By Randi Payton
The new 2016 Chevrolet Malibu will finally give its rivals some serious competition in terms of size, style, features, fuel economy, and performance. A new Hybrid version of the Malibu, due out this spring, incorporated some Chevy Volt electric technology to strike some fear among its competitors as well.
The first impression of the midsize 2016 Chevrolet Malibu is its stylist exterior shape. Taking some styling tips from its big brother Impala, the 9th generation Malibu made some major improvements over the previous model.
Chevrolet took customer feedback seriously in designing the new Malibu, which should now be more competitive against rivals like the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Ford Focus, and Hyundai Sonata.
Chevy was able to make the Malibu larger in size while making it 300 pounds lighter.
The 2016 Malibu is much roomier on the inside and has more legroom for backseat passengers to stretch out. Getting behind the wheel offers a more luxurious appeal than its predecessor.
Powered by smaller, more powerful engines, the base model gets 160 horsepower from a turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission. fuel economy is about 27 city mpg with an average 37 mpg highway. The engine saves fuel by automatically shutting down at stops.
For more power and acceleration, the 2LT Malibu offers a 250 horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The 2LT averages 22 city and 33 highway mpg.
The 2016 Malibu comes with some high tech features like the ability to become a WiFi hotspot, MyLink with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, navigation, and wireless phone charging. Pricing for the Malibu L ranges from $22,500 for the base L and goes up to $31,795 for the Premier model.
New for Chevy is Malibu Hybrid LT that averages 48 mpg city, according to General Motors. The Hybrid borrows some of the Chevy Volt’s electric technology without having to plug it in to charge. Pricing starts at $28,645 for the Hybrid.
Randi Payton is Founder at Decisive Media, Washington D.C. Metro Area.
