CHEVROLET Malibu Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

2018 - Present

The ninth generation of the Chevrolet Malibu was introduced in 2015 at the New York Motor Show and it was updated in 2018 for the 2019 model year. Chevrolet did badge engineering since forever. In Europe, Opel and Vauxhall are one example. It was the same situation with other cars that crossed the Atlantic and received different names. One good example was the 2015 Malibu, which was an Opel Insignia with some aesthetical and technical improvements. The facelifted version featured a new front fascia. The Chevrolet bow-tie was installed on a new chrome bar. A bigger lower grille was inst...

2016 - 2018

In 2015, at the New York Auto Show, Chevrolet unveiled the 2016 Malibu. It was based on the European platform of the Opel Insignia, but with a completely new design. The Malibu had a long history in the GM portfolio. In 2015 the American company announced that the Malibu hit the 10 million cars sold worldwide since 1964 when the Malibu was introduced to the market. The ninth-generation had a difficult task to keep the name going on a very crowded market of mid-size sedans. The Malibu used the same design language and similar cues with the larger Impala. Its sleek look and raked A-pilla...

2013 - 2016

As one of the biggest suppliers of fleet vehicles, Chevrolet introduced the Malibu Eco version in 2011 at the New York Auto Show. The Malibu Eco was the version that provided a better fuel efficiency than the rest of the range. It boasted up to 38 mpg (6.2 l/100 km) highway mileage, which was impressive for its segment, especially for a gasoline-fueled vehicle. General Motors built the eighth generation of the Malibu on the same Epsilon II SWB platform as the Buick Regal and the European Opel/Vauxhall Insignia. In order to achieve such a performance, the carmaker installed underbody ae...

2012 - 2016

The eight-generation of the Chevrolet Malibu was launched in 2012 as a 2013 model. It featured a new front fascia and it set a new direction toward the mid-size sport sedans. The Malibu history goes back to the first generation in 1964 when it was available in four body shapes: sedan, station-wagon, coupe, and convertible. Fast forward to 1997 and the Malibu reached its fifth generation after almost 15 year of absence on the market. The model was front-wheel-drive instead of rear-wheel-drive as before. The 2013 model was not that much longer than the 1997 model, but it was greatly imp...

2008 - 2012

Chevrolet introduced the seventh generation of the Malibu in 2008 and built it on the same platform as the Pontiac G6 and the European Opel/Vauxhall Insignia. The bow-tie brand needed a gamechanger to counteract the drop in sales. Once a respectable name on the market, Chevrolet struggled to increase its car sales via various incentives offered to the customers, and the world financial crisis was just begun. When it started developing Malibu, the American carmaker aimed directly at the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord. While it was longer by 2.6" (66 mm) than the former, it was s...

2005 - 2008

Chevrolet introduced the SS badge on the Impala '61, and ever since, it attached that "Super Sport" plate on many performance car versions, including on the fleet-oriented Malibu. While the Chevrolet Malibu was more of a salesman or car-rental choice. The bow-tie brand tried to expand the range with an SS version, produced in both body versions: the Malibu and the Malibu Maxx (hatchback) built on the same platform as the Pontiac G6 and the European Vauxhall/Opel Vectra. The design department installed a new front fascia for the SS version. The headlights were similar to ...

2003 - 2007

The Malibu nameplate had its origins in 1964 when it was a top trim level for the Chevelle, but that was long gone. So by 2003, when Chevrolet introduced the sixth generation of it, it was already just a mid-size vehicle built mostly for fleet owners. General Motors looks like it didn't want to spend too much on the development of the 2004 Malibu. Thus, it used the Epsilon platform shared with the European Opel/Vauxhall Vectra, the Italian Fiat Croma, and the Pontiac G6. Even though it was available with some unique versions, such as the SS. Malibu's problem was not exactly t...

1996 - 2003

GM dug into its nameplates box and found the Malibu after more than a decade since the last third-gen model rolled-out from the assembly lines and revived it in 1996 with a new model. While the Malibu nameplate was not used since 1983, customers didn't forget it. After all, it's an exotic destination, even if the car was not. It played in the mid-size sedan segment against Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, or Ford Taurus. Chevrolet tried to play it safe with the Malibu and designed it with soft lines. Its horizontal headlights sported rounded corners, flanking the four-slat grille ...