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Motor Authority - blog Category: Malibu

  • Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid gets the axe

    Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid gets the axe June 1st, 2009 ByRalph Hanson Ralph Hanson, Author, June 1st, 2009 Ralph Hanson 1 Comment

    Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid gets the axe While most automakers are scrambling to add hybrids and other alternatively-fueled models to their lineups, General Motors is getting rid of a couple of struggling hybrids currently residing in its range of cars - the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid and the Saturn Vue Hybrid.

    The move comes as a greater push to trim down its range of products and focus on models that can achieve growth for the company. With the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid's poor sales, GM has decided to stop production of the car for the 2010 model year, and will instead be relying on the backlog of 2009 models currently sitting on dealer forecourts to fill any remain demand, reports... While most automakers are scrambling to add hybrids and other alternatively-fueled models to their lineups, General Motors is getting rid of a couple of struggling hybrids currently residing in its range of cars - the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid and the Saturn Vue Hybrid. The move comes as a greater push to trim down its range of products and focus on models that can achieve growth for the company. With the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid's poor sales, GM has decided to stop production of the car for the 2010 model year, and will instead be relying on the backlog of 2009 models currently sitting on dealer forecourts to fill any remain demand, reports the Wall Street Journal. The demise of the Malibu Hybrid is not the most surprising occurrence, especially considering how weak its selling points were. The fact that it was a hybrid model, which many consumers may see as an instant ticket to environmental responsibility, did not hide the issue that its mileage figures were only marginally better than the significantly cheaper petrol versions of the car. For example, the four-cylinder Malibu was capable of achieving a combined cycle of almost 28mpg, while the hybrid only offered combined fuel consumption of 30mpg. Considering the higher price tag for the hybrid variant, it's easy to see why the model failed to strike a chord with consumers, especially up against much better hybrids such as the new Honda Insight and Toyota Prius. Also officially dead for the time being is the Saturn Vue Hybrid, which will reportedly not be a part of the sale of the Saturn brand to its buyer, Penske Automotive Group. Unlike the Malibu Hybrid, which stands an extremely slim chance of returning to production, the Vue will likely never make it to an assembly line as a hybrid. All is not lost for GM’s hybrids, however, as the automaker is expected to launch a new Chevrolet Equinox Two-Mode Hybrid in 2011. Furthermore, more advanced plug-in hybrid technology developed for the Saturn Vue will be retained and used in other GM brands. Read More

  • GM recalls more than 270,000 vehicles due to faulty shifter

    GM recalls more than 270,000 vehicles due to faulty shifter March 17th, 2009 ByJames Martinez James Martinez, Author, March 17th, 2009 James Martinez 3 Comments

    GM recalls more than 270,000 vehicles due to faulty shifter With all the financial strife General Motors finds itself in, the last thing it needs are product recalls bringing into doubt the quality of its vehicles. Unfortunately for GM, a product recall is just what the company was forced to issue, and with more than 270,000 vehicles across the country affected people are going to take notice.

    The recall affects the 2009 versions of the Buick Enclave, and the Chevrolet Cobalt, HHR, Malibu and Traverse. The Saturn Aura and Outlook have also been affected, as have the GMC Acadia, and the Pontiac G5 and G6.

    The issue with the shift lever lies in an inability to effectively mesh with the transmission.... With all the financial strife General Motors finds itself in, the last thing it needs are product recalls bringing into doubt the quality of its vehicles. Unfortunately for GM, a product recall is just what the company was forced to issue, and with more than 270,000 vehicles across the country affected people are going to take notice. The recall affects the 2009 versions of the Buick Enclave, and the Chevrolet Cobalt, HHR, Malibu and Traverse. The Saturn Aura and Outlook have also been affected, as have the GMC Acadia, and the Pontiac G5 and G6. The issue with the shift lever lies in an inability to effectively mesh with the transmission. This issue manifests itself when drivers move the shift lever into the 'Park' position for automatic cars and the transmission doesn't actually reach the 'Park' setting. This could cause cars to roll away if the handbrake is not engaged, although GM did not go into specifics as to what other issues could present themselves. While around 270,000 cars are being recalled, most are still sitting in dealer lots. Only around 75,000 vehicles that could potentially be affected by the faulty shift lever have been sold to consumers, and none of those vehicles have reported any problems relating to the recall as of yet. Product recalls are an unfortunate part of life for manufacturers, however even the most prestigious auto brands have been forced to issue recalls as recently as this year, including Ferrari (who's F430 Spider convertibles were at risk of going up in flames), BMW and Maserati. Read More

  • GM sells 8.35 million vehicles in 2008, down 11% on previous year

    GM sells 8.35 million vehicles in 2008, down 11% on previous year January 21st, 2009 ByJeremy Weber Jeremy Weber, Author, January 21st, 2009 Jeremy Weber 1 Comment

    GM sells 8.35 million vehicles in 2008, down 11% on previous year GM has announced today that its global sales tally for 2008 has come in at 8.35 million vehicles, which represents a 10.8% decline on 2007’s levels and a substantial 616,000 units short of Toyota’s tally over the same period. Toyota also experienced a sales decline over 2008, with its total dropping 4% over the course of the year to end at 8.97 million units.

    In 2008, GM sold 5.37 million vehicles outside the U.S., accounting for 64% of total global sales volume compared with 59% a year ago. This represents a 22.7% decline in sales for GM in the U.S., its single biggest market. Toyota saw a 15.4% decline.

    The highlight of... GM has announced today that its global sales tally for 2008 has come in at 8.35 million vehicles, which represents a 10.8% decline on 2007’s levels and a substantial 616,000 units short of Toyota’s tally over the same period. Toyota also experienced a sales decline over 2008, with its total dropping 4% over the course of the year to end at 8.97 million units. In 2008, GM sold 5.37 million vehicles outside the U.S., accounting for 64% of total global sales volume compared with 59% a year ago. This represents a 22.7% decline in sales for GM in the U.S., its single biggest market. Toyota saw a 15.4% decline. The highlight of GM's U.S. sales performance was the Chevrolet Malibu sedan, which achieved the highest percentage gain in annual sales volume (39%) of any of the top-20 selling vehicles in the country. Despite achieving record sales in other markets, such as Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions, GM could not escape the toll global economic pressures have had on its overall results. Once again, challenges in the global financial markets, including credit tightening, the drop in commodity prices, and economic uncertainty were cited as reasons for the decline. Incidentally, GM had still labelled itself as the “annual global industry sales leader for 77 years” on its website at the time of today’s announcement. Read More

  • GM's plans for the Epsilon II platform

    GM's plans for the Epsilon II platform October 21st, 2008 By Nelson Ireson Nelson Ireson, Author, October 21st, 2008 Nelson Ireson 1 Comment

    GM's plans for the Epsilon II platform Building the next generation of cars is often easier than deciding which should be built, or how they'll be built, if General Motors' trouble with the Epsilon II platform and its large sedan lineup is any indication. Nevertheless, it appears that GM is still working on reviving the Chevrolet Impala and replacing the Buick LaCrosse, though the highly successful Malibu may have to wait a few years past its planned redesign date.

    The Malibu, built on the original Epsilon platform, had been intended as a short-run vehicle, to be replaced whole-cloth after about three years on the market. Now the Malibu may be required to spend four or more... Building the next generation of cars is often easier than deciding which should be built, or how they'll be built, if General Motors' trouble with the Epsilon II platform and its large sedan lineup is any indication. Nevertheless, it appears that GM is still working on reviving the Chevrolet Impala and replacing the Buick LaCrosse, though the highly successful Malibu may have to wait a few years past its planned redesign date. The Malibu, built on the original Epsilon platform, had been intended as a short-run vehicle, to be replaced whole-cloth after about three years on the market. Now the Malibu may be required to spend four or more years in its current state, getting a new version in late 2011, reports GM Inside News. The Malibu is expected to be the last car built on the current Epsilon I platform, with it and all future mid-sized - and possibly some full-sized - sedans migration to the new Epsilon II platform. GM is already building the Opel Insignia on modified Epsilon II groundwork, and the next Buick LaCrosse is also expected to ride on the platform. The LaCrosse will likely be the first Epsilon II car in North America, with the Saturn Aura's rebadged Insignia delayed. The ostensible reason for the delay of the new Aura is fuel economy, though that sounds like a generic platform difficulty - cars of similar size and weight with similar engines will return very similar fuel economy figures - and not like a model-specific issue. Nevertheless, the Aura is on hold for the time being while GM proceeds with the LaCrosse, which has already been spotted by spies and had an official teaser. The next-gen Saab 9-5, also to be based on the Epsilon II and possibly manufactured alongside the Insignia in Opel's Russelsheim plant, is also underway. Another large car that's looking for a platform is the Chevrolet Impala. Once one of the brand's primary bread-winners, the Impala is a large car in a market that's largely trending smaller. Though there are some holdouts and some swimming against the current, even those cars that are growing in size, such as the Mazda6, are losing weight in the process. A bulky full-size sedan like the Impala may therefore not be an ideal solution, but the need to offer something above the Malibu class of cars remains. The Impala had been intended for the Zeta platform that also underpins the new Camaro and the Pontiac G8, but fuel efficiency issues have at least tabled that idea, if not killed it completely, along with many other RWD cars. Instead, a FWD version based around the Epsilon II platform, but significantly enlarged, may be on the drawing boards as well. If such a 'supersized' Epsilon II platform were to come about, it could also host the new Buick Lucerne and could even steal Cadillac's DTS/STS replacement away from Zeta as well. The DTS/STS replacement is still in the works according to the latest reports, with plans at the moment siding with the Zeta version and targeting a late 2011 release date.2010 Buick LaCrossse spy shots2010 Buick LaCrosse spy shotsGM Insignia official interior revealNext generation Saab 9-5 rendering2009 Opel Insignia Sedan Read More

  • Update: Work resumes at Kansas Chevrolet Malibu

    Update: Work resumes at Kansas Chevrolet Malibu May 22nd, 2008 ByRalph Hanson Ralph Hanson, Author, May 22nd, 2008 Ralph Hanson 4 Comments

    Update: Work resumes at Kansas Chevrolet Malibu Updated: Workers from UAW Local 31 will resume manufacturing the Chevrolet Malibu after voting in favor of a new deal with GM, ending a 17 day strike that threatened supply of one of the carmaker’s most important models. Malibu sales in the U.S. are up more than 30% this year despite GM’s overall sales declining more than 12% and dealers only had about four weeks of inventory when the strike first hit.

    The deal was ratified by 88% of UAW Local 31’s staff and included a cash award of up to $1,250 plus calls for improvements in workplace conditions. This was the second strike for GM after workers at its Lansing site in... Updated: Workers from UAW Local 31 will resume manufacturing the Chevrolet Malibu after voting in favor of a new deal with GM, ending a 17 day strike that threatened supply of one of the carmaker’s most important models. Malibu sales in the U.S. are up more than 30% this year despite GM’s overall sales declining more than 12% and dealers only had about four weeks of inventory when the strike first hit. The deal was ratified by 88% of UAW Local 31’s staff and included a cash award of up to $1,250 plus calls for improvements in workplace conditions. This was the second strike for GM after workers at its Lansing site in Michigan also ceased work. Original: After a negotiation deadline passed this morning, the UAW Local 31 decided to strike at GM’s Fairfax assembly plant in Kansas and has forced production of the top-selling Chevrolet Malibu sedan (pictured) to cease. Union members are striking reluctantly, having hoped a deal would be reached that would benefit both sides. The strike is over issues of seniority and job security and demands were first presented to GM by union officials close to two weeks ago. Workers were seeking a local contract, which would provide guidance on work rules, seniority and other non-economic issues, reports Automotive News. Currently, only 11 out of 72 GM plants have local contracts, although the UAW has a national contract with GM that was signed back in September of last year. Fairfax is the second major GM assembly plant to strike over the failure to obtain a local contract. GM’s Delta Township plant in Michigan, which assembles the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook, has been on strike for the past three weeks. The Chevrolet Malibu is also assembled at GM's Orion Township plant in Michigan, which already has a local contract, although some delays in delivery are still expected. Delay problems for GM have also been compounded by ongoing strikes at five American Axle plants, which has either idled or hampered production at 31 other GM sites. Read More

  • Study: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu stealing sales from foreign makes

    Study: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu stealing sales from foreign makes April 30th, 2008 ByJames Martinez James Martinez, Author, April 30th, 2008 James Martinez 10 Comments

    Study: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu stealing sales from foreign makes If GM has any hope of regaining its title of world’s biggest carmaker from Toyota its vehicles must not only sell well but they should also regain market share lost to rivals. Until recently, consumers rarely cross-shopped between GM and Toyota but as the quality and reliability of GM products started to catch up with their Japanese rivals now more than ever are consumers trading in their foreign makes for Detroit 3 metal.

    No car has been more successful for GM at stealing sales from foreign makes than the new Chevrolet Malibu. According to a new J.D. Power and Associates study, close to a fifth (19.8%) of trade-ins for the Malibu... If GM has any hope of regaining its title of world’s biggest carmaker from Toyota its vehicles must not only sell well but they should also regain market share lost to rivals. Until recently, consumers rarely cross-shopped between GM and Toyota but as the quality and reliability of GM products started to catch up with their Japanese rivals now more than ever are consumers trading in their foreign makes for Detroit 3 metal. No car has been more successful for GM at stealing sales from foreign makes than the new Chevrolet Malibu. According to a new J.D. Power and Associates study, close to a fifth (19.8%) of trade-ins for the Malibu were from import brands – an increase from the 12.5% of last year’s previous generation model. According to the results, 9.7% of trade-ins were a Honda, Toyota or Nissan. Overall, the Malibu was ranked in the study as the 17th most popular vehicle in the U.S. for the first three months of the year and the fifth best-selling midsize sedan. The following is a list of trade-in percentages for the Chevrolet Malibu: Chevrolet - 41.5% Ford - 8.2% Pontiac - 5.4% Dodge - 4.6% Buick - 4.1% Nissan - 3.4% Toyota - 3.4% Chrysler - 2.9% Oldsmobile - 2.8% Honda - 2.7% GMC - 2.3% Hyundai - 1.9% Read More

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