New Malibu Coming to Australia as a Holden

We’ve already seen the first teaser photo showing the new Chevrolet Malibu, a car the company hopes to sell on the global market after its debut on Monday, April 18th. This is the first Malibu to be designed and built this way and will be sold in over 100 countries around the world including Australia, where it will be launched under the Holden brand.

The Holden Malibu, as it will be known on the local market, will arrive Down Under for the first time in 2012 with a choice of four cylinder engines, replacing the unpopular Epica in the model range, a rebadged version of the Daewoo Tosca, which itself had taken the place of the Holden Vectra.

“The Malibu will play an important role within the Holden line-up, providing a spacious and efficient four-cylinder alternative for Australian customers,” said Holden Chairman and Managing Director Mike Devereux.

The Chairman added that the Malibu will sit in the lineup between the smaller Cruze Series II, which is manufactured in the country, and the much larger Commodore, the most popular model in Australia.

“[The] Malibu will bridge the gap between our incredibly successful Cruze small car and Australia’s favourite car, the best-selling Commodore. It will be a standout on the road, with striking styling in the same vein as recent additions to the GM portfolio, including the new-generation Barina and Cruze hatch. Like the Holden Cruze, Malibu will surprise customers with its array of clever technologies and features,” Devereux added.

We expect the badge-engineering that the Malibu undergoes to be limited to a Holden-specific grille and a few other minor details.