GM is behind the times and is offering vehicles that are 2-3 years behind the competition.
The 2008 Malibu finally fixes the styling disaster of the current car, yet it would seem to lag woefully behind the competition when it comes to pushing the technology envelope. The average Chevy or Pontiac buyer is a dying breed, so how can you attract new buyers if you are not competitive?
Sorry for the rant, but reading articles about Toyota overtaking Ford in sales by January to become No. 2 automaker in the country should put the fear of God in GM's management. GM needs to be aggressive and not content to continue to lose market share. We need to see "WOW!" from GM, not "Oh look, it's a new Malibu. Yawn."
you look at the mid size category and that has always been Camry and Accord territory.......consumer reports just pointed out that Ford/LM fusion/milan did better in their quality survey than those two models
"In its newly released 2006 Annual Car Reliability Survey, Consumer Reports discovered that the Fusion and Milan actually scored higher in predicted reliability than the Honda Accord V6 and Toyota Camry V6. The Zephyr also did will in the upscale cars category, scoring slightly behind the Lexus ES350. Other domestic models did well too, including the Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS, both of which were above average in predicted reliability. "
yes the Hondas and Toyotas of the world still have a lead...but its not as big as it once was..nor is their quality....or is it that GM and the other domestic auto makers are finally catching up.....GMs biggest problem is perception and trying to win back buyers....from the early 80s and 90s......when their products and reliability were certainly in question......
What I would like to see GM do..make chevy the everyday family brand, Pontiac....the muscle car brand..all RWD....Buick..fold into the Cadillac brand for the upscale buyer, and Saturn......make it the small car division....GMC...the truck division...wonder what they would say to that...
no rant...just spirited debate....
To say that the Malibu is woefully behind the competition becaue it doesnt offer ONE feature that is OPTIONAL on SOME of its competitors is very simplistic. How many of the Malibu's competitors have Onstar? People like you talk about GM being behind on technology but fail to mention technology that GM vehicles offer. Bluetooth is "critical" to you and I assume you will dismiss Onstar as a gimmick that you have no use for. Typical mentality of a GM basher. Bluetooth is a handy, single function feature that a certain segment of the population wants. Few people are going to make their car buying decision based on this. Any person who has been buying Toyotas for 20 years and has not faith in domestic vehicles is not going to run to the Chevy dealer just because a Malibu has bluetooth. It's going to take a lot more than that. Besides, as I already noted most import sedans in this price range do not have this feature because its usually bundled with other expensive options like navigation.
If I had to chose between Onstar and bluetooth, I would take Onstar any day. Besides, I think it's a little ealry to be calling the Malibu low tech when we havent even seen the specs yet. Considering its going to have a 6 speed auto, Onstar, stability control, remote start, XM radio, etc. I'm not sure I would deem it behind the times just yet. Maybe if you actually wait until you know something about the car you will be able to do more than "yawn" at the thought of the new Malibu. Interestingly enough "yawn" is just what comes to my mind when I think of cars like the Accord, Camry and Sonata.
OK, maybe extinction is too harsh. But there is no denying the fact that sales for the Chevrolet division are down 8.9% year to date compared to last year, while sales for the Toyota division are up 13.4% for the same time period. Why can't Chevrolet grow? Why is GM losing ground to the imports?
To say that the Malibu is woefully behind the competition because it doesn't offer ONE feature that is OPTIONAL on SOME of its competitors is very simplistic.
I never said it was because of ONE feature. It is the ongoing perception that GM is not competitive. How many import sellers offer an old-tech pushrod V6 in their mainstream mid-size sedan today? None that I can think of. Why is GM still building 4-speed automatics when its competitors are selling 5-speed autos or CVT transmissions? Why can't you get satellite navigation in a Malibu today when you can in an Accord/Camry/Altima/Mazda6? Want dual-zone automatic climate control in a G6 or Malibu? Nope, can't have it. But you can get it in several of the import sedans. Are you getting a clue as to why GM is losing sales and the imports are gaining?
Any person who has been buying Toyotas for 20 years and has not faith in domestic vehicles is not going to run to the Chevy dealer just because a Malibu has bluetooth. It's going to take a lot more than that. Besides, as I already noted most import sedans in this price range do not have this feature because its usually bundled with other expensive options like navigation.
You may want to tell Nissan that they are not allowed to offer Bluetooth in the Sentra and Versa, because they are doing it now. Also, Bluetooth is available in the 2007 Altima without getting satellite navigation. Last I checked, the Versa was Nissan's entry-level offering. Imagine being able to get Bluetooth in the Cobalt. Never mind, it's GM we are talking about.
See where I'm going with this? I'm not a GM basher, I want them to succeed. Yes, offering OnStar and remote start is a great way to differentiate GM from other car makers. But GM also needs to be competitive in other areas as well. I said I liked the styling of the 2008 Malibu...it's WAY better than the current offering. But it makes the current Malibu look so much more outdated. The problem is GM will be selling the current Malibu for at least another 6 months. How many more sales will be lost because of this?
OnStar is not a substitute if you have to sign up for Verizon serice plus also pay the OnStar monthly fee.
The fact that it is showing up on cars as low-end as the Versa and Sentra prove this point.
But most of them go to fleets anyway or at discount price so I do not see problem here.
The real problem is will they offer numb electric steering and outdated powertrain in new Malubi?