2013 Chevrolet Malibu ECO Test Drive
The eAssist components look suspiciously similar to the Malibu Hybrid system that disappeared in 2010. The old Malibu Hybrid was saddled with a four-speed automatic; the new Chevrolet Malibu Eco enjoys a six-speed autobox with a manual mode.
Competitors: Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Optima, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat
Powertrains: 2.4-liter I4 with electric hybrid assist, 182 hp, 172 lb-ft , 6-speed auto, FWD
EPA Fuel Economy (city/highway): 26/38
What’s New: Chevy’s eighth-generation Malibu shares GM’s global midsize architecture with Buick’s LaCrosse and Opel’s Insignia, with the goal of segment-leading ride and handling (yes, both). This ECO model will launch in spring 2012 with GM’s thrifty yet lively eAssist mild-hybrid powertrain.
Tech Tidbit: GM’s eAssist is a marriage of a small 15-hp, 11-kw electric motor generator to GM’s 182-hp direct-injected 2.4-liter Ecotec four.
Driving Character: Given sufficient seat time in early-build 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco models at GM’s Milford, Mich., proving grounds, we got an excellent feel for this new midsize mild-hybrid’s surprisingly excellent manners. Even wearing Goodyear’s latest low-rolling resistance Assurance P225/55R17 tires, it gripped and tracked securely through mixed-surface turns on Milford’s challenging ride-and-handling loop and turned tightly through a low-speed slalom. Our only reservations following this brief early encounter are the legroom-tight rear cabin and the older (eAssist) 2.4’s slightly thrashy 4-cylinder demeanor at high rpms.
Hard to believe, but what we have, here, is the eighth-generation Malibu, a car spanning 35 years and, uh, six decades. Faster than we could say, “GM did what?” the previous-gen Malibu landed on our 2008 10Best list.
The first brand-new Malibu, slated to appear in the spring of 2012, is the Eco, featuring GM’s “light electrification of a traditional powertrain,” a.k.a. eAssist. Via a rubber belt, the electric motor—built in China, with no permanent magnets—contributes a bonus 15 horses directly to the crankshaft, mostly under wide-open throttle. The Eco’s gas engine displaces 2.4 liters and produces 182 horsepower. We didn’t drive a Malibu with the new engine. Price? The Malibu’s upscale cabin remains upscale, awash in contrasting colors and classy stitching, as well as so-called basketball graining, which sounds awful but contributes to dimension and depth. The front seat cushions are firm and nicely scalloped. For two folks, back-seat comfort is excellent, with the Malibu’s wider front and rear tracks resulting in a 3.2-inch gain in shoulder room.
At light throttle, there’s no telling how many cylinders are at play. How heavy? The Malibu’s ZF electrically assisted power steering is low on feedback, but the weighting is fine and so is tracking. Here’s bad news: The battery pack rests between the rear wheel wells and is cooled by a fan in the rear parcel shelf. The battery pack also completely blocks the right-rear seat’s pass-through.
Every Malibu is equipped with a Hydra-Matic 6T40 with a manual shift mode, which is operated via a squishy rocker atop the shift knob. We drove the Chevrolet Malibu Eco maybe 10 miles on the very test track where it was developed. As you read the following sentence, mimic Alec Baldwin’s deepest, darkest, most threatening voice, as if he’s narrating the trailer for an action movie: In a world gone mad with power, there’s one Malibu, a Malibu that runs deep and won’t have a V-6 and doesn’t know anyone in Malibu. It’s a Malibu that’s ready for action—quiet action—from Muskegon to Miami but mostly in Muskegon. It’s your Malibu—America’s Malibu—but also China’s Malibu. Jeepers.”
