Autoblog

click above to view high-res gallery of the 2008 Chevy Malibu

They're not quite done putting it through the paces, but Consumer Reports for the most part is liking Chevy's new Malibu. They've opened up the car's logbook on the magazine's blog, and here are a few of the positive quotes they shared:

"Wow. Impressive to drive, even in the four-cylinder version."
"Best normally-aspirated Ecotec (four-cylinder engine) application out there."
"Distinctive dashboard - definitely not a 'me-too' design."
This is a heavy hitter that competes head-on with Camry, Accord, and Altima."

Luckily for Chevrolet, the positive comments so far are in the lead, and most of the negatives are for relatively minor things like:

"hard to reach seat levers"
"I do not like the interior trim. The dash has a pink tone to it, whereas the other browns are more orange."
"I'm disappointed with the low shoulder belt anchor, poorly placed seat heater switch, and lack of a shifter indicator in the dash."

They promise to have a full review of the car in the magazine's March issue, which we're sure Chevy can't wait to read.

[Source: Consumer Reports]



Photos Copyright ©2007 Chris Tutor / Weblogs, Inc.

click above image to view a new high-res gallery of the 2008 Chevy Malibu

Results of the first crash test of the new Chevy Malibu are in and they're good. After analyzing the results of tests conducted by GM, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says the car came out of the frontal offset crash with "good" in every category but one. An "acceptable" grade was given in the leg/foot right category because "Forces on the right tibia indicate that injuries to the lower leg would be possible." It's an improvement over the previous model, which got two "acceptables." We'll have to wait and see if the ratings hold up when IIHS crashes the new 'Bu in its independent test regimen.

In any case, it's a good, safe start for Chevy's new mid-size sedan and we look forward to seeing its performance in side and rear impact tests.

[Source: IIHS]

click above image to view a new high-res gallery of the 2008 Chevy Malibu

Autoblog gets numerous comments saying that the domestic automakers could easily sell more products if only they would make them good enough to buy. We agree. With the introduction of the 2008 Chevy Malibu, it could very well be time for us all to put up or shut up.

GM knows the midsize sedan segment is dominated by the Toyota Camry and has taken direct aim at that very car with the new Malibu. The car's measurements come close to the Camry in almost every category, including length, interior space, trunk size and engine displacement. Where they differ is in design. The Camry provides the automotive appliance for those who don't really want a car, but need to go places. The Malibu brings style to the game at a competitive price.

GM invited us to spend some time with the new Malibu in Memphis, Tenn. this past weekend, and we put the car down some of the roughest streets of the city and the twistiest back roads we could find in northwest Mississippi.

To start the day, we chose a top-of-the-line LTZ model with the 3.6L V6 and 6-speed transmission from a lineup of about a dozen Malibus parked in front of the Gibson Guitar factory in downtown Memphis. A couple of passersby stopped to ask what was going on, commenting on how good the new model looked. Apparently, it really is hard to ignore.

Continued after the jump.


General Motors provided the vehicles for testing. Autoblog does not accept travel or lodging from automakers when attending media events.

Live Photos Copyright ©2007 Chris Tutor / Weblogs, Inc.

Remember a couple of months ago when we were impressed with GM's plan to spend $100 million on the 2008 Chevy Malibu ad campaign? We were wrong. Try more than $150 million, which is pretty close to the $165 million GM now spends on the Silverado campaign.

Advertising Age says the campaign, called "The Car You Can't Ignore," will have three phases, with the goal of busting the myth that Detroit autos aren't up to world standards. The first phase has kicked off, with a massive online blitz of Web portal ads (you may have noticed them, well, here) that GM hopes will send at least 5 million viewers to chevy.com every day. Also expect to see nationwide billboards, print ads, building wraps and TV spots. One ad is said to say, "We're tired of being a foreign car in our own country."

[Source: Advertising Age]

UPDATE: Gallery expanded. 24 photos now available.


Click image for photo gallery

The folks over at Inside Line appear to have an itchy trigger finger, and as such, the embargo on the 2008 Chevy Malibu is toast. (Note: It appears that Motor Trend was actually first, as the Malibu is in the Feb issue hitting newsstands now.) Given the spate of vaporized embargoes we've seen over the last week or so, this is about as surprising as the sun rising in the morning. That said, we're more than happy to bring you all the skinny on GM's new midsize sedan now that the cat's out of the bag.

Like the Saturn Aura, the all-new Malibu rides on the 112-inch wheelbase Epsilon platform. Given that we've driven the Aura and liked it very much, this bodes well for the new Chevy. We'd been wondering how GM would differentiate the two cars, and now we can tell you more about that. While the Saturn currently comes in two trim levels with V6 power only (3.5 or 3.6), the Malibu will be offered with three trim levels -- LS, LT, and LTZ -- with power coming from either a 164-horse 2.4L Ecotec or the very capable 252 HP 3.6L V6 with VVT.

If you think that the top-level Malibu LTZ is a V6-only car, you're wrong. The 2.4L four cylinder is available for all three trim levels, and when selected for the LTZ, it's mated to GM's Hydra-Matic 6T40 6-speed automatic with wheel-mounted shift paddles. (On LS and LT models, the four-banger is hooked up to a four-speed auto.) As with the Aura, the 3.6L is connected to the Hydra-Matic 6T70 6-speed with paddle shifters.



Follow the jump for more analysis, and be sure to check out more shots of Chevy's new 'Bu in our photo gallery.

[Source: GM]

Last week brought the best spy shots of the 2008 Malibu to date. We're pretty encouraged by what we've seen so far, which is much better than the boring rental-fleet staple that currently wears the moniker. Today, The GM Source has published a Chris Pauwels sketch (above) of what it's believed the next-gen Malibu will look like once it loses its anti-spy camo for good. Pauwels' work, readers may remember, last graced Autoblog when we published the 2008 CTS rendering he did for The GM Source. According to the site, that rendering is a "dead ringer" for the production CTS, and if the Malibu sketch is similarly spot-on, there's plenty to be enthusiastic about.

We're big fans of the Chevy SS Concept-inspired grille, and if the coupe-ish rear end that Chris predicts is accurate, then the new Malibu should look as good leaving as it does arriving. The GM Source states that it shares its architecture and powertrain choices with the current car, so don't expect anything radical there. No matter. The appearance overhaul should work wonders. Between this and the new CTS, the General could be sitting pretty when MY '08 rolls around.

[Source: The GM Source]

Editor's Note: The Car Connection has recently received a new photo of the '08 Malibu from Mrs. Priddy and Co. Included with it are details about a verbal altercation that ensued when a GM employee confronted the photog during the unauthorized photo shoot.