Chevrolet is pushing out a revamped Malibu for the 2014 model year after last year's edition garnered somewhat of a lukewarm reception. The 2013 Malibu landed in showrooms only a year ago, but critics were not very kind to the sedan, calling its performance unremarkable and its styling nondescript.
The new 2014 Chevy Malibu comes with a brand new engine that should put its fuel economy more in line with the likes the Ford Fusion and Honda Accord. The sedan will also come with additional legroom in the back row, changes to the suspension and a redesigned front end.
The interior receives a few mild touch ups, with a longer armrest, cup holders and cell phone holders. New safety features like Side Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert have also been added.
"The midsize sedan segment is the most contested in the industry, and we're not sitting still with the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu," said GM North America President Mark Reuss.
From the front, the car now looks significantly more modern, with a redesigned grill, chrome accents and a hood with a downward scoop. Under the hood, it's packing a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 196 horsepower and 186 lb.-ft of torque.
In addition, several features have been added to the engine to help bolster fuel economy. A valve system has been added that allows the 2014 Malibu to use less gas under certain driving conditions. The car will also shut off its engine at traffic lights and restarts as soon as the brake pedal is released. All together, fuel economy has been improved to 23 mpg city and 35 mpg highway. A 2.0-liter turbo is available as an option and increases torque by 14 percent, while pushing horsepower up to a respectable 259.
The product cycle for last year's Malibu was pretty unusual in the industry. Redesigns typically occur between every three and six years. Having realized, though, that the Malibu was being outsold by its competitors by a fairly large quotient, Chevrolet decided it would be more cost effective to produce a more competitive vehicle rather than begin slashing prices on the existing one.
