2016 Chevy Malibu Hybrid Teased, Promises 45 MPG

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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2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Coming To New York

Next week the world’s biggest automakers will descend on the Big Apple for the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS). Among the many anticipated new debuts will be the 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, which the Japanese automaker teased with the above photo.

Besides the photo though, Toyota isn’t dropping any hints about the RAV4 Hybrid, and this will be the first time the brand offers a hybrid version of the popular compact crossover. The only hybrid “utility” vehicle with a Toyota badge at the moment is the seven-passenger, $50,000 Highlander Hybrid, and while our review found that it delivered great fuel economy for a big SUV, it’s priced way beyond what most people can afford.

Toyota did build the RAV4 EV briefly in a partnership with Tesla, though it was only available in California as a compliance car (albeit one with a small but devoted following). However, the Lexus 300h shares the same chassis as the RAV4, and it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for the 2.5 liter engine and Synergy Hybrid system to make the jump into a cheaper Toyota. That could boost the RAV4 to up to 35 MPG, though there’s also a chance an all-new hybrid drivetrain could find its way under the hood.

We’ll find out a week from today!