Chevrolet to Rush in a Facelift for New Malibu Next Year to Address Criticism and Lackluster Sales

Normally, automakers present a mid-cycle update approximately three to four years after the launch of a new model. If a refresh comes earlier, this means that a car manufacturer is disappointed by the way it has been received by consumers, the media or both.

Such was the case with the 2012 Honda Civic that received a makeover only 18 months after its conception, with the 2013 model making its official debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show last week.

Honda isn’t the only company to go down this road as General Motors is also planning to revamp one of its newest entries in the market, the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu.

Speaking to Automotive News, GM CEO Dan Akerson revealed that the company isn’t happy with the mid-size sedan’s soft early sales and the mediocre reviews it received by magazines, so it has decided to hurry in a facelift for late next year, only about 18 months after its market launch.

“We are going to do a midcycle enhancement, not dramatic, by this time next year,” Akerson told the publication, adding that the revisions will include a new fascia.

“I think it’s a good car. It’ll do OK,” Akerson said. “It is a tough segment and it’s one we need to be successful in. We’ll see how it plays out.”

While the Malibu’s deliveries have actually increased 4 percent this year through October to 189,094, according to Autonews, for the most part of 2012, these sales include heavily discounted examples of the outgoing 2012 Malibu. When dealers started pushing out more 2013MYs in September and October, the car’s sales dipped around 3 percent.

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