GM Teases 2013 Chevrolet Malibu

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by King Sun

a big heavy comfortable coupe is needed. someone to combat the challenger

I thought the Camaro was the competitor to the Challenger, and doing extremely well against it ...

[Indpowr]

Outside

[TheCaptain]

This new Malibu is one hot looking midsize!

[syr74]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

With all the effort they've put into ecoboost (from both an engineering and marketing standpoint) I would be shocked if Ford included a V6 on the next gen Fusion. Thats the sort application I figured it was designed for in the first place.

Then prepare to be shocked, because a V-6 is currently in the cards. I think the hangup here is when people assume that a turbo four would have to replace rather than supplement a big six. Think about it; even a lightly revised, direct injection 3.7L is going to be an easy 325hp car and should knock down at least 30mpg highway without much fuss. Still good fuel economy without doubt, but the standout feature here is that the car would be a real scorcher in terms of performance. A Fusion so equipped would be a high 13 second car almost without question.

A 2.0L EB could be in the 245hp range or so and deliver fuel economy in the mid to high 30's while still giving a very good feeling of power due to the flat torque curve these low pressure engines put out. It wouldn't be as fast as the V-6, but it would still be quite a bit more fleet of foot than the base I-4 and would deliver virtually the same fuel economy as that base I-4.

This would present a scenario where Ford tries to bookend the majority of the competition. The answer to the strategy being 'yeah, our 3.7L doesn't quite knock down the same fuel economy as their turbo fours, but it spanks them all is as smooth as glass and still gets better than 30mpg highway. And of course, if fuel economy is really what you are worried about try our 2.0L EB which isn't quite as stout as their turbo fours but which is still plenty punchy and which knocks down better fuel economy than any of them'.

Would such an approach be 'better' than just going with a turbo four that splits the difference between those two approaches? I think the market will answer that for us, but without doubt it's going to be an interesting fight.

The advantages to GM's approach are simplicity, simplicity, and simplicity. I may be going overboard here but I learned all too well that, when you make something more complicated, you had better be very, very right regarding your assumptions. Without doubt, if Ford follows through with the V-6, they are taking more of a gamble than is GM. In contrast I think GM is, to a lesser extent, gambling that there isn't as much variety in wants here, and that the majority of folks who want more power still really want much better fuel economy than a six can provide as well. The nice thing to see there is that there is some obvious logic to their strategy, and when you couple that with the fact that the next Malibu appears to be a real looker it can only serve to help GM and the US auto industry in general.

[Number 3]

Originally Posted by syr74

Then prepare to be shocked, because a V-6 is currently in the cards. I think the hangup here is when people assume that a turbo four would have to replace rather than supplement a big six. Think about it; even a lightly revised, direct injection 3.7L is going to be an easy 325hp car and should knock down at least 30mpg highway without much fuss. Still good fuel economy without doubt, but the standout feature here is that the car would be a real scorcher in terms of performance. A Fusion so equipped would be a high 13 second car almost without question.

A 2.0L EB could be in the 245hp range or so and deliver fuel economy in the mid to high 30's while still giving a very good feeling of power due to the flat torque curve these low pressure engines put out. It wouldn't be as fast as the V-6, but it would still be quite a bit more fleet of foot than the base I-4 and would deliver virtually the same fuel economy as that base I-4.

This would present a scenario where Ford tries to bookend the majority of the competition. The answer to the strategy being 'yeah, our 3.7L doesn't quite knock down the same fuel economy as their turbo fours, but it spanks them all is as smooth as glass and still gets better than 30mpg highway. And of course, if fuel economy is really what you are worried about try our 2.0L EB which isn't quite as stout as their turbo fours but which is still plenty punchy and which knocks down better fuel economy than any of them'.

Would such an approach be 'better' than just going with a turbo four that splits the difference between those two approaches? I think the market will answer that for us, but without doubt it's going to be an interesting fight.The advantages to GM's approach are simplicity, simplicity, and simplicity. I may be going overboard here but I learned all too well that, when you make something more complicated, you had better be very, very right regarding your assumptions. Without doubt, if Ford follows through with the V-6, they are taking more of a gamble than is GM. In contrast I think GM is, to a lesser extent, gambling that there isn't as much variety in wants here, and that the majority of folks who want more power still really want much better fuel economy than a six can provide as well. The nice thing to see there is that there is some obvious logic to their strategy, and when you couple that with the fact that the next Malibu appears to be a real looker it can only serve to help GM and the US auto industry in general.

Sadly, the market is going to have very little say as we move forward. CAFE will determine what powertrain choices you have, not the price of gas or even your willingness to pay. The Buick Regal without a V6 represents the new world order.

[SleepWarz]

Well then not many people are going to be interested in limited things like the regal. Options and choices are the way to go.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by SleepWarz

Well then not many people are going to be interested in limited things like the regal. Options and choices are the way to go.

I forget where exactly I heard it, but I think the V6 take rate on midsize cars is usually in the 5-10% range these days. A significant portion of the people who do buy a 6 over a 4 want either a) more power (easily accomplished with a turbo4) or b) the attached option package. Relatively few specifically want a V6 for its side benefits over a 4 (like smoothness, sound, etc). And as gas prices climb, people will place a higher value on fuel economy than performance, particularly in a segment where performance isn't terribly important. If it were, the V6 take rate would be growing not shrinking.

So if the V6 diehards get squeezed out of the midsize segment its not a significant loss. And besides, there will still be full size cars with a V6 that they can buy.

[SleepWarz]

I just one of those people who wants to see a factory v8 in everything, pay me no mind. Just to people like me it just makes me not like them as much. No matter how fiscally correct their decisions are. =)

[WhiteCrane]

Looks like a Kia Optima... Don't do it GM. You can milk another year or 2 out of this current body style that helped put Chevy back on the map.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by WhiteCrane

Looks like a Kia Optima... Don't do it GM. You can milk another year or 2 out of this current body style that helped put Chevy back on the map.

No, they definitely can't.

As good as the current Malibu is, it's lacking several key features that are making the car quickly fall behind when compared to the rest of the midsize market.

We don't want another W-body Impala situation.

[Brokinarrow]

Originally Posted by WhiteCrane

Looks like a Kia Optima...

Optima



New Malibu:



um... yeah... they both have four wheels, four doors, and duel exhaust ?

[FenwickHockey65]

Probably referring to the new Optima.

[Brokinarrow]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Probably referring to the new Optima.

Ah ha, ok I can see a little more similarity there. Though, would really need some better pics of the new Malibu from different angles and such. But of course the important thing here is that the Malibu is indeed a Chevy and not a Killed In Action

[FenwickHockey65]

It also won't look like that insult to automotive design.