There’s no question that the all-new, 2016 Chevy Malibu is bigger than its 2013-2015 predecessor. That’s a very good thing, given that the primary criticism of the 2013-2015 model was an interior that felt small… but how much bigger is it, exactly? That’s what we aim to find out in this installment of the GM Authority Dimension Brief.
Exterior
On the outside, the 2016 Malibu is 57 mm (2.3 inches) longer thanks to a wheelbase that’s 91 inches (3.6 inches). Width and height remain nearly the same, while the track is 11 mm (0.4 inches) wider in the front or 12 mm (0.5 inches) wider in the rear.
In addition, the 2016 Malibu is also 313 pounds lighter than the model it replaces, thanks in part to the new E2XX platform.
Interior
With the exception of hip room, the cabin of the 2016 Malibu either maintains or grows the proportions of the previous model:
Significant Growth
- Rear legroom (+32 mm)
- Front shoulder room (+25 mm)
Slight Growth
- Front headroom (+2 mm)
Equal
- Rear headroom
- Rear shoulder room
Decrease
- Front hip room (-23 mm)
- Rear hip room (-24 mm)
Overall, the passenger volume on the 2016 Malibu is 77 liters greater than the model it replaces. That increase, however, appears to come at the expense of cargo volume, which is down 15 liters, and the size of the fuel tank, which is down 20.8 liters (L, LS, 1LT, Hybrid and Premier 1LZ) or 10 liters (2LT and Premier 2LZ).
| Measurement | 2016 Chevrolet Malibu | 2015 Chevrolet Malibu | + / - 2016 Malibu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheelbase (in): | 111.4 | 107.8 | +3.6 |
| Overall length (in): | 193.8 | 191.5 | +2.3 |
| Overall width (in): | 73 | 73 | Equal |
| Overall height (in): | 57.7 | 57.6 | +0.1 |
| Track | |||
| Front Track (in): | 62.6 | 62.2 | +0.4 |
| Rear Track (in): | 62.5 | 62 | +0.5 |
| Curb weight (lb): | 3126 | 3439 | -313.0 |
| Seating capacity: | 5 (2 front / 3 rear) | 5 (2 front / 3 rear) | Equal |
| Headroom | |||
| Front Headroom (in): | 39.1 | 39.0 | +0.1 |
| Rear Headroom (in): | 37.5 | 37.5 | Equal |
| Legroom | |||
| Front Legroom (in): | 42 | 42.1 | -0.1 |
| Rear Legroom (in): | 38.1 | 36.8 | +1.3 |
| Shoulder Room | |||
| Front Shoulder Room (in): | 58.5 | 57.5 | +1.0 |
| Rear Shoulder Room (in): | 57.1 | 57.1 | Equal |
| Hip Room | |||
| Front Hip Room (in): | 54.1 | 55.0 | -0.9 |
| Rear Hip Room (in): | 53.4 | 54.3 | -0.9 |
| EPA Passenger Volume (cu ft): | 102.9 | 100.3 | 2.6 |
| Cargo Volume (cu ft): | 15.8 | 16.3 | -0.5 |
| Fuel Tank (gal): | 13 or 15.8 | 18.5 | -5.5 or -2.7 |
| Measurement | 2016 Chevrolet Malibu | 2015 Chevrolet Malibu | + / - 2016 Malibu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheelbase (mm): | 2829 | 2738 | +91 |
| Overall length (mm): | 4922 | 4865 | +57 |
| Overall width (mm): | 1854 | 1854 | Equal |
| Overall height (mm): | 1465 | 1462 | +3 |
| Track | |||
| Front Track (mm): | 1590 | 1579 | +11 |
| Rear Track (mm): | 1587 | 1575 | +12 |
| Curb weight (kg): | 1418 | 1560 | -142 |
| Seating capacity: | 5 (2 front / 3 rear) | 5 (2 front / 3 rear) | Equal |
| Headroom | |||
| Front Headroom (mm): | 993 | 991 | +2 |
| Rear Headroom (mm): | 953 | 953 | Equal |
| Legroom | |||
| Front Legroom (mm): | 1067 | 1069 | -2 |
| Rear Legroom (mm): | 967 | 935 | +32 |
| Shoulder Room | |||
| Front Shoulder Room (mm): | 1486 | 1461 | +25 |
| Rear Shoulder Room (mm): | 1450 | 1450 | Equal |
| Hip Room | |||
| Front Hip Room (mm): | 1374 | 1397 | -23 |
| Rear Hip Room (mm): | 1356 | 1380 | -24 |
| EPA Passenger Volume (L): | 2914 | 2837 | +77 |
| Cargo Volume (L): | 447 | 462 | -15 |
| Fuel Tank (L): | 49.2 or 60 | 70 | -20.8 or -10 |
The GM Authority Take
We welcome the larger dimensions and more spacious interior of the 2016 Malibu, especially given that the changes make the vehicle more attractive in the highly-competitive midsize vehicle segment. And if Chevy markets the vehicle correctly and consumers take note, then it should be a runaway success. At least that’s the impression we got after driving the new model late last year.
About The Figures
- Curb weight:
- 2016 Malibu weight figure for 1LT trim level
- 2015 Malibu weight figure for 1LT trim level
- 2016 Malibu fuel tank capacities are as follows:
- 13 gallons / 49.2 liters for L, LS, 1LT, Hybrid and Premier 1LZ
- 15.8 gallons / 60 liters for 2LT and Premier 2LZ
Comments
Goodness… I bet its almost the same size as the Impala. My 06 Malibu SS is small in comparison now.
Yes, this new Malibu is bigger than the previous Malibus, but it’s not really the same size as the current (2014-present) Impala – only the wheelbase is almost the same, but the overall length is 19 centimeters (for Americans, that’s 7.5 inches) shorter than the Impala, and the cabin space and trunk size are also considerably smaller as well – which is actually expected, since Impala was always “one size” bigger than Malibu in the Chevrolet model range.
At the same time, new Malibu has more modern body, which is way lighter and, with its downsized turbo engines, Malibu should be way more fuel efficient than Impala, especially in the city start-stop traffic, so, overall, for most people, I guess, Malibu will be a better compromise between size, price and fuel efficiency. To me, new Malibu seems to be an awesome vehicle with relatively low cost of ownership (at least in case its new powertrains won’t “drop the ball” in terms of reliability).
The only downside I might think of, is that Malibu’s new 160 hp small 1.5L turbo may struggle at times at highway speeds, even with new Malibu’s low weight for its class.
I think overtime they might drop the 6 speed in terms of 8 speeds in the 1.5 but who knows
If I’m not mistaken, at the moment they only have new 8 speeds for high torque/power engines, but not for smaller and less powerful engines – it’s still 6T35/6T40/6T45 (front wheel drive) in these cases, but this may indeed change in the future.