Gunning for the core of the family sedan market, the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu will get a hybrid version that also aims for the midsize gas-electric models from Ford, Hyundai and Toyota.
General Motors announced Wednesday the new Malibu Hybrid will get a 1.8-liter four with a two-mode drive unit derived from the recently revealed 2016 Chevy Volt, for a total of 182 horsepower. The company says the Malibu Hybrid can drive at up to 55 mph on electric power alone.
Chevy thinks the system is capable of 45 MPG combined city and highway in the Malibu, which would place it above the combined ratings from the Ford Fusion, Toyota Camry and new Hyundai Sonata hybrids, although slightly below the claimed figure for the Honda Accord Hybrid. It’s a big improvement over the current Malibu four-cylinder with its stop/start system.
The redesigned Malibu is also expected to boast more room inside, fixing one of the largest problems that’s kept the current car from being competitive with the top models in the sales charts. It’s also likely to lose a lot of weight over the current car based on the Epsilon II platform.
We’ll see more of the 2016 Malibu next week at the New York Auto Show. The hybrid is expected to go on sale next year.
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