The Chevrolet Malibu has long been a cornerstone of the Chevrolet fleet, and you can find a Malibu in just about every strip mall and rental car lot. The last refresh of the Malibu in 2012 didn’t go over so well though, prompting a complete overhaul. The all-new 2016 Chevy Malibu is already shaping up to be a better car, and GM says the hybrid version will offer 45 MPG.
That would be a tremendous improvement over the outgoing Malibu, which offers fuel economy of up to 36 MPG with a mild-hybrid setup. While not terrible, 36 MPG isn’t exactly impressive in today’s day and age, and many competitors offer conventional sedans nearing 40 MPG. But GM has a secret weapon, the 2016 Chevy Volt’s Voltec drivetrain, which served as the basis for the 2016 Malibu Hybrid.
Now that’s not to say the Malibu hybrid will come with a plug, but it will be able to drive for about one mile or so one electricity alone, all the way up to 55 MPH. This is similar to what many competitor vehicles, like the Kia Optima Hybrid and Ford Fusion Hybrid offer, but the 45 MPG rating would put the Malibu above those and other hybrid sedans. It’d also give the outgoing Toyota Prius a run for its money thanks to features like active grille shutters and GM’s first exhaust-gas heat recovery (EGHR) system, which uses the engine’s excess heat to warm up the car and cabin quicker while providing better cold weather fuel economy.
You won’t find the Chevy Volt’s new 1.5 liter gas generator under the hood though. Instead, the 2016 Malibu Hybrid uses a 1.8 liter engine that, working with the electric motor, pumps out a total of 182 horsepower. Hardly thrilling stuff, but not exactly gutless either. More importantly, GM now has a car to contend with conventional hybrids from competitors, as the General has lacked a dedicated hybrid (besides the Volt) that could really go toe-to-toe with cars like the Toyota Camry Hybrid.
The 2016 Chevy Malibu will make its debut at the New York International Auto Show next week.
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