The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu has been unveiled in the 2015 New York Auto Show, showcasing a sleeker and longer exterior, a roomier interior and an option for a hybrid version of the vehicle that could get over 45 miles per gallon in combined highway and city driving.
The 2016 version of the vehicle is looking to expand its reach into the highly competitive market for midsize sedans, where the Malibu's predecessor is not performing well.
Over January and February, sales of the 2015 Malibu was at 25,849 units, which ranks seventh in the market behind the Toyota Camry, the Nissan Altima, the Honda Accord, the Ford Fusion, the Chrysler 200 and the Hyundai Sonata.
Chevrolet took some design inspirations from the Impala, which according to the company's executive director of design John Cafaro, unlocked the creativity that Chevrolet was looking for to put into the new Malibu.
The 2016 Malibu is longer by two inches compared to the 2015 version. The tires of the vehicles are also pushed closer to the car's front and rear fascias, with a wheelbase stretched by almost 4 inches. These adjustments led to an extra 1.3 inches of legroom, which solves one of the common complaints received for the 2015 Malibu. The back of the front passenger seats are also scalloped to provide additional knee room for rear passengers.
The 2016 Malibu will also come with three options for powertrains. The first option is a 1.5-liter six-speed, 160 horsepower engine with a 31 mpg combined fuel economy. The second option is a 2.0-liter eight-speed engine with 26 mpg combined fuel economy.
The third option, the hybrid, will use regenerative braking technology along with a modified version of the Chevrolet Volt's two-mode drive unit. It will have a higher price compared to the two other options, but still lower than that of the hybrid versions of the offerings of rival companies.
The gas models of the 2016 Malibu will have four trim levels, with the Premier trim replacing the LTZ package that is currently offered on the 2015 Malibu. The hybrid version of the 2016 Malibu will be released for sale in the first quarter of next year.
The 2016 Malibu will also include several new features for safety, such as front pedestrian alert which will instantly stop the vehicle if a person suddenly goes in the front of the vehicle. There will also be a Teen Driver monitoring package that will allow the parents of teen drivers to limit the volume of the sound system, set a warning for certain speeds and mute all audio until seatbelts are properly fastened. In addition, parents will also see a report for the teen driver such as the maximum speed reached and the number of collision warnings received.
