 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco. Click image to enlarge |
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First Drive: 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
Manufacturer’s web site |
By Paul Williams
Photos courtesy General Motors
Photo Gallery:
2013 Chevrolet Malibu
Although many consumers now favour SUVs for family transportation, the midsize sedan still accounts for 20 percent of vehicle purchases in the Canadian market. Although declining, it’s still a highly competitive segment, with 2013 seeing all-new vehicles from Honda, Nissan, Ford and Chevrolet.
The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu was actually available early in 2012, which means it had a head start on its competition for most of this year. The Malibu Eco, starting at $27,940 (plus $1,500 freight) for the base “1LT” version, is the hybrid model, billed as the most fuel efficient Malibu ever.
Our more comprehensively equipped “2LT” test car came with a retail price of $33,465 (plus freight) due to the addition of a $965 premium audio system, a $1,670 Eco Premium package that includes leather upholstery with heatable front seats, and an $1,195 sunroof. A navigation system would further increase the price by $795. The 2LT base price is $29,160.
Standard equipment is generous, but the key distinguishing feature of the Malibu Eco is its hybrid “eAssist” drivetrain. The 182-hp 2.4L four-cylinder direct-injected engine works in conjunction with a lithium-ion battery and a 15-kW motor/generator that together reduce fuel consumption to 8.1/5.3 L/100 km city/highway according to Transport Canada estimates. In other Malibu models, the 2.5L returns an estimated 9.2/5.7 L/100 km and the 2.0L turbo manages 10.1/6.6 L/100 km.
 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco. Click image to enlarge |
The transmission is a six-speed automatic and the Malibu Eco’s eAssist system features automatic start-stop functionality (the engine shuts down at stop lights to save fuel), regenerative braking that charges the air-cooled battery, and aggressive fuel cut-off during deceleration. An active shutter system in the grille automatically closes airflow through the lower intake to enhance aerodynamics and reduce fuel consumption based on engine coolant temperature and speed.
Exterior design of the Malibu Eco is not significantly different from other 2013 Malibu models, although 17-inch alloy wheels are standard. At the rear, the car borrows some styling cues from the Chevrolet Camaro that are echoed inside by the Camaro-style gauge cluster. The new Malibu is wider than the outgoing model, adding more than 113 L of interior volume and 76 mm of cockpit width, which translates to more shoulder and hip room front and rear.
The Malibu rides on General Motors’ “global midsize platform” and is a vehicle that in various iterations will be sold in countries around the world.
  2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco. Click image to enlarge |
The Malibu Eco’s interior is designed to look upscale, featuring metallic, chrome, or wood accents, blue ambient lighting and the optional leather upholstery that uses contrasting stitching to suggest a handcrafted look. The multi-adjustable seats are bolstered with firmer foam and frames made of high-strength steel designed for long-distance comfort and durability.
The seven-inch display atop the centre stack cleverly flips up at the press of a button, revealing a handy storage area for small items. Bluetooth connectivity is standard, as is audio streaming and OnStar with a six-month free trial of the Directions and Connections package. A rear-view camera helps when reversing.
On the road, the 2013 Malibu is super quiet. Indeed, Chevrolet points out that this is the quietest car ever built by the company thanks to its sound-reducing and sound-absorbing components, along with the “aero-optimized” exterior.
The interior for front-seat occupants is spacious enough, although storage areas are strangely absent in the cockpit area, with no handy places built into centre console or at the base of the centre stack to put a phone, wallet or other small items. The door pockets will hold small bottles but the cupholders behind the seats are too close to each other and situated too far back in the console for easy access. They end up being receptacles for odds and ends, until your beverage displaces them.
Rear seat passengers will have to work for comfort, however. Even with the front seats located forward on their tracks, there’s little room for legs and feet back there.
