Soon, there will be fewer and fewer passenger cars in America. But some automakers are not ready to give up on them, as they increasingly feel like a backup plan if the CUV, SUV, and truck love falters or the novel EV passion dissipates.
Already, the Big Detroit Three have trouble in the field of full-size pickup trucks. We heard that the Blue Oval faces the consequences of relentless price hikes on the Ford F-150 Lightning and recently had to fire workers off the assembly line because of dwindling demand. As for General Motors, it quickly took notice and delayed production of the already-late Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra EV pickup trucks at its Detroit plant.
Of course, the ongoing UAW strike is also nagging them, so maybe it's best if they keep doing some legacy models to ensure they have something to sell if the novelties fail to gain widespread traction. While Ford doesn't have a backup passenger car besides the iconic Ford Mustang, things are slightly different with GM's Chevrolet division. For starters, they have the mighty Corvette out and about with the latest version, E-Ray, currently making the review rounds just before its first deliveries.
And even though they are preparing to retire the legendary Camaro nameplate, there's still something affordable in the lineup. Actually, you could even call it dirt cheap, especially since the 2023 Chevrolet Malibu four-door sedan – now in its ninth generation – starts from just $25k. Even the 2024 model year is only $100 more, which is almost nothing in this day and age of mind-boggling inflation. Of course, the Malibu faces stiff competition – Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, and Kia K5.
But it's also true this is the only option in the mid-size class from one of the Big Detroit Three, and this stalwart is probably heading toward a major refresh or even a new generation going forward – the current iteration has been around since 2016, and already got an initial facelift for the 2019 model year. However, suppose Chevrolet isn't in any particular hurry to show us a new Malibu. In that case, nothing stops the imaginative realm of digital car content creators from taking matters into their hands – or rather, at the tip of their CGI brushes.
As such, PoloTo is a distinctively named automotive news video channel on YouTube - and they also share visions of new models created with AI's assistance, now focusing on the 2025 Chevy Malibu. According to their AI-assisted resident pixel master, General Motors won't spend too much on the affordable Malibu – just enough to make it stand out from its predecessor and maybe even take on a four-door Camaro heir persona. So, do we like it or not?
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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