GM Joins Carmakers Looking To Profit From Shrinking Sedan Segment

Despite U.S. buyers continuously putting more SUVs and crossovers in their driveways, automakers such as Chevrolet are still focused on the fact that more than 4 million customers still opt for the good old 4-door sedan.

According to the brand’s marketing boss, Steve Majoros, Chevy will continue to invest in just about every sedan segment there is, from sub-compact to full-size. Majoros feels that his company can make gains in these segments as rivals such as Ford are pulling out, reports Autonews.

“It’s a pretty big opportunity for us,” stated the Chevrolet exec during an event for the 2019 Camaro and Malibu models. “As other people are making noise about leaving the car business or thrifting back their portfolio, there’s still business to be had there. It’s just going about the business in a smart fashion.”

Ironically, that’s pretty much the same thing Honda were thinking last autumn when they came up with the plan to own a larger chunk of the shrinking mid-size segment with the 2018 Accord – which subsequently struggled to sell because of poor lease offers.

GM’s plan includes models such as the Malibu RS, which is part of their 2019 mid-size sedan lineup. The RS version of the Malibu is priced from $24,995 and features 18-inch alloys wheels, dual exhaust tips, black bowtie emblems, a black grille and a ducktail spoiler. Despite the sporty-sounding RS moniker, the car is powered by the same turbocharged 1.5-liter four-pot you’d find in the L and LS trim levels – 163 HP (165 PS) and 184 lb-ft (249 Nm) on tap.

Majoros expects the Malibu RS to account for roughly 20% of total Malibu U.S. sales.