Thursday, Mar 31st, 2011 @ 12:01 a.m. General Motors says it will officially debut its 2012 Chevrolet Malibu next month at the Shanghai Motor Show with a simultaneous debut on its Facebook page. The global debut, about 48 hours ahead of its North American unveiling at the New York International Auto Show, shows GM’s intentions to expand its lineup across the globe.
GM released a short video with some reasonably detailed illustrations of the new car that give us the strongest hints yet about its design. Narrated by designer Dan Gifford, the video shows us that GM drew heavily on its heritage for the new four-door sedan.
We were treated to a sneak peak of Chevrolet’s upcoming 2012 Malibu more than a year ago, but GM has remained mum about its plans for the next generation of its bread-and butter sedan. Now, however, a report suggests that Chevrolet will drop the low-volume V6 currently offered in the Malibu in favor of a Hyundai Sonata-inspired four-cylinder-only lineup.
Hyundai became the first mainstream automaker to drop V6 power from its midsize sedan lineup when it launched the 2011 Sonata earlier this year. The midsize family sedan market has seen V6s go from being the default choice for most buyers to an “extravagant” extra rarely selected by consumers.
According to GM Inside News, the 2012 Malibu will drop its V6 in favor of at least two four-cylinders – one naturally aspirated unit and one turbocharged offering. GM is developing a new family of four-cylinder engines, although it’s unclear if the 2.5-liter variant will be ready in time for the Malibu’s late 2011 release.
Judging from the latest spy shots and the video, the 2012 Malibu will retain many of the design cues of the current car, although it will be moving to GM’s Epsilon II platform. The front headlights appear to have a jeweled look, not unlike the treatment seen on the 2011 Buick Regal. Chevrolet’s signature cross-bar grille, however, remains front and center.
The rear of the Malibu also appears to be in line for an update, with the taillights receiving a Camaro-like treatment.
It’s been reported that the Malibu will shrink a bit in its next iteration, but the extent of that downsizing remains unknown. The current Malibu rides on a 112.3 inch wheelbase and it seems likely that the Malibu will adopt either the Buick LaCrosse’s 111.7 inch wheelbase or the Regal’s shorter 107.8 inch wheelbase, although the former seems more likely. Both the LaCrosse and Regal ride on versions of GM’s Epsilon II platform.
GM will also likely continue to offer a larger midsize sedan to replace the aging Impala.
We’ll have more details on April 18, when GM officially unveils the new Malibu.
Look for sales to begin late this summer in North America – and, apparently, China, where the Malibu will displace the Chevrolet Cruze as Chevy’s biggest offering.
References
1. ‘Patent Designs of Chevrolet…’ view
2. ‘GM Midsizers Going….’ view
View the original article here
