Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons, Chevrolet, GM
Chevy shows off Malibu's new face
Click to enlarge
GM has followed up its preview of the new 2008 Malibu's interior with a first look at the car's front end. Sporting what is described as thew "new face of Chevrolet," the Malibu is endowed with the same style of horizontally-split grille that first appeared on Chevy's 2007 GMT900 utility vehicles -- Avalanche, Tahoe, and Suburban. It's nicely detailed, with the mesh elements bordered by chrome surrounds, and we rather like the muscular ridges that extend from the grill area back onto the hood. The three below-the-bumper openings are also laterally bisected.
It's a huge upgrade over the existing Malibu, and it won't ever be confused for the Saturn Aura built alongside it at GM's Fairfax, KS assembly plant, even though they'll share many proportions. The photo also helps clear up a bit of an internal debate we've been having here at Autoblog over how GM would position the Malibu compared to the Aura. We believe that the flashier, European-themed Saturn is going to be the slightly more "upmarket" car of the two, though the Chevy will offer up some pizazz of its own with its optional two-tone interiors.
Now we really want to see what the rest of it looks like.
(Press release after the jump)
[Source; GM]
Interior view:
PRESS RELEASE:
Cheverolet Releases Sneak Peek of 2008 Malibu
DETROIT, Mich. – Chevrolet today released an advance image of the exterior of the all-new 2008 Malibu, which will be unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January and will arrive at Chevrolet dealerships later in 2007. The photo was released in conjunction with the announcement of a $208 million investment in the Fairfax, Kansas Assembly plant to prepare for production of the car.
The image reveals a partial shot of the front of the car featuring a dual-port grille, which is described as representing the "new face of Chevrolet."
"The 2008 Malibu design is expressive and brings new proportions and a fresh perspective to the mid-size market," said Ed Peper, Chevrolet General Manager. "The new Malibu boasts a poised, wheels-at-the-corners stance with a longer hood and shorter deck appearance that conveys motion, agility and attitude."
Chevrolet previously released a sneak peek of one of the car's available two-tone interiors, which demonstrates a much more upscale look and feel with more premium materials and a new level of refinement in the extremely competitive mid-size car segment.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Bob 12:18PM (12/18/2006)
Such a huge improvement. I wish they were keeping the hatch, though.
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kab 12:20PM (12/18/2006)
ew.....
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D Man 12:21PM (12/18/2006)
Its looks as ugly as the Camry, hate the SNOUT look!
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Jeff Crew 12:26PM (12/18/2006)
Wow, that is going to change the market for mid-size cars. Aura and now the Malibu...GM is rolling...
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srivendel 12:26PM (12/18/2006)
Thank you, Chevy, for caring again about making distinctive looking cars. This design will look great on the road. Now I juse need you to (1) nail any remaining quality problems and (2) make cars that really appeal to the enthusiast market. This is a step in the right direction.
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brian 12:31PM (12/18/2006)
Wow! This malibu looks nice. It's modern, slightly aggressive, well proportioned, and the interior is beautiful. If GM can keep this going, then maybe, just maybe, the general can turn it around.
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The other Bob 12:36PM (12/18/2006)
Looks good. Add the great looks and sweet interior to the award winning quality of the plant where it is built and GM should have a winner.
Now if they could just get people to believe that GM builds good quality. Maybe expensive looks will translate into that.
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phez 12:37PM (12/18/2006)
http://www.uga.edu/pse/gmmi/Cobalt_SS.jpg
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Dracos 12:37PM (12/18/2006)
For a second I thought this was the SS concept from a couple years ago. Of course, that car's shape was a bit outlandish, but transplanting the grille works.
Hopefully the SS version will look even better.
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Jeff 12:38PM (12/18/2006)
yeah, i'm thinking this thing will do well.
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HotRod 12:41PM (12/18/2006)
Anything is an improvement over the fugly current 'Bu. This looks a lot like the 'future Impala' pics a while back. Either the spys misidentified the 'future Impala' or there will be a lot of similarity between the two.
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laserwizard 12:43PM (12/18/2006)
Nice shot of the 2008 Chevrolet Turd. Dull. Bland. Mediocre. Looks like every other Chevrolet since 2000. This vehicle will disappear in a crowd and the front end came off a Chevrolet Upchuck CSV to boot.
Nice job, Chevrolet. Ford is going distinctive and you are rebadging the last five or six years and proclaiming it new.
Get ready to have your lunch handed to you!
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Joey Hornbeck 12:44PM (12/18/2006)
Wow, that looks great. The new Malibu should be a huge hit for GM.
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Ivan the Terrible 12:52PM (12/18/2006)
The face is an improvement over the boring old one, but hardly sufficient to excite the 1,600,000 annual buyers of Camrys, Accords, (and the more inferior Altimas and Passats and other, lower volume, quality midsize sedans) to go look at it.
No tech details are given, if the new face is on the old engine and interior, it will sway even fewer buyers.
The Malibu and the Cobalt look inferior even compared not just to Non-GM, or other GM division products, BUT even vs the also made by Chevy IMPALA, a far larger and more powerful car that, AMAZINGLY, is only a few MPG below the Malibu and the Cobalt, if any.
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Carl 12:53PM (12/18/2006)
Laserwizard! Our good friend! Greetings from Detroit!
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i hate lazardwizard 12:54PM (12/18/2006)
Wow lazer wizard. your ignorance is showing. A) this is worlds better than the Camry. B) you're looking at a partial view of the car and condeming it based on that alone. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised how good it looks in person. Because I have seen it in person. Pull your head out of your ass.
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Michael Karesh 12:55PM (12/18/2006)
My initial reaction was positive. But a second look finds that the upper and lower parts of the grille seem to line up better on the right side than the left (right side of photo). Matter of viewing angle?
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Carl 12:56PM (12/18/2006)
14. The face is an improvement over the boring old one, but hardly sufficient to excite the 1,600,000 annual buyers of Camrys, Accords, (and the more inferior Altimas and Passats and other, lower volume, quality midsize sedans) to go look at it.
No tech details are given, if the new face is on the old engine and interior, it will sway even fewer buyers.
The Malibu and the Cobalt look inferior even compared not just to Non-GM, or other GM division products, BUT even vs the also made by Chevy IMPALA, a far larger and more powerful car that, AMAZINGLY, is only a few MPG below the Malibu and the Cobalt, if any.
Posted at 12:44PM on Dec 18th 2006 by Ivan the Terrible 0 stars
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Good grief!!!
Where the heck do YOU live??!!!
WE SAW THE INTERIOR OF THIS CAR AGES AGO!
And who says that Camry and Accord buyers want to be "excited". Are you out of your mind?
Do you see what they choose to drive?!!
A ROCK would "excite" them more than what they currently drive.
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hondacura 12:56PM (12/18/2006)
The SS concept was the basis for this. It's not just a transplant of the grill.
The car looks aiight... GM still behind. The Camry has pulled out in front of the Accord now. I'm waiting for the new Accord to out itself in front the Camry again in overall package.
Malibu needs to just sit and battle with the Sonata.
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JON C 1:04PM (12/18/2006)
Looks good.BOLD AND CONFIDENT.That's what american cars should be(like the 300c also).No more "me too" asian inspired styling please.
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