Once linked to the Chevelle, the Malibu became its own thing for the 1978 model year. General Motors last redesigned the Malibu from the ground up in 2015 for the 2016 model year, and hearsay suggests another redesign in 2024 for the 2025 model year.
Reportedly based on the VSS-F D/E platform for D- and E-segment vehicles, the 10th generation since the 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu is referred to as 9DSC-L by General Motors. The S, C, and L stand for sedan, Chevrolet division, and long wheelbase.
Expected in dealer showrooms in early 2025, the next generation will be – allegedly – manufactured at the Fairfax assembly plant in Kansas. The rumor mill further makes a case for an electric option, although said vehicle would adopt Ultium hardware and Ultifi software rather than the internal combustion-engined Malibu's platform. As we stand here, waiting patiently for General Motors to confirm or deny the aforementioned information, pixel artist Halo oto rendered the next-gen Malibu with familiar styling.
The FNR-XE concept served as the basis for this design study, an electric sedan that premiered last year at the GM China Tech Day 2022. Undeniably inspired by the sixth-gen Camaro, the concept sports an illuminated bowtie emblem and a backlit front grille. The FNR-XE could also preview the next-gen Camaro, which is purportedly making the switch to electric propulsion and four instead of two doors.
As you're well aware, General Motors will pull the plug on the internal combustion-engined Camaro in January 2024. Not only did Gen 6 fail to deliver in terms of sales, but it's also getting long in the tooth.
The beginning of the end became apparent in January 2019, when longtime Camaro chief engineer Al Oppenheiser was moved to the automaker's EV program to lead the guys and gals who gave us the GMC Hummer EV. The Camaro sold a grand total of 24,652 units in the United States of America in 2022, whereas the outgoing Malibu sold 115,467 units.
According to the order guide attached below, the 2024 model year Malibu differs in three ways from the previous model. First and foremost, a tire inflator kit and Rear Park Assist are standard across all four trim levels (LS, RS, 1LT, and 2LT). The sole remaining change for 2024 comes in the form of Lakeshore Blue Metallic, one of six exterior paint colors. The others are Sterling Gray Metallic, Radiant Red Tintcoat, Mosaic Black Metallic, Summit Black, and Mineral Gray Metallic.
The online configurator lists $26,195 as the starting price of the LS. By comparison, the well-equipped 2LT can be yours for $32,595 at the very least. All trims rely on a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-pot mill connected to a continuously variable transmission.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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