GM Reveals 2013 Chevrolet Malibu ECO: 38 MPG highway

[swagled]

I think they did a pretty good job with it... and does not scream "engineered for the rental fleets" like the last model.

Isn't the steering wheel awesome looking? :emoticon7:

[Mr. Wyndham]

WOOO!!!

Saved all the GM pictures as fast as I could!

The more I look at it the more I like it!

GOOD JOB, CHEVY!!!

Originally Posted by swagled

Isn't the steering wheel awesome looking? :emoticon7:

Hey...if it works, it works. I can't keep arguing a lost cause.

A lot of design and engineering went into that wheel to make it a corporate-compliant piece. Why go with something inferior just for the sake of "different", I ask?

And to be perfectly honest, , I DO like the way it looks. Very sharp and modern.

[DevilsReject97]

If I had a 2nd income (2nd job, wife) I'd buy one the minute they hit the floor..

[Number 3]

Originally Posted by Brokinarrow

Seems like kind of a 'lite' hybrid so to speak, will be interested to see the pricing as well. Very sharp looking car

Originally Posted by DGthe3

The proper jargon is 'mild' ... for some very good reason that I've never heard, and probably never will.

It really has to do with how much propulsion the system provides. A "full" hybrid will actually propel the vehicle at low speeds, in some cases over 30 mph in limited conditions (i.e. hard accleration, up hills, etc.).

eAssist is the next generation of the the GM BAS Hybrid System which was available on the current Malibu. That system had the ability to provide start/stop and the ability to capture regenerative brake energy and provide full electrical functionality when the engine was stopped.

The next generation system (announced on the LaCrosse, Regal and now Malibu) provides propulsion assist as well as the start/stop capability and the storage of energy from braking. It uses LiIon batteries and a much higher output drive unit compared to the original BAS Hybrid. But it provide propulsion assist, but not direct propulsion.

This is primarily why the "full" hybrid systems offer City FE that is still higher than eAssist. The drive unit remains a separate device, essentially an oversized alternator/starter unit rather than integral to the transmission.

It provides real world FE gains with much less cost and complexity. It may not be the answer for some, but for those Chevrolet has the Volt.

[TheCaptain]

Man, that Malibu looks good!

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by Number 3

It really has to do with how much propulsion the system provides. A "full" hybrid will actually propel the vehicle at low speeds, in some cases over 30 mph in limited conditions (i.e. hard accleration, up hills, etc.).

eAssist is the next generation of the the GM BAS Hybrid System which was available on the current Malibu. That system had the ability to provide start/stop and the ability to capture regenerative brake energy and provide full electrical functionality when the engine was stopped.

The next generation system (announced on the LaCrosse, Regal and now Malibu) provides propulsion assist as well as the start/stop capability and the storage of energy from braking. It uses LiIon batteries and a much higher output drive unit compared to the original BAS Hybrid. But it provide propulsion assist, but not direct propulsion.

This is primarily why the "full" hybrid systems offer City FE that is still higher than eAssist. The drive unit remains a separate device, essentially an oversized alternator/starter unit rather than integral to the transmission.

It provides real world FE gains with much less cost and complexity. It may not be the answer for some, but for those Chevrolet has the Volt.

Who do I have to bribe to get a Malibu to fight the Fusion Hybrid and Prius?

...the pointed comments on this Malibu's aerodynamics in the press releases would lead me to assume something good is in the works....but I'll wait and see, like a good little boy.

[compuwiz1937]

Wow, I dont' care too much about the eAssist stuff, but that interior is fantastic! I can't wait to see what they do with the Impala with more funds.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

Who do I have to bribe to get a Malibu to fight the Fusion Hybrid and Prius?

...the pointed comments on this Malibu's aerodynamics in the press releases would lead me to assume something good is in the works....but I'll wait and see, like a good little boy.

Are you thinking of a downsized 2-mode for a full hybrid (or perhaps even plug-in?) Malibu, on top of the eAssist version?

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

Are you thinking of a downsized 2-mode for a full hybrid (or perhaps even plug-in?) Malibu, on top of the eAssist version?

I think a scaled-down two-mode would be closest to what I'm thinking, yes.

Hybrids don't sell in any spectacular number...but with all the work they've done on the Volt - it'd be a great addition to the lineup that would undoubtedly outperform all its competition.

[FenwickHockey65]

I believe a FWD version of the Two-Mode system has already been developed...

[zebra]

ya know... it's a little off-topic, but...

i was driving along today & saw this new car beside me & was like "hmm... what's this nifty little deal? oh, hey!! check it out! it's a new Cruze! Fenstick would love this!"

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by zebra

ya know... it's a little off-topic, but...

i was driving along today & saw this new car beside me & was like "hmm... what's this nifty little deal? oh, hey!! check it out! it's a new Cruze! Fenstick would love this!"

I wouldn't be surprised if he drives up to the plant in Lordstown just to see them in the lot.

[zebra]

i'd say he knows the gate guards on a first-name basis by now