Whelp, chalk up another premature coming out party for this year’s North American International Auto Show. The violation of the moment appears to be Motor Trend’s divulging of the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu in their February issue.
General Motors’ new sedan looks quite a bit more assertive than the current car, what with its more interesting front end and Infiniti M35/45-esque taillamps. We wouldn’t exactly call it pretty, mind… but it’s definitely got a bit more styling chutzpah than the rent-me/beat-me persona of the current ‘Bu.
(Click through to the jump for more details and tons of additional photos!)
As expected, the newest Bowtie will ride on GM’s Epsilon platform, the same chassis that underpins the Saturn Aura. The car is set to be offered in three trims: LS, LT, and LTZ, with either four-or-six cylinder power. Thriftier types (and perhaps most fleets) will receive a 2.4-liter derivation of GM’s Ecotec motor giving 164-horsepower. V-6ophiles will get the 252-horsepower “high-feature” six-pot that features variable-valve timing. This engine also sees duty in the Aura, as well as the pending Equinox Sport and Lambda platform crossovers. LS and LT model four-cylinders will have to make do with traditional four-speed automatics, but the 3.6-liter engine receives a paddleshifter-equipped six-speed.
The front end scares me for some reason, and not in a good way, like a Dodge Viper, more like in an angry cheese-grater way. But over all, this actually looks really nice. The rear is good, and the interior, for a GM, actually looks really pleasant. Not quite sure about that red and black motif, but its about a bazillion times better than the red interiors that used to come in my friends C1500 “work trucks” from chevrolet.
MotorTrend also states this is the return of great design to GM. I have to question that. Although this isn’t an ugly car, it’s no standout. It’s an improvement, definitely, from the older model, but you could basically sneeze on a piece of paper and come up with a better looking car than the previous model Malibu.
I like it. I like the Aura, too. Both look much better than the Toyota’s — which have gone from vanilla to tepidly ugly since they’ve started copying the Bangled BMW. The GM cars are handsome. The lines are smooth and clean. There may be other cars on the market that are similar, but the face on this model identifies it plainly. The interiors are gorgeous. If they’re going to do this with a Malibu, maybe GM will start selling the Chinese version of the Buick and Cadillac STS. They’re going to have to step up the high-priced cars’ interiors if this is what they’re selling at the Chevy store.
The front-end has some Toyota Yaris & Camry design to it, with Chevy Aveo headlights. The back end looks like a squared off G35.
Great design, in the same way Microsoft borrows designs from Apple.
Camry? There’s not one iota of Camry in that front end. Besides, if you’re gonna accuse anyone of copying someone, the 2007 Camry front-end is a blatant copy of the 2003 Mazda6 front-end anyhow.
I’ll grant you the rear-end does look like a G35, but only because of the tail-lights.
If anything, the front-end of that looks like love-child of a Silverado and a Mazda3.
I totally agree with Mark M. the front end doesn’t look like a camry at all. actually it has sort of cobalt headlight. the end a bit turned me down but overall the car looks great, and since it’s gonna share stuff from the german part of GM, I expect a good car to be in the market.
Tidy up the overly bulbous front end and this is an attractive car. A huge improvement over decades of GM let down design. If the car surpasses the Accord in driving dynamics, then GM can be downgraded from deathwatch to critical. Let’s not stop the litany of prayers just yet.
I’m late to this party, but–I love the Stingray-style dashboard. I hate the back end: it looks like the Nissan Maxima from 2-3 versions ago, only not as well done. It may have looked dorky, but I’ll miss the Maxx version.
[…] GM is placing a $100 million bet on Malibu. Searching for a credible reentry to the sedan market, the general is set to spend nine figures plus on a media blitz for its upcoming release of the redesigned Chevy Malibu. […]
The side view is great. It’s beefy in a Chrysler 300 or Toyota Camry sort of way. The front-end, well, it’s that generic American car look, like they designed it so that the third-party front end manufacturers won’t have to do much retooling. In a word, blah. We have to do something about these front-end and bumper partners dictating the function and design. Almost there!
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