GM is be-Holden to Australian unit for global Malibu development

Holden Malibu – Click above for high-res image gallery

While GM's once-vast array of worldwide brands operated as separate units in the past, in today's global economy they've all got intertwining roles. Case in point: the new Chevy Malibu.

The new mid-sized sedan is being prepared for its global rollout, but before it is, GM needs to prepare it for the wide variety of different road surfaces encountered in overseas markets. So it's turned to its Australian subsidiary, Holden, to help fine-tune the chassis.

The work is being undertaken at Holden's Lang Land Proving Ground in Victoria, Australia, and along public roads in places like the coastal resort town of Phillip Island, where the car is pictured above.

Of course this won't be the first time Holden has been called upon to help with global products; its chassis have been exported on such products as the Pontiac G8 and GTO, Vauxhall VXR8 and Chevrolet Camaro. But lest you think it's all give and no take for the Australian marque, the Malibu will be sold Down Under as a Holden, as opposed to the Chevrolet bow-tie it will wear in North America and other markets. The press release is posted after the jump.
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Aussie Engineers Begin Work on All-New Malibu
2011-06-08

Holden's engineering team has been recruited to help fine-tune the stunning new mid-sized Malibu that will go on sale in Australia late next year.

Engineers from Holden's Powertrain Engineering team are currently calibrating the Malibu for GM's global markets, where it will play an important role in the Chevrolet portfolio.

The Malibu is being calibrated at Holden's Lang Lang Proving Ground in Victoria and is also being evaluated on public roads. It has been pictured at the coastal resort town of Phillip Island.

Holden's work forms part of GM's global workshare strategy, which uses the available resources and skills of the company's engineers from around the world to perform development work on future model cars. It will see the team continue to work on Malibu until the end of 2012.

About Holden Malibu
Holden will bring the Malibu nameplate to Australia for the first time in late 2012 with a line-up of fuel efficient and responsive four cylinder engines. Outside Australia, it will be sold under the Chevrolet name in nearly 100 countries around the world.

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