The new 2013 Chevy Malibu ECO with eAssist™ technology to boost mileage, drives firmly yet very light on its feet in city driving. The 2013 Malibu ECO is the first Chevrolet to be powered with the eAssist™ integrated power train including a new generation 6-speed transmission.
General Motors launched their “all new” 2013 Chevy Malibu ECO in Austin, Texas this week, hosting national automotive media writers in a series of two day briefings with ride and drive events in the city and then closing with a half day drive around Lake Travis to fully evaluate the significantly improved Malibu.
According to Jeanne Merchant, the Vehicle Line Director for Global Midsize Cars at Chevrolet, the challenge was to build from the Malibu iconic brand, a new car that could compete around the world. She says that the result of the intense and accelerated development effort is a “Malibu that will shine in markets around the world”.
Being from Austin, this writer was able to take the new Malibu ECO into unscheduled areas in the city to see how this new Malibu performed in some of our more challenging streets and neighborhoods. The around the lake route selected by GM for the road drive closely approximated a route I often use to evaluate new cars. To get a more solid look, I took the liberty of taking some alternates to the route to get a more complete feel for the “new” Malibu.
The 2013 Malibu ECO is “all new” in my opinion coming to market with many new features and improvements that make it class leading in several areas. Priced below its competition starting at $25,235, this four door midsized sedan is an excellent value. Based on my first drive, It appears to be an excellent city and suburban family midsize sedan that also performs well on the highway.
To many, the 2013 Malibu ECO will, at first glance, appear to be a refreshed version of the award winning and very successful current Malibu introduced in 2008. But starting with a new highly efficient power train, this new Malibu ECO is indeed new in almost every aspect.
The 2013 Malibu ECO will deliver performance in a hybrid driving experience that will be almost imperceptible to the driver with the seamless integration of electric and gas power systems and a 6-speed automatic transmission. The 2013 Malibu ECO will be the first Chevrolet to feature the General Motors’ eAssist™ battery electric/gas power system which uses a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery and ultra high capacity electric motor generator to enable regenerative braking, electric assist and seamless start-stop functionality.
The 2.4 liter Ecotec 4 cylinder engine with the new eAssist™ system is mated to the next generation 6-speed hydramatic 6T40 automatic transmission and delivers 182 hp @6200 rpm with 172 lb.-ft. of torque.
Fuel efficiency ratings for this hybrid power train are 25 mpg city and 37 mpg highway.
Having driven a number of hybrid electric/gas vehicles, I can confirm that this integration performs seamlessly with the detail attention by GM to the engineering of the technology such as immediate deceleration charging as the throttle is released and braking begins; to the split second to start the engine from stop in the time it takes to take your foot off the brake and step on the accelerator. It happens so fast and quietly, you are not aware the engine has been stopped and vehicle running on charge while waiting at a light. The acceleration following stop is fast and smooth as a result.
Other features on this new 2013 Malibu ECO include:
A wider (by 2 inches) athletic stance with more aggressive grill and hood and Camaro-like style rear lighting
An all new signature Chevrolet dual cockpit interior that is more spacious (nearly 4 cubic foot of cabin interior) and finished in premium materials throughout
Ice blue cockpit ambient lighting adds to the premium feel of the cockpit
A significantly quieter ride with improved aerodynamics and vehicle specific engineered materials noise dampening devices and materials including acoustic laminated glass with .30 drag coefficient (Corvette level) and best in segment wind noise rating of 35.5 decibels
Ride and performance selected low rolling resistance all season Goodyear tires also reduce noise and improve mileage
First Chevrolet car to offer new Chevrolet MyLink Color Touch Radio connectivity which integrates online services such as Pandora™, SeriusXM™ internet radio and Stitcher SmartRadio™ and hands free voice recognition communication
7 inch diagonal color touch screen for the audio and navigation systems and back up camera
Safety is enhanced by use of rigid structural safety cage and use of high strength and ultra high strength steels around the cabin and in the impact absorbing crush zones adding strength.
Eight air bags are now standard with the addition of two knee bolsters. There will be 10 air bags standard by summer with the addition of back seat head/thorax side impact air bags.
The 2013 Malibu is being built in four factories around the world and will be sold in over 100 countries worldwide. Production starts in the US this month in Detroit and Kansas City.
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