2008 Chevy Malibu-wow!

[edwilson13185]

I never thought I'd hear myself say this about an American car again, but the 2008 Malibu is beautiful inside and out. Clean, simple exterior lines and styling ques and the interior brings the word "smooth" to mind. I feel like a bit of a traitor, but I think this is what the 2008 Accord should've looked like. This thing looks more Honda to me than the new Accord does.

http://www.automobilemag.com/features/by_design/0707_2008_chevrolet_malibu/

Hopefully GM backed it up with some actual quality this time--I think the interior is awesome! I do wish they'd give me a reason to buy American again--this seems to be a decent start.

I'm hoping I don't get flamed for this. I'm just pointing out that GM seems to be making progress and I'm glad they're doing so.

[Accordlover]

It looks like a less sexy TL.

[Accordtx1]

good start... I 'll wait until the reliability ratings come out to give final judgement... at this point I would not buy one. :)

[Accordlover]

I spent a great deal of time driving a 2005 Chevy Malibu this summer. It was an LS V6; comparable equipment wise to an Accord LX V6.

There are many things I liked about it. None had to do with how it drove or anything. I liked the headunit and all the little things on it that tell you various things, seat adjustments (though the seat was so so), remote start, pickup was decent, the sport shift (it was kind of a joke in all honestly, the tranny sounded like it was dying in sport mode, the car has no visible redline either...), automatic locks, auto lamps etc. Normal GM things. The car was alot better than the old 2002 Malibu the woman I was a personal assistant for had before. that's for sure.

Some bad things. That V6 sounded like something was loose inside of it at 60k. It clanked when you turned the car on. The electric steering is just awful; this needs MUCH improvement. Blind spots in the back, and poorly designed mis-matched mirrors. Rear seat brought back memories of a 90's Saturn SL2 :paranoid:, A/C buttons peeling already, it looked bad. Cruise control couldn't hold a speed. It would always go faster? Brakes; felt like the car is stopping without you being involved. Pretty much the entire driving experience. No feel at all. Well expect for the potholes and road imperfections that the suspension does a alright job of absorbing. It had airbags all around, which is cool! I really hope all the Saab 9-3 shared with that Malibu was the platform. If that's how saab's drive now... they can go bury themselves already.

[DEman19901]

I have never been a fan of GM including the new Malibu. The new Pontiac G8 is a different story. This is the first car from the big three that makes me want to go to the dealer and at least give it a look. Agree?

[frenzal]

Interior seems OK but the exterior is so ugly IMO...

I drove a 2007 Malibu last March and found that it drove exactly like my first car: a 1985 Buick Century! In 20 years, no more progress than that, I was shocked!

[RTexasF]

Looks are a knockout in my book. I hope the rest measures up.

[JWesG2]

I would completely agree with these thoughts.. I LOVE IT, and i want to drive one..


Then again, this is coming from someone who like Saturn Aura's too..


I saw it a few weeks ago online also..

[edwilson13185]

I wouldn't buy one at this point, either. From what I've seen in Consumer Reports, GM is improving in some areas, but slipping in others. The new Lambda crossovers and the newest Epsilon car (the Aura) are doing quite well in reliability, however, so hopefully they've figured some of it out. I'm also quite fond of their new Ecotec 2.4-liter I4 and their "high feature" 3.6-liter V6. They're both very strong and seem to be well-designed.

I do think this interior looks nice, but I'll hold my final judgement until I actually sit in it. My parents' 2007 Saturn Vue has the same head unit in it and the controls feel quite cheap. As does the rest of the interior. But if GM can nix the quality issues, they certainly seem to be going in the right direction in terms of styling.

[Trip]

The exterior reminds me of the Fusion, especially from the rear 3/4 view. That's not a bad thing - I think the Fusion is one of the best looking domestic cars in the segment. The Malibu is right up there.

The interior looks really good. I see shades of Toyota and Audi in the details . . not a bad thing.

I think the giant is finally waking up. I agree with the others that have commented: I hope the driving dynamics match the initial looks. If they offer manual transmissions... :thmsup:

[MotorCity Honda]

Same designer as the PT cruiser and Chevy HHR... he also had quite a bit of influence on the Acadia, Outlook, Vue.. Brian Nesbit.. the youngest VP in GM history at 38 years of age...

Another HUGE shift that GM has done was to separate the interior and exterior design... they used to be under one budget so when the business case was weak cost reductions took place and the interior always took the hit..not anymore.

With that Said Mr Nesbit has final authorization on the exterior design as well as interior to make sure they compliment eachother

[joerockt]

And yet it will still be destined for rental car obscurity.

[MotorCity Honda]

And yet it will still be destined for rental car obscurity.

ZING... ha ha..

[jermy4]

I think the front grill looks like a gm minivan and the back looks like a civic sedan.

Ugly, I don't see the appeal.

http://us.autos1.yimg.com/img.autos.yahoo.com/i/nctd/q/05s-uplander-hero.jpg
http://www.sportscarforums.com/gallery/data/577/medium/2-2008-chevrolet-malibu.jpg

http://hondaclub.ru/img8/honda_civic_sedan_4d_06_02_aero.jpg
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/2435/2008chevymalibuhr002va8.jpg

[XLR8]

First thing I noticed was the dash. Those 2 high arches remind me of a mustang. :dunno: could just be me.

[SEastHonda]

It looks GREAT! GM seems to finally be getting its act together. I like many of the details of the new Malibu and am also a fan of the GMC Acadia. They just seem to flow well and have upped the styling bar in many areas.

There are some details I don't really like. Why must Chevy always use a gold emblem? Silver/chrome/body colored would look better. Also, the pics on Chevy's site of the Malibu show some different side angles. I think the front could be improved by making it less rounded or by adding an air dam.

Quality isn't much of an issue for me anymore when comparing GM's to Honda. GM's powertrain warranty helps out and some models have scored really well.

I would still be concerned about resale value.

I'm a lifelong Accord owner and had planned to purchase an '08. After about 6 trips to various dealers I changed my mind. It just isn't something I want to walk up to after a day at work. I'll be looking at the new Malibu in the near future.

[pazbien]

I never thought I'd hear myself say this about an American car again, but the 2008 Malibu is beautiful inside and out. Clean, simple exterior lines and styling ques and the interior brings the word "smooth" to mind. I feel like a bit of a traitor, but I think this is what the 2008 Accord should've looked like. This thing looks more Honda to me than the new Accord does.

http://www.automobilemag.com/features/by_design/0707_2008_chevrolet_malibu/

Hopefully GM backed it up with some actual quality this time--I think the interior is awesome! I do wish they'd give me a reason to buy American again--this seems to be a decent start.

I'm hoping I don't get flamed for this. I'm just pointing out that GM seems to be making progress and I'm glad they're doing so.

WOW!!! GM really screwed up this one. The interior yells cheap and those colors are awful. Likewise the exterior looks very mini-van like. I can deal with the front but the back is HORRENDOUS :throwup: Its so plain and ugly. I'd rather see the Altima and Camry's rear end (both of which i totally dislike). This makes the New Accord, Camry, and Altima look like high end luzury cars.:lmao:

[pazbien]

I never thought I'd hear myself say this about an American car again, but the 2008 Malibu is beautiful inside and out. Clean, simple exterior lines and styling ques and the interior brings the word "smooth" to mind. I feel like a bit of a traitor, but I think this is what the 2008 Accord should've looked like. This thing looks more Honda to me than the new Accord does.

http://www.automobilemag.com/features/by_design/0707_2008_chevrolet_malibu/

Hopefully GM backed it up with some actual quality this time--I think the interior is awesome! I do wish they'd give me a reason to buy American again--this seems to be a decent start.

I'm hoping I don't get flamed for this. I'm just pointing out that GM seems to be making progress and I'm glad they're doing so.

WOW!!! GM really screwed up this one. The interior yells cheap and those colors are awful. Likewise the exterior looks very mini-van like. I can deal with the front but the back is HORRENDOUS :throwup: Its so plain and ugly. I'd rather see the Altima and Camry's rear end (both of which i totally dislike). The review seems to agree with me about the rear, they say "6. The mismatched rear lamps seem to be inspired by BMW. The whole rear is flat, banal, and uninteresting, apart from the black fake diffuser at the bottom." This makes the New Accord, Camry, and Altima look like high end luxury cars.:lmao:

Seems like GM will never get their act together. I wouldn't be suprised if Toyota takes #1 spot in 5 more years. :paranoid:

[Succinct]

Not a fan of the new Malibu's tails. But overall I agree that it's a nice step forward for GM.

Why bother mentioning a 2005 Malibu, which is a completely different car than the subject of this post?

The G8 is definitely looking attractive to me. Wooo-weeee, that thing looks to be the total package. Of course it's all academic since I am committed to my Accord for 8 more years......

[07EXL5COUPE]

I once said that about a new domestic car and actually bought it, actually I did this twice. Wow, what a mistake, both times. Quality issues on both. Re-sale was horrible on both. I think I have finally learned my lesson, from now on I will either own Honda's or Toyota's, maybe another Nissan.....

[stevencrosbie]

I almost got a new GMC Sierra...

Resale, long term reliability, dealership service, and lack of awesomeness was my concern.

[namegoeshere]

Definitely an improvement over the previous generation which I also drove a bit. But then again, it's hard to imagine them not going in any other direction.

I bet the interior is gonna be cheap plastic as usual though. And resale will still suck.

[Windchimp]

And yet it will still be destined for rental car obscurity.

...and thus, I will be stuck driving one of these soon. I drove an '07 Malibu a couple of weeks ago in FL - OK as rentals go, but anemic in the power dept.

I would never buy one. Never. Ever.

My latest trip this week put me behind the wheel of a Ford Escape - put over 1100 miles on it in 5 days...best rental I've had in a while.

Still waiting for Hertz to give me a Fusion...
.
.
.

[flippco]

I do like the new commercials.


One is when a jogger keeps running into it and the other there is a bank robbery in progress and the robbers just drive past the police. The tagline in both commercials is "soon it will be the car you can't ignore."

[anysia]

ok, so i had a post in here yesterday that was eaten up in cyber-land when i clicked post... so here goes the shortened version of it.

i admit to having clicked on one of chevy's adds to see how it looked up close versus the tiny little banner ad it was in on one page. it does look like an improvement looks wise for chevy. the lines are much cleaner on the exterior from the side view. however, as others mentioned, the front grill needs major help. why does it look like an suv or pickup truck from the front???? :dunno: and the back is "eh". nothing to desire and nothing to hate too much. all in all, exterior much improved from prior chevy's, especially it's predecessor malibu.

interior, upon quick glance, much much improved. but when looking closer, even in pics, things start to bug me and i only wonder how much worse it is in person if its rearing it's ugly head in pics. the dash lines don't line up with the door panel lines. the plastic pieces look cheap and chincy even in a picture taken to sell the car! the ebony/brick color combo is :thumbsdow if you ask me, but i'm sure that's something that varies from consumer to consumer. someone is bound to be wowed by a weird combo like that.

also the brick portion of the dash looks like it would be annoying shiney-ala spraying downa dash with good old armol all! blech.

the gauge cluster looks like an older model car, which i'm guessing chevy was probably aiming for thanks to their idea to bring back the long forgotten styles of the chevy of yesteryear..... but this car doesn't scream retro styling, so why go there with the gauge cluster set up? :dunno: kinda odd if you ask me.

i can only hope that the newer malibu's don't feel like you are pushing them "too hard" even when you're barely touching the gas. the last model just sounded like it was chugging along and very unhappy.

i also hope the cloth trim is no longer the "tshirt" style cloth. that material only made the interior feel that much cheaper! i remember plenty of HARD plastic in odd areas in the last model-like the backs of seats. i'm hoping gm will finally get their act together there and eliminate that crapola.

i'm hoping the feeling of uber thin doors went away as well.

but i'm guessing that since the looks are improved, much of the rest will be roughly the same. (nissan is great at doing the exact same thing. make some good improvements in one area and sometimes even going backwards in others.......)

[JBrian]

I do like the new commercials.


One is when a jogger keeps running into it and the other there is a bank robbery in progress and the robbers just drive past the police. The tagline in both commercials is "soon it will be the car you can't ignore."I applaud GM’s add campaign for making fun of itself in the commercials! They are hilarious! It shows that GM is really trying to reach out to non-loyal GM fans to take a look at the new Malibu.

One of my criteria for vehicle purchase is where the car is assembled. I despise so called US manufactories that assemble there cars in Mexico and call them American (Ford Fusion) as to a company like Honda that assembles the Accord, TL, Civic, etc in the US with American workers. If you have a “foreign” assembled Accord you will note on the sticker that the drive-train was built in American and shipped to where your Accord was assembled! So Honda creates jobs in the US and EXPORTS goods to Japan! How many automobile manufactories do that?

[flippco]

One of my criteria for vehicle purchase is where the car is assembled. I despise so called US manufactories that assemble there cars in Mexico and call them American (Ford Fusion) as to a company like Honda that assembles the Accord, TL, Civic, etc in the US with American workers. If you have a “foreign” assembled Accord you will note on the sticker that the drive-train was built in American and shipped to where your Accord was assembled! So Honda creates jobs in the US and EXPORTS goods to Japan! How many automobile manufactories do that?

What makes some people upset is domestically made foreign car companies aren't paying to support workers pensions. This article is from 2003 but it states that GM has 2.5 pensioners for every 1 worker and that $1,900 per vehicle goes to pensions.

http://www.caranddriver.com/dailyautoinsider/6884/pension-costs-drive-gm-8217s-discount-prices.html

That's a big drain on a vehicle's price.

That is the major sticking point as GM, Chrysler and Ford are negotiating contracts with the UAW.

[MotorCity Honda]

I applaud GM’s add campaign for making fun of itself in the commercials! They are hilarious! It shows that GM is really trying to reach out to non-loyal GM fans to take a look at the new Malibu.

One of my criteria for vehicle purchase is where the car is assembled. I despise so called US manufactories that assemble there cars in Mexico and call them American (Ford Fusion) as to a company like Honda that assembles the Accord, TL, Civic, etc in the US with American workers. If you have a “foreign” assembled Accord you will note on the sticker that the drive-train was built in American and shipped to where your Accord was assembled! So Honda creates jobs in the US and EXPORTS goods to Japan! How many automobile manufactories do that?

There is more work that goes into the components Mfg than the assembly of the vehicle. If you are intent on supporting U.S. jobs focus more on U.S. content per vehicle as opposed to where it is assembled.

the LCC (low cost country) fad will only last another 8 years or so and then it will be coming back home...

Companies these days are very shortsighted and only look at how much it costs to mfg a piece. What they fail to factor in is the non standard work that must go into these LCC parts to make them acceptable for production (re-work / expediting charges / scrap etc) when all of these variables are factored in the parts really are not cheaper ar all...

How do I know this? I have seen it first hand in reall life and not something I read in a magazine..

[flippco]

the LCC (low cost country) fad will only last another 8 years or so and then it will be coming back home...

You can only cut so much cost out of a product. Everything has a life cycle and nothing will last forever.

Someday Wal-Mart, GM or Exxon may not be around. Something will take their place.

[JBrian]

There is more work that goes into the components Mfg than the assembly of the vehicle. If you are intent on supporting U.S. jobs focus more on U.S. content per vehicle as opposed to where it is assembled.That's one of the reasons I drive an Accord!

[Jake07V6]

The Curves looks more like the TSX with a little TL in it. I like it for those reasons and Thats it.

[SEastHonda]

Companies these days are very shortsighted and only look at how much it costs to mfg a piece.

Companies do not only look at cost when choosing suppliers or production methods. Cost is usually the most important factor, but quality, supplier dependability, and many other factors are also considered.

What they fail to factor in is the non standard work that must go into these LCC parts to make them acceptable for production (re-work / expediting charges / scrap etc)

Companies absoutely factor in the "non standard work" you mentioned. They also factor in things like tranportation costs, capacity, and stability of the country/region parts are being supplied from.

when all of these variables are factored in the parts really are not cheaper ar all...

Even after factoring all of these added costs and risks, the parts are indeed cheaper. If the overall cost was not lower, companies would not have any incentive to choose suppliers from LCC's.

[MotorCity Honda]

Companies do not only look at cost when choosing suppliers or production methods. Cost is usually the most important factor, but quality, supplier dependability, and many other factors are also considered..

Sure they "look" at quality, ability to deliver on time ect BUT at the end of the day ALL of these are set aside for cost PERIOD..the bean counters always win!!

I've worked for sevaral companies and have been in quality in all of my automitive positions and when I have been on "product move teams" or "LCC sourcing comittees" I have been the "voice of quality" and trust me, the "financial voices" get heard first and are more heavily weighted.



Companies absoutely factor in the "non standard work" you mentioned. They also factor in things like tranportation costs, capacity, and stability of the country/region parts are being supplied from...

How are they to factor these non standard variables with no historical data to prepare an accurate "cost model"?

Heck most LCC suppliers don't even know how to spell PFMEA/DFMEA...lol So you know they are not 6 sigma capable and as far as trusting any process capability or capacity studies that they may send you...that's a joke!!

Of course they factor in initial transportation cost BUT not what it may (and most likely will) cost to air freight a shipment of parts because everything on U.S. soil as well as what is in transit is "suspect".

I will give you that from what I have seen the "stability of the region IS in fact a variable that is respected..

Even after factoring all of these added costs and risks, the parts are indeed cheaper. If the overall cost was not lower, companies would not have any incentive to choose suppliers from LCC's.

That's why the industry as a whole (OEM's ands Supply Base) is so profitable at it's current state right:lmao:

[edwilson13185]

I don't know as much about automotive parts, but it does seem like consumer-level goods and products produced in many LCCs are of questionable quality. I don't know whether it's simply design, manufacturing, or both, but consumer products seem as though they are made "cheaper" than they used to be.

I'd say that there will definitely be an end to LCC sourcing--if not for reasons of quality, for reasons of necessity. Our currency value has dropped significantly, and the currencies of developing countries will continue to rise. If America doesn't rein in its spending habits and if the government cuts interest rates every time a large corporation's earnings are threatened by a cyclic economy, our currency will be worth even less. Which dramatically increases the nominal prices of imported goods.

We also have the oil situation--the fundamentals seem right to keep oil at or near $100 for a very long time. Not that I'm an expert, but there are more people placing more demands on a non-renewable resource. Transportation costs will become a bigger and bigger factor and begin to cut into profit margins.

Finally, eventually I would hope that countries like China will eventually adopt better environmental and worker protection policies. The lack of these have also contributed to the artificially low price of goods from China and other developed countries. As they start to implement better policies (whether by choice or by external or internal pressure), the prices of their exported goods will continue to rise.

Add all of this to the rampant inflation that's been happening in China and some of the other underdeveloped countries, and there seems to be a stronger case for more domestic product sourcing.

[SEastHonda]

Ed raised some good points about environmental and worker protection policies. These two reasons help keep China's costs down and the competive balance uneven. Environmental responsibility is ignored. Safety measures are ignored. There is also a surplus of available labor. This keeps wages are low. Benefits are rare. Raw materials are abundant.

A lot of cheap junk comes out of China these days. Example:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=r9YbDCvrBBk

I think China will eventually improve the quality of the goods it produces, raise prices, and another country will take its place as the lowest cost source. I don't think there will be an end to low cost country sourcing, but the playing field may change. In 10-20 years we'll be talking about the same subject but may be using Nigeria or Cuba as examples, rather than China or India.

As evidence that things are likely to change, keep in mind that this forum of mostly Honda fans is discussing the problems related to low cost country sourcing, mainly targeted at China. There was a period where "cheap junk" was synonymous with "Made in Japan."

[edwilson13185]

SEastHonda:

I think you're right that China is the new Japan. South Korea is also an up-and-coming as well, it seems. I also think you're right that there will always be some degree of LCC sourcing--there has been for centuries. But I do think as our currency continues to slide and commodities/transportation prices continue to increase, domestic sourcing will settle at a more even balance than it is at now.

I was just reading an article a few months ago about an Indian tech support provider insourcing a call center to Indiana. Foreign car companies engineer and manufacture more products here using higher domestic part contents than our domestic car companies. Although that trend may reverse now that the health care and pension obligations have been offloaded to the UAW. That will help the domestic auto companies bring their labor costs more inline with the foreign companies and may entice them to bring more production back here. Although U.S. labor would still cost them more, plants here tend to be far more automated (newer ones, anyway, and those that haven't had as much of the UAW influence), so quality is much more consistent. That would help them save money on warranty work and, more importantly, help improve their quality image.

I subscribe to Fortune magazine, and articles with similar stories have been appearing with increasing frequency. Recent examples I've read of include clothing companies that source domestically in order to respond to changing consumer preferences more quickly, (foreign) tech support companies "insourcing" to the U.S., and accounting firms doing more work here in the States because of security concerns. There are things that make U.S./Canadian sourcing appealing, and now that the cost differential is decreasing rapidly, I think we'll see some shift of production back to the U.S. Both blue and white collar jobs, too.

Anyway, interesting post. My apologies for the long-winded reply--I love talking economics. That and I've never hijacked my own thread before. :)

[MotorCity Honda]

Chevy Chief Promises ’08 Malibu Will Turn Heads
By Herb Shuldiner
WardsAuto.com, Oct 31, 2007 9:22 AM
NEW YORK – Chevrolet General Manager Ed Peper promises the ’08 Malibu will bridge a perception gap that hindered its predecessors from effectively competing against the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, the current volume leaders in the midsize car segment.
“We’re going to turn heads (with the Malibu),” Peper tells the International Motor Press Assn. here.
While declining to predict how much market share the Malibu is expected to grab from its segment competitors, Peper expresses cautious optimism the all-new model will win over many current import car owners.

’08 Chevy Malibu expected to gain share in midsize segment.
More than 500,000 Chevy truck owners have imported cars in their garages, he says, expressing confidence the redesigned Malibu also will convince many of these loyalists to shun Asian imports when they need a new midsize car.
Chevrolet has launched a multi-media marketing blitz to help make this happen. On Oct. 17, Chevrolet virtually blanketed the Internet with the Malibu message. Peper says 88% of visitors saw a Malibu message that day when they clicked on a huge spectrum of websites.
Chevy also will conduct mall tours across the country to bring the new Malibu to the attention of potential buyers.
Peper says there are three phases to the Malibu launch. The first is winding down, scheduled to last for three weeks. The second phase will run from November through December.
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The final phase kicks in after New Year’s Day, when a host of special events will be held. Additionally, Malibu test drives will be offered at auto shows against the Accord and Camry on an ongoing basis.
Peper says the Malibu will feature a high-value story because it is priced about $780 less than the Camry and $1,800 less than a similarly equipped Accord.
He forecasts the Malibu hybrid version also will bring in new buyers. Honda has dropped its Accord Hybrid, but Camry hybrid sales are climbing at a modest rate.
This indicates market interest in midsize hybrid-electric vehicles that Malibu may be able to exploit. Plus the Malibu HEV is priced $3,000 less than the Camry HEV. And the Malibu HEV qualifies for a $1,300 federal tax credit not available to the Camry.
Malibu sales to daily rental fleets will be severely curtailed, Peper promises. However, models sold to rental fleets will be nicely equipped. This will help residuals for the ’08 model that have been pegged 11-13 percentage points higher than the current model by the top leasing guides.
However, the Malibu will be marketed strongly to commercial-fleet customers, which Peper claims are highly profitable. Despite this, he forecasts Malibu fleet sales will be 50% or less than the outgoing ’07 model.
Peper sees the overall midsize-car market remaining stable this year, although he envisions slight growth for the segment in 2008. “We’re going to need the volume of two plants (for Malibu sales),” he says.
Even if the ’08 Malibu doesn’t match Camry and Accord volumes, Chevy’s share of the midsize market is comparable with its competitors, thanks to strong Impala sales, which are up 8% this year and pacing Chevy to a 2-point gain.
Despite all the attention required for the Malibu launch, Peper says he also is focused on growing fullsize pickup and SUV sales. “We’re gaining (market share) in fullsize trucks,” he says, despite new competition from the Asian transplants.
Silverado sales are closing in on the Ford F150, the volume leader in the segment, he says. Through September, the Silverado trailed by just 13,200 units. “We’re trying to do the best we can to cut the deficit in volume.”
Peper is confident the Silverado will not suffer from the introduction of an all-new Ford F150 next year. “We’re looking at new special option packages to freshen the Silverado next fall,” he reveals.
He is less bullish about midsize trucks, declining to reveal whether there will be a successor to the Colorado. But he categorically insists that if Chevy stays in the segment, there are no plans to source a new midsize pickup from Thailand, China or other Asian plants.
Peper is less pessimistic about the TrailBlazer midsize SUV, which currently is running neck and neck in sales with the Ford Explorer. But he concedes a lot of TrailBlazer customers might consider the Traverse, a new cross/utility vehicle Chevy will introduce next year, noting a lot of buyers prefer body-on-frame construction for vehicles in this class.
Overall, the Chevrolet brand is strong, Peper insists, pointing out his division led Toyota in sales by 92,000 units through September and Ford by 127,000.
But it’s clear that Chevy wants to become more competitive in the car segments. Peper predicts the upcoming new Camaro that goes into production in a little over a year from now will be one of those magnets designed to pull customers into Chevrolet showrooms. Dealers will begin accepting orders in February.
Chevy also is counting on a new fleet of green vehicles to grow its sales in future years. The 2-Mode hybrid Tahoe SUV already is in production, and the futuristic Volt plug-in hybrid will launch by the end of the decade. Additionally, fuel cell-powered vehicles will go on sale early in the next decade.

[MotorCity Honda]

Late 6-Speed No Problem for ’08 Chevrolet Malibu Launch
By James M. Amend
WardsAuto.com, Nov 1, 2007 9:18 AM
MEMPHIS, TN – Bob Lutz, General Motors Corp. vice chairman-global product development, blanches at the suggestion the late arrival of a 6-speed automatic transmission for the 4-cyl. ’08 Chevrolet Malibu will put the midsize sedan at a disadvantage against its Japanese rivals.

Bob Lutz
“It’s not going to hurt,” Lutz tells Ward’s during a preview here of the extensively redesigned Malibu, which began arriving at dealers this week. “We’re competitive on fuel economy, and the 4-cyl. (engine) doesn’t lack power. It’s just a matter of the number of gears.”
GM is rolling out the eagerly anticipated new Malibu with essentially two powertrain options: a 2.4L, 4-cyl. mill mated to a Hydra-Matic 4T45 4-speed transmission and 3.6L V-6 with a Hydra-Matic 6T70 6-speed.
GM also is offering the 2.4L engine with a belt-alternator-starter system, an $1,800 option that appears with the 4T45. But it will not make a 6-speed automatic transmission available with the 2.4L, a combination exclusive to Malibu in the segment, until shortly after production of the gearbox gets under way in the spring.
Many industry observers consider the timing rather quirky, as GM’s key competitors in the segment offer an extra gear with their 4-cyl. powerplants.
For example, the ’08 Honda Accord, which also gets an extensive redesign for the new-model year, offers with its 4-cyl. mill a 5-speed manual transmission as standard equipment, or an optional 5-speed automatic. It does not offer a 6-speed automatic.
The ’08 Toyota Camry, which underwent a redesign last year, similarly offers a 5-speed manual transmission as standard, or an optional 5-speed automatic, but no 6-speed automatic. The ’08 Nissan Altima does receive a 6-speed auto as standard equipment.
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While the Malibu’s 4-cyl. mill beats the Camry on power, it trails the Altima by 6 hp and Accord by more than 21 hp.
In terms of fuel economy, the Malibu achieves 22/30 mpg (10.7/7.8 L/100 km) city/highway. The Camry rates 21/31 mpg (11.2/7.6 L/100 km), while the Accord delivers 22/31 mpg (10.7/7.6 L/100 km) and the Altima gets 23/32 mpg (10.2/7.3 L/100 km).
Citing the need for further development, GM engineers decline to speculate on fuel-economy gains the combination of the 2.4L engine and 6-speed automatic might achieve.

New 4-cyl. ’08 Malibu “doesn’t lack power.”
Car buyers confronted by marketing pitches from GM’s Japanese competitors expect efficiency improvements with an extra gear. And, as history has proven, consumers typically think more of anything good must be better.
Lutz doesn’t disagree but hesitates to overstate the efficiency gains a 2.4L powerplant with the upcoming 6-speed automatic might provide.
“You can’t find the difference in mileage between the 4-speed and the 6-speed, honestly,” he says. “We’re struggling to find it ourselves, because we need a reason to tell people why to buy the 6-speed.”
In fact, GM considers the 4T45 one of it better gearboxes. “This segment is all about value, and the 4T45 is a great value,” says Jim Brown, Malibu product manager. “It’s also a proven, reliable transmission. Bulletproof.”
The combination of the 2.4L engine with the upcoming Hydra-Matic 6T40 transmission will command a premium price and only will be offered with top-of-the-range LTZ trim levels, which start at $26,995. A base Malibu LS with a 4-cyl. and the 4T45 starts at $19,995.
GM revealed several weeks ago the 4-cyl./6-speed combination would not be available until spring, citing the traditionally different timetables between vehicle and powertrain development.
During the preview here, pre-production models were available for test-drives with the caveat that engineers were still tweaking the calibrations.
Lutz admits, given consumer perceptions, he wouldn’t mind having the combination out of the gate.
“We wish we had it for start of production, but we don’t, and the car is still pretty darn good with the 4-speed,” he says. Engineers could have made the 6-speed ready on time, he admits, but the car would have needed too many modifications to meet its launch deadline.
Lutz says the ’08 Malibu’s success will not rely solely on sheer sales volume. Rather, he would like to sell more units at retail than the previous model, which due to lackluster consumer demand relied heavily on fleet and daily rental sales.
He also would like to see fewer discounts on the new model and a higher average transaction price.
“Let’s face it, the previous-generation Malibu we’ve had to discount very, very steeply to reach our numbers,” he says. “So I would like to see this one selling with either no incentives or very few incentives.”
But considering the current state of new-vehicle sales – the industry through September was on track to deliver about 16.1 million units in the U.S. this year, the lowest level since 1998 – Lutz doesn’t dismiss a highly competitive lease program for the new Malibu.
“All-in-all, we think the car will enjoy a much greater inherent level of demand than the old Malibu – that means more people who genuinely want it than just willing to take it,” he says.
GM officials won’t speculate on sales volumes. However, they say before seriously challenging the Camry and Accord, the Malibu’s initial goal is to be on par with the Altima, a car that accounted for 224,887 units in 2006.
The previous-generation Malibu sold 174,952 units in 2006, according to Ward’s data. The ’08 model’s target volumes make for an even more ambitious goal, as many economists predict a sluggish 2008 as the nation continues to put the sub-prime mortgage collapse behind.
See related content: U.S. Car and Light Truck Sales by Line by Model Year, 2002-2006

Housing woes and resulting worries about a possible recession are causing many consumers, particularly middle- and lower-income families, to delay big-ticket purchases, including new cars.
“We’ll work our way through (2008),” says Lutz, a 44-year industry veteran. “But it would be a mistake to be too optimistic.”