Malibu Clocks up Major Milestone

Venerable sedan’s 51-year legacy bridges generation gap
from Boomers to Gen Xers, Gen Ys and modern Millennials

By Tom Mack

Fifty-one years after it was introduced as Chevrolet’s first mid-size car, production of the venerable Malibu sedan surpassed the 10-million mark at the end of August.

GM’s most popular nameplate celebrated the achievement for the global sedan in the North America, China and Korea markets, which collectively account for more than 90 percent of the model’s sales. The Malibu is sold in more than 25 markets around the world.

“The Malibu joins an exclusive club that have achieved this extraordinary milestone,” said Alan Batey, president, global Chevrolet. “Some people are buying their very first Malibu today and others may have driven a Malibu from a different generation as their first car. It is a car that has resonated with customers for more than half a century.”

Chevrolet’s interaction with customers has changed a lot since the model was introduced in 1964. Back then, an owner’s manual and a personal relationship with the dealer defined conventional customer service. By the 1990s, a toll-free line to call centres provided answers to many customer questions.

Today, owners can communicate with Chevy any time of day or night through in-vehicle technologies such as OnStar and social media, where teams of specialists complement the ownership experience with support and information.

“The immediacy of socially driven technologies is fundamentally changing ownership experiences and what owners expect from the manufacturer,” said Batey. “It’s a whole new world of customer interaction.”

The Malibu’s 10-millionth milestone comes as the all-new 2016 version enters production. The ninth-generation sedan is completely restyled and is the most fuel-efficient, connected and technologically advanced Malibu ever.

© General Motors
The 2016 Malibu is lighter, longer and more fuel efficient

Longer and lighter, the new model offers more interior space. Its wheelbase has been stretched 101 mm (nearly four inches) and, unlike many of its long-term buyers who have owned several successive models, it has lost rather than gained weight. It’s now 136 kg (nearly 300 pounds) lighter than the outgoing version.

It also offers improved fuel efficiency with an all-new, available hybrid powertrain that uses technology from the Chevrolet Volt. The standard 1.5-litre turbo powertrain should also offer a frugal appetite for fuel on the highway. It also features a fuel-saving stop/start technology that enhances efficiency in stop-and-go driving, something to be appreciated in your daily commute or if you’re a retiree trying to stretch your fixed income as much as possible.

Malibu through the years

NewspressUSA
1964 Malibu Convertible

Named after the California city famous for its beaches and born with the last of the Boomers, the 1964 Chevrolet Malibu was the top-line model of an all-new vehicle line touted as a premium choice for families that needed space and efficiency for long commutes.

Chevrolet called the Malibu an “intermediate” car – positioned between the full-size series and the compact Chevy II, It represented the birth of the mainstream mid-size segment, which has grown to be the highest-volume segment in the industry. Customers snapped up more than 370,000 in the first year from a lineup that also included the entry-level 300 and Chevelle models, and a range of body styles that included coupes, sedans, wagons and convertibles. The lineup also included the Malibu SS muscle car.

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1978 Malibu. Five years later it was gone as RWD model

Sales of Chevy’s upstart intermediate range topped 503,000 by 1969 – with the popular Malibu two-door sport coupe accounting for 300,000 of them.

It then rolled through the 1970s as one of the best-selling cars of the decade. It was retired in 1983, after its fourth generation, then returned in 1997 as a modern, front-drive sedan. In the nearly 20 years since, it has evolved and offers the latest in efficiency-enhancing technologies, safety features and, more recently, the connectivity features that have become increasingly important to customers.

The 2016 Malibu is built at the GM Fairfax Assembly facility, in Kansas City, Kan.