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Chevy Malibu Sales Decrease 46 Percent To 31,041 Units In Q3 2018

Chevrolet Malibu sales decreased in the United States, Canada and South Korea in the third quarter of 2018.

Chevrolet Malibu Sales - Q3 2018 - United States

In the United States, Chevrolet Malibu deliveries totaled 31,041 units in Q3 2018, a decrease of about 46 percent compared to 57,263 units sold in Q3 2017.

In the first nine months of the year, Malibu sales decreased about 24 percent to 107,458 units.
MODEL Q3 2018 / Q3 2017 Q3 2018 Q3 2017YTD 2018 / YTD 2017 YTD 2018 YTD 2017
MALIBU -45.79% 31,041 57,263 -23.88% 107,458 141,162

Chevrolet Malibu Sales - Q3 2018 - Canada

In Canada, Chevrolet Malibu deliveries totaled 1,150 units in Q3 2018, a decrease of about 48 percent compared to 2,214 units sold in Q3 2017.

In the first nine months of the year, Malibu sales decreased about 16 percent to 5,433 units.
MODEL Q3 2018 / Q3 2017 Q3 2018 Q3 2017YTD 2018 / YTD 2017 YTD 2018 YTD 2017
MALIBU -48.06% 1,150 2,214 -16.23% 5,433 6,486

Chevrolet Malibu Sales - Q3 2018 - South Korea

In South Korea, Chevrolet Malibu deliveries totaled 5,432 units in Q3 2018, a decrease of about 23 percent compared to 7,011 units sold in Q3 2017. The

In the first nine months of the year, Malibu sales decreased about 56 percent to 11,643 units.
MODEL Q3 2018 / Q3 2017 Q3 2018 Q3 2017YTD 2018 / YTD 2017 YTD 2018 YTD 2017
MALIBU -22.52% 5,432 7,011 -56.41% 11,643 26,709

2018 Chevrolet Malibu Exterior 002

Competitive Sales Comparison

The Malibu’s third quarter sales performance puts it in sixth place in its segment by sales volume, while the Toyota Camry continued to wear the sales crown and the Honda Accord came in second. Both of the models moved more than twice the units of the Malibu.

Third place went to the Nissan Altima, followed by the Ford Fusion (see Ford Fusion sales) in fourth and Kia Optima in fifth as the only model in the segment to see sales increase. The Malibu did outsell the Hyundai Sonata, Volkswagen Passat (see VW Passat sales), Subaru Legacy, Mazda6 (see Mazda6 sales), and the discontinued Chrysler 200 (see Chrysler 200 sales).

Sales Numbers - Midsize Mainstream Sedans - Q3 2018 - United States

MODEL Q3 18 / Q3 17 Q3 18 Q3 17 YTD 18 / YTD 17 YTD 18 YTD 17
CAMRY -20.37% 84,092 105,610 -6.94% 262,887 282,507
ACCORD -15.11% 77,009 90,711 -14.16% 215,299 250,802
ALTIMA -20.10% 42,807 53,577 -16.64% 166,599 199,861
FUSION -27.67% 37,986 52,517 -21.77% 124,964 159,742
OPTIMA +31.94% 32,969 24,987 -5.74% 79,845 84,704
MALIBU -45.79% 31,041 57,263 -23.88% 107,458 141,162
SONATA -14.85% 26,740 31,403 -24.83% 80,975 107,718
PASSAT -27.90% 11,171 15,493 -33.78% 33,527 50,630
LEGACY -18.76% 9,665 11,897 -17.03% 31,080 37,461
MAZDA6 -32.33% 6,659 9,841 -11.16% 24,741 27,850
200 -97.01% 106 3,545 -94.21% 1,000 17,267
TOTAL -21.14% 360,245 456,844 -17.01% 1,128,375 1,359,704

Notably, the 46 percent drop in Malibu sales was the biggest contraction in the space during the quarter. The midsize mainstream sedan segment contracted an average of 21 percent in the second quarter of 2018 and 17 percent in the first nine months of 2018.

2017 Chevrolet Malibu - Exterior - South Korea 018

The GM Authority Take

Chevrolet Malibu sales fell much faster than the segment average during the third quarter, a highly concerning circumstance that puts the vehicle at risk of being cancelled like the Cruze, Impala, and Volt.

We attribute the Malibu’s ongoing sales slump to the following factors:

  1. An ongoing shift in consumer buying dynamics that favors crossover utility vehicles at the expense of other vehicle types like sedans and hatchbacks, as evidenced by the 15 percent drop of the entire segment during the second quarter
  2. A strong market reaction to the new Toyota Camry, which doesn’t appear to be deterred by the market shift
  3. Core product issues for the Chevrolet Malibu that make the vehicle less competitive and therefore less attractive in the marketplace, including a very nice but not standout design, not offering active safety systems as standard equipment (in comparison to its rivals), not offering all-wheel-drive or a performance variant, and an unfriendly trim level structure that requires customers to upgrade to a top-most trim level in order to get various desired features that are either standard or can be optioned a-la-carte on competing models. Additionally, the Malibu is the only model in its segment that can’t be equipped with a roof rack without drilling into the car, a factor that likely pushes consumers who value the feature to crossovers.

Though Chevy refreshed the Malibu for the 2019 model year, we’re not certain that the changes will help sales.

2019 Chevrolet Malibu RS First Drive Interior

About The Numbers

  • All percent change figures compared to Chevrolet Malibu Q3 2017 sales
  • In the United States, there were 76 selling days in Q3 2018 and 78 selling days in Q3 2017
  • In Canada, there were 75 selling days in Q3 2018 and 76 selling days in Q3 2017
  • South Korea sales figures reflect actual vehicle registrations rather than wholesales
  • China sales figures represent retail deliveries and not wholesales

2019 Chevrolet Malibu RS exterior 001 front three quarters (1)

About Chevrolet Malibu

The Chevrolet Malibu is a mid-size sedan sold in most markets where Chevrolet has a business presence. It is currently Chevrolet's second-largest sedan, in the U.S. and Canada, slotting above the subcompact Chevrolet Sonic and compact Chevrolet Cruze but under the full-size Chevrolet Impala.

The current, ninth-generation model was introduced in 2016. It rides on the GM E2 platform shared with the Buick Regal, Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, Holden Commodore NG, and the Cadillac XT4.

For 2019 - the fourth model year of the ninth-gen model - the Malibu received a midcycle enhancement, otherwise known as a facelift or refresh, that consists of revised exterior styling, a new Malibu RS trim level, a CVT transmission for L, LS, LT and RS models, a new infotainment system, a new 8-inch reconfigurable driver information center (DIC), LED headlamps on the Premier model, and various other new features.

2019 Chevrolet Malibu RS exterior 002 rear three quarters (1)

The Chevrolet Malibu is produced at the following GM plants:

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Comments

  1. I wouldn’t be surprised that sales decreased. If my locale is any indication of the rest of the country, they’re still trying to sell out the loads of remaining 18’s so not to many 19’s are showing up on the lots thus far.

    Reply
  2. Same for the competition, the new Cam/Cords are good but sales are still down. For Malibu/Regal they can continue with modest sales and continue updates or drop them completely.

    Reply
  3. My wife has a 2017 Malibu, and I have a 2019 Cruze. Both cars are without question the best looking on the road, unless you prefer giant, enormous front grilles on the Toyota and Lexus, or the hideous rear end and tail lights on the Honda’s.

    Reply
    1. Have you seen the 2019 refresh?

      Reply
    2. Yup !!! Exactly-
      Those ugly things are saturated on roads here in SoCal ; I call em futuristic Johnny cabs –

      Reply
      1. Chevy needs to get a v8 based car back like the ss or Pontiac g8 that has performance and good mileage.
        They are doing it with their trucks ?-
        Americans expect good ol’ American v8 performance superiority!!!-

        Reply
        1. “Americans expect good ol’ American v8 performance superiority!!!-”

          But few ever want to step up and pay for it if they truly wanted it bad enough.

          V8’s will not save this segment, nor will magically turn around the CUV market dominance.

          Reply
          1. Yup !!- we are now in the new electric car era –

            Reply
  4. GM appears to be in a freefall situation with nothing but bad news which is being echoed in articles and comment sections across the internet. Their recent plant closures and product cancellations have sparked a very public backlash from Washington and Ottawa which has renewed usage of the term Government Motors and brought the 2009 bailout back to the forefront. Don’t underestimate too the power that comes from the tweets of the president to influence a broad swath of the population. Mary Barra’s arrogance, intransigence, and cluelessness aren’t helping either. Her comments in the face of all this have signaled an ‘I don’t care attitude’.

    Couple all of that sweeping negative PR with products that are inferior to their competitors and the results are obvious. GM is quickly seeing the market turn against them. Although I have been a GM fan all my life and own a GM product that’s been good, if I had to replace it this afternoon, I would not even consider GM.

    Reply
    1. God Bless President Donald Trump for giving Miss Mary a very public dressing down and demanding GM do more or have its cushy $7,500 tax credit on EV stripped.

      GM, the AMERICAN TAX PAYER BAILED YOU OUT AND IS FUNDING THAT TAX CREDIT. STOP SCREWING THEM OVER!

      President Trump’s tweets reflect how REAL Americans are feeling about these big-government handout types like Mary, not “influencing” Americans like the fake news would have you believe. People are awakening so let him tweet all day long to help them out of their delusional world.

      Reply
    2. Ci2eye, what you mean like the left-wing fake news media has been influencing a broad swath of the American public for decades?

      Trump is just reiterating what millions of American have already been thinking for years but were silenced. He has given us a voice. You will not stop us from speaking anymore.

      Reply
  5. It appears the sedan is in a free fall situation.

    The real question is how long will GM hold onto the sedan.

    Before this is over there will be few sedans left in the North American market other than the luxury models.

    It is a good thing GM has a great line of CUV and SUzv models that are very profitable.

    Reply
    1. When the Malibu posts the highest decrease in its segment (by a huge margin), it is in a free fall – not the sedan.

      Yes, the sedan is down, but definitely not in a free fall. Toyota and Honda continue selling in very healthy volumes… Nissan is profitable at its volume, Kia and Hyundai remain profitable as well due to scale.

      So yes, this is – first and foremost – a product and brand problem for the Malibu. The segment-related issues are not even secondary… they’re tertiary.

      Reply
      1. As usual Alex is right.

        Reply
      2. Everyone is down and when you were mid pack you have going to see the most dramatic changes first and the others will follow.

        Even if GM offered the best car in class they would still be mid pack due to brand loyal Toyota and Honds buyers. They still would see more dramatic impact of the segment decline first.

        As time goes on Honda, Toyota and Hyundai will begin to also see accelerating declines.

        It is like ice. Those mid pack cars were on thinner ice. The top sellers will hold on longer but they too will be on thin ice too.

        Today it is not enough just to make money on a model it is all about making the highest return on investment. When choosing what to invest in they will pick the better return.

        Also the other enjoy the global market to absorbe the development cost.

        There was a time not too long no one would have said the V8 RWD sedan would be nearly gone and replaced by a 4 cylinder FWD car. Now the 4 cylinder CUV is replacing it.

        The love affair of the car is over. It is seen by the majority as just a way to get around and something to haul your stuff.

        The younger gens are even less in love with the car.

        There was a time the automobile was a social aspect of everyone’s life. It hit you to were you met others and it was like a cost of arms that represented you. Today utility and price are king. There is no real image in a Camry or Accord. There is even less utility.

        Reply
      3. Alex is right. And his #3 assessment up top is dead on… No AWD, no sport variant, they only recently started with the Premier trim and it still isn’t that nice. The Malibu is, was and has always been held back for the sake of protecting Buick,Olds,Pontiac in the old days and Buick today. When you have a glass ceiling over your head, how are you supposed to fight against the Camry or Accord who both have the sky as their limit?

        GM is continuing to ruin everything Chevrolet that isn’t a race car. (Corvette/Camaro)… Just like they’ve done for years.

        Reply
      4. Ironic that Toyota and Honda, who are doing well in this segment, are investing billions of dollars in America in plants and jobs. GM, on the other hand, is running to Mexico and China and its sales are falling fast in America.

        Ironic, eh? Karma probably.

        Reply
  6. Malibu has a nice exterior design but the interior sucks : Accord, Mazda6 & even Chrysler 200 have it beat!
    Malibu has a smooth quiet drive but I’m convinced Impala should have been the last GM sedan standing at a reduced sticker price.

    Reply
  7. The new generation Malibu is more stylish but being a Chevy owner my entire life, the quality of these vehicles are under par. The previous Chevy Malibu was botched in terms of style but had a much more inviting quality.

    Reply
  8. exterior good looking –interior needs to be restyled–poor layout and cheap material — poor selection of standard equipment — better available engines –is anybody listening guess they are all brain dead

    Reply
  9. Its looking more and more, like cars are dead, at GM. Such a shame. Some of us still like passenger cars, not just trucks, etc. I fear that all passenger cars are doomed, at Chevrolet. Including Camaro. Leaving overpriced CUV, SUV, and truck offerings. Oh, and a ridiculously priced mid-engine Corvette. Its looking like the next step for GM is electric-powered, self-driving pods, How exciting. I suppose that is good news for the thousands of dipshits I see on the road, that put a priority on texting and facebooking, rather than paying attention and driving.

    Reply
  10. I don’t know why GM doesn’t just give people what they want and get rid of who ever is holding them back . This is the same kind of thinking they have been doing for years and it got them in trouble before. Loosen up and have some fun ! It not like you don’t have the technology to make really cool cars and trucks! GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT!!!!!!!

    Reply
    1. No you’re wrong. Barra says that customers want EVs and AVs. I don’t know who these people are who want this but I’m sure they’re someplace if Queen Mary says so.

      Reply
      1. Mary is all affirmative action and no substance.

        Reply
  11. I can see why Malibu sales are decreasing. I own a Chevy Malibu and my biggest gripe is how underpowered this vehicle is, I mean come on a dinky 1.5liter engine please they ought to be giving them away with that kind of power train!

    Reply
  12. Put it this way if you want to lay down your hard-earned money where would you put it? I have two GM products like them both. But if I was to buy a sedan today I go for Style and durability and that would be the Toyota Camry. Why, because the Malibu is not all that attractive and it’s quality is not as good as Toyota. Come race time with NASCAR I pull for Ford and Chevy and boo the Toyota Camry.

    Reply
  13. Keeping only one sedan with the Chevy nameplate, should have been the Impala.

    Reply
    1. Imagine Impala quality and perks at a Malibu price point?
      Sure it’s an older platform but gas mileage is decent.

      Reply
  14. Alex, What is the fundamental reason that Camry, Accord and Altima outsell Malibu?

    Reply
  15. Let’s take a moment to think of why GM is failing, or why car companies (particularly the American ones) are failing. American cars used to consist of Muscle cars, family cars, SUVs and trucks and they were affordable. They were well appointed, simple to fix, fairly straight forward vehicles that were different from everything else in style, feel and just about every aspect there was. Now, they’re cheaply built, overpriced imitations, trying desperately to fit in where they were never meant to. Now i give kudos to the Camaro and the Silverado because they’re a different breed but let’s face it, Chevy needs to do things a bit differently than what it’s been doing and it needs to “go back” to when it was winning and figure out where the ball was dropped.
    Back in that bailout era and that 05-09 Era when i think just about every single car in the world was somewhat of a bad joke. Something happened and there was a weird shift in the world and it seems that alot of things never recovered. Some kind of unspoken event that changed nearly everything. It was at that time though, i think chevy was almost on to something that alot of people overlooked. GM decided that performance needed to live on but in a slightly different way, which was when the 5.3L LS4. The LS4 was a 5.3L V8 designed for FWD applications offering roughly 303hp and 323lb-ft of torque. For it’s time, that was a good bit of power seeing that the Mustang GT was a 300hp performance car and the recently ended Camaro/Trans Am put out 320hp from the 5.7L LS1. GM had also done something else around this time and had the LH2 4.6L Northstar DOHC V8 that put out 320hp and 315lb-ft of torque which made it a solid performer of it’s day as well. Nobody else at the time had anything like that. Now I’m not saying that GM should go back to a FWD V8 powered platform, what i am saying it that GM needs to go back to having more middle ground superheroes.
    GM is planning to move cars to four different platforms, VSS-F (front wheel drive), VSS-R (rear wheel drive), VSS-T (body on frame trucks & VSS-S (unibody SUVS). Now I’m going to get this part out of the way first, We all know Hybrids and Electric cars are the direction that the Auto industry is going in (like it or not). With this being the case and everybody trying to be Global and having a global face in the market. I believe that Buick should be the Global face of GM but not in the way that it has been. Buick is in an awkward stage in it’s life of trying to rebrand itself and proving its own worth in this strange world that we live in today. I personally believe that Buick can be the balance of whatever it is needed to be because it doesn’t have a “legend” to uphold. Yes at one time there was the Buick Grand national and a few other key Buick performance cars, but even in that Buick has been the one to break the mold and be whatever it needed to be at the time for general motors. Right now, what Buick needs to be is that car that can go toe to toe with the likes of Toyota’s Camry, Nissan’s Altima, Honda’s Accord, Mazda’s 6, etc. The utilitarians of the auto world. The only problem is to it can not be a cookie cutter version of those cars, it has to stand out above them. General motors just released a 2.7L Turbo 4-cylinder for the new silverado. Taking that engine, a 10-speed automatic transmission, a electric front drive motor for standard all wheel drive, Large ABS brakes as standard, a rear wheel drive based platform, touch screen navigation standard and the rest of the typical Buick equipment and presenting that as the Buick Regal would be the way to boost sales seeing that you have the most power standard, fuel efficiency, performance, spirited feel, comfort, and all of that stuff standard over what anyone else has. Even if Buick released an RS performance variant to fight with the the TRD Camry, some slight tweaks to the 2.7L with a performance suspension, Brembo brakes, ground effects, Performance Hybrid System, AWD, and a sportier interior would trump what Toyota has right now. But beyond that, Buick would play it’s part in the Hybrid and electric world and be GM’s full tilt entry into this new market. GM has already proven that it can make a dragstrip champion electric car with the E-COPO camaro and now it’s time that GM take that knowledge and put it into a vehicle that has an extended range and make a performance electric coupe out of the Avista concept. Taking the current body language of the Lacrosse and putting it on a VSS-R platform with the base 2.7L Hybrid AWD system, offer a higher performance AWD hybrid variant and go from there and then finally have your Crossovers & SUVs all with some sort of Hybrid or Electric power-trains and call it a day. These cars should range in prices from everyday affordable (sub $20K) to entry level luxury ($45-60K)
    Above that you have Cadillac as the Global face of Luxury and Luxury ultra high performance with the blackwing series Twin turbo charged V6 and V8 engines and also a electric super car variant of the Corvette (which should definitely be moved under the Cadillac umbrella so it can take it’s rightful place in the world as the Ultimate American Luxury Hyper Sports Car. Even with Cadillac sharing its platform with the rest of GM, there should be nothing else shared with anything else in the GM lineup.
    I’m going to skip over GMC for a moment and drop down to Chevrolet. Chevrolet should be the brand of the “American people” (despite what some may think, there are still alot of us out here, most of us sit back in silent grief as we watch a beloved brand go down the tube and think back to yester-years when Chevy had cars that really appealed to us.) When we think of Chevy we think of Red Outlined Bowties and all of the other things that we (Chevy gear heads) miss. Yes going out and buying a 455hp LT1 SS Camaro that can tear up the track and everything else is awesome (if you can afford it) honestly, there are alot of us that would be truly happy if Chevy took the 5.3L, give it 425hp and 420lb-ft of torque gave it an 8-speed auto, 18″ wheels, 4-piston Brembo brakes, the RS body and a sporty interior, Called it the Z/28 (Like how the Z28 was the V8 model under the SS in the 90’s) gave it a $19K start price and a wider range of GM performance parts (both performance and cosmetic) that can be added to the car that won’t break the bank and I guarantee the Camaro would be the hottest selling American performance car on the road. Take that same idea, with a rear wheel drive sedan and give us the Impala SS back. The Impala should have the 10-speed auto, 1LE suspension, big Brembo brakes, 20″ wheels and all that with the LT1 455hp 6.2L V8 under the hood. Same thing with a Trailblazer SS except for this should be a unibody AWD SUV like the old Trailblazer SS with the 6.2L. People also want a resurrection of the K5 Blazer, a Chevy Cheyenne Luxury Performance truck and the Silverado SS. All jokes aside the Chevrolet lineup could do for GM what the Dodge lineup does for FCA, and that is becoming an Icon of American Muscle again, which is something that people do want and something that does sell. Yes People love luxury, people love the new electric craze and all of that stuff, but something that has never fallen out of style were Muscle cars & Performance trucks and truthfully there are alot of people out here who still want them. They don’t have to be the fastest track car for the street, just a good, solid, fun, V8 powered, good handling, back roads and stoplight to stoplight car. Chevy owners want a Chevy. If we wanted a Prius, we’d go buy one. I do believe that Chevy should cull the spark, sonic, cruze, trax, traverse, and equinox and the upcoming Blazer SUV, bring us a Blazer based on the Colorado, drop the 3.6L V6, insert the new 2.7T, a V6 diesel and a 5.3L V8 under the hood of both the Colorado and the Colorado based Blazer, Give the Blazer the ZR2 suspension with the V6 Diesel and the 5.3L option, Give the Colorado more of the new Silverado look, Offer a 5.3L Colorado SS pickup truck with a 10-speed auto, AWD, Brembo brakes, 22″ wheels, dual exhaust that exits in front of the rear wheels with quad tips, single cab and crew cab setups, short bed, sporty interior, sport hood, etc. Also a Colorado High Country should be in the lineup as well.
    Lastly would be the GMC lineup. The Professional Grade vehicle. Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with GMC. If I had to change anything, I’d drop the Terrain, move the Acadia to a rear wheel drive based platform, offer different engines in the Canyon and that would be it. For a company to be successful, it must appeal to its customers, We are Chevy customers. We want Chevys. To appeal to a market group, you need to offer what people want. No you’re not going to get every sale, but if you have your hands in the electric car market, the hybrid market, the luxury market and the enthusiast/gearhead/v8/performance market and you have attainable, solid, dependable, products, then you can have a stable business. And this is only the pedestrian consumer market. If you really want to make a huge profit for the electric/hybrid market, make products that cater to businesses such as parcel, mass transit and military. The military could benefit from near silent electric vehicles that can be used to slip in and out without detection. Parcel companies could use electric vehicles for mail delivery or businesses like UPS, Fedex, DHL, etc could use them for delivery trucks. GM Automation could be used in shipping yards and loading docks to move trailers from their trucks to the shipping docs where they can be autonomously loaded all through one system. Heavy duty electric motors could easily be used on newly redesigned medium duty trucks to aid in bad weather driving. GM could develop a hybrid medium duty truck that is more aerodynamic, lower to the ground, etc with a rear view mirror camera with a wide angle view for safe driving, lane departure warning, blind spot detection, a regenerative hybrid driving system, solar tint anti-glare windshield, etc. There are so many directions this electric and hybrid technology could go all while still allowing the people who want to have their gasoline powered performance cars and trucks. it’s all about making your consumers happy and expanding your horizons at the same time.

    Reply
    1. What?

      Reply
    2. Without much of the reading, a Alpha sedan above Malibu is needed and the Malibu can use a better base engine and IMO a awd/290hp 2.0 sport model with available manual, that should chalk a few things up without stepping on the Regal GS (which also needs a 3.0 turbo as an option).

      Reply
      1. Their engines are competitive now. Even if they they were to add these enhancements, they still won’t sell. People will automatically run and buy an Accord or Camry or anything from an import brand. An example is ford released the fusion with a turbo V-6 and performance enhancements and that didn’t help them one bit.

        Reply
      2. So you’re suggesting to keep the malibu and have an Alpha platform Impala SS? Not a terrible thought, my only worry would be that with the sedan segment being somewhat unstable anymore, wouldn’t it be smarter just to go with one sedan with different trim levels? Getting rid of the FWD platform would save GM alot of money by not only eliminating an entire platform, but also the smaller four cylinders would die off as would the FWD transaxles. This way GM wouldn’t be wasting money on parts for all of that kind of stuff and they could focus on just having the 10-speed auto, the 7-speed manual and the 10-speed Allison. It also saves them from having to worry about ensuring a whole bunch of small engines trying to pass emissions testing. Dropping off the Spark, Sonic, Cruze, Trax, Blazer, and Traverse would save GM so much money in so many different ways. Dropping their ties with opel would also help. Honestly it should be Chevrolet, Holden, GMC, Buick & Cadillac and that be it. Also Holden should be a global brand and they should bring back the Monaro, the Commodore & the Maloo and have those be global vehicles. Aussie-spec muscle for the whole world. Use the same three platforms (VSS-R, VSS-S & VSS-T) and call it a day. GM would be in a much better spot than it is now.

        Reply
        1. You’re full of crap beyond your years, kid.

          You’re worrying FWD cars and the diminished public importance of muscle cars when it doesn’t fuking matter in the mainstream market,

          Worse still, even when the whole world wants CUV’s right now, all you can think of is making low volume products at high-volume prices. You’re thinking the global appetite for muscle cars is at an all time high when in reality it’s a niche market of the sports coupe.

          Reply
    3. Well, at least the American car companies are still around. Unlike all the Canadian car companies that died off a long time ago.

      Let’s just hope Miss Mary Barra doesn’t screw GM up anymore.

      Reply
  16. I like the look of the car—but wouldn’t consider it because of no six cylinder option–and to a lesser degree no all-wheel-drive option—don’t want a hi-performance four banger under the hood that would require premium fuel—at least the mid-size Camry is available with a six.

    Reply
    1. The Malibu 2.0T with its 9 speed auto is as fast as the Accord 2.0T and a hair faster than the Camry V-6. It also doesn’t require premium fuel.

      Reply
  17. “…an unfriendly trim level structure that requires customers to upgrade to a top-most trim level in order to get various desired features that are either standard or can be optioned a-la-carte on competing models. ”

    Yes – I personally know at least 3 people who chose competing brands due this very fact. I’m also shopping elsewhere for my next car because of this. If I want a feature but am forced to choose a top-level trip with option packages resulting in thousands extra cost that is a huge negative which forces me to look elsewhere…

    Reply
  18. I guess I look at the Malibu and ask how it got the “CATFISH” face. Like one of the posters above indicated, to get a Malibu or any vehicle in the Chevy line with safety features you mist buy a top of the line model or spring for options in a package you really don’t need. The bean counters got this figured out……….jack up the price and lengthen the numbers of finance years…plain and simple.

    The MALIBU used to be an affordable peoples car………no longer! It’s now an overpriced not so exciting vehicle.

    I had a number of S-10 Blazers and Pickups. They were the right size and a lot less money than a full size truck. Now with rebates, the price of a Colorado is near the price of a Silverado.

    I’ve owned at least 75 new and used Chevys. I own two now, an underpowered Equinox and an LT Impala with a rock hard seats and cheap interior.
    I’m ready for two new vehicles………….make look elsewhere!

    Reply
    1. It’s now getting worse for 2019. Used to able to get a panoramic moonroof on the LT and the first year the 2.0T was available on the LT. Now it’s gone on the LT trim. Now it’s no choice but to go to the Premier for everything. I really wanted to buy a Cruze or Malibu after driving them. But now with how things are going, the Malibu might be gone next year as well. Off to VW for me.

      Reply
  19. Not surprised. We leased a 2018 Premier back in July; however, you would think that the “Premier” badge would come with more safety options included. Not so. There is no exterior safety monitoring system, i.e., blind spot, lane departure, etc. That’s an option that must be ordered. The backup camera does not alert the driver when coming close to objects, both directly and to the side like my Impala. From my point of view, the only real positive to this Malibu is the turbo, although it’s a small one, it does add some pep. Too bad it’s not a 100mm!

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  20. That’s what happens when you put profit before sales. The problem with that is when you have more sales you have no more profit. GM is constantly bragging about how much more profit they make on each vehicle. Whe the higher profit cause you to sell less vehicles that don’t sound like good Busness practice to me.

    I know all sedan sales are down but when you look at the Optima and the Malibu the Optima increased almost as much as the Malibu decreased. Considering last years third quarter the Malibu sold more than twice the Optima tells me there is something wrong with the Malibu. Not sure what it is but it seem like the last paragraph in the article hit the nail on the head.

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    1. Sadly, the same thing can be said for the incoming Silveardo, I’m down here in the state of Georgia and the new RAM’s are popping up everywhere on the streets out here at a rapid pace with no signs of slowing down, I’m sure that GM is observing this and is getting a true “Wake Up Call” on the fact that Budget Constraint-Like Tactics on their ” Bread & Butter vehicle is not paying off so well, a Lame Duck Interior along with refined engines that bring Ass-Backward results on EPA numbers would be a “No Brainer” as to why I’m not seeing too many of these 2019 Silvy’s darting out from the dealerships here along with many other reasons, GM still has their work cut out for them, I wouldn’t be surprised if a refresh appears sooner than expected.

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  21. GM lust can’t do it. Too much cost. Without using profits from high profit generators and buying back market share GM will just continue to loose. GM needs to at least make the same standard features and safety features standard. Then loosing money on the vehicle, need to keep ALL of them on the road to at least 100,000 miles at zero cost to the owner through customer service. This is exactly what the leaders did to take this market away from GM in the first place. However with Tesla now in the mix along with the rest of the foreign competition GM will just continue to once again slid into irreversible damage.

    In my opinion at this time GM needs to quickly cut all. I mean all. 3, trucks – 3, 4 door sedans – 2 coupes – 5, SUVs. Just branded GM. All standard safety features. Options al a cart.

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  22. When you have less sales.

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  23. I have a 2016 Malibu hybrid and it has all the options and is a very reliable car have almost 30000 miles on it and live I Alaska and drive with no winter tire and it get the job done but as far as the new vehicles that GM is making we can blame that on the CEO she has no idea what she is doing

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  24. The current Malibu in my opinion has always had such great potential but was let down by cost cutting.
    The platform is great, with a spacious and ergonomically pleasing interior, and the exterior has great proportions. But unfortunately it’s plagued with a buzzy and underpowered base engine, cheap interior materials, and low feature content for the money. A well baked vehicle, but it lacks the finishing touches.

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    1. Okay so I am right now in the market looking for a vehicle. My choices are or were the Chevy Cruze Premier, the Chevy Malibu Premier, VW, Golf/GTI/Golf All-Trak, Jetta, Honda Accord and Honda Civic. I just checked out the Honda Accord, Civic, and Malibu. It is sad that the Malibu’s Interior is considered cheap because the top of the dash is hard Touch plastic as well as the interior paneling all around but mixed with some soft touch materials all around. Funny thing is the Accord is the same but not on the dashboard which is soft touch and front doors. But step in the rear and it is hard touch plastic everywhere. Only car that beats them all is the Toyota Camry for they didn’t skimp out on refined interior materials that make them both look cheap as well as the Mazda 6. Overall the Accord looks more Upscale than the Malibu in design but I came away with both on the same level of quality. That’s just me. Anywho I decided to eliminate Chevy and Honda completely frommmy choices. One because I think it will be discontinued by the time I am ready to buy and the other because one of the models the reliability has gone down quite a bit.

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  25. How about you make an interior that belongs in the year 2018 materials wise. I assist a lot of people for whatever reason to get new cars and since I am a GM fan I always push them towards a GM car first. They all laugh at the interiors. I mean I tried talking my friend to go from the S7 he had to a CT6 since he wanted something slightly bigger and he legit thought I was crazy. He did like the 3.0TT a lot but just couldn’t get passed that interior at all. The only vehicle I have had two successful transfers into the GM family is the all new Buick Enclave. Both got Avenir ones. The third paid a lot more and got the Q7
    I have tried for years to get people into Cruze, Malibu and such with zero success. They all go to Toyota, Honda, Nissan. The crazy thing is that they actually preferred the Infotainment system in GM cars but couldn’t stand the cheap interiors.
    GM needs to do better in the interior department or Barra needs to step aside.

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  26. Interesting as I just looked at 3 new 2019 Malibu LT’s that were sitting next to 4 2018 LT models. Of note was the base price for the 2018 LT model vs the 2019. Yes the 2019 price has increased from 25220 to 26445 or an increase of 1225 for the volume selling mid trim level LT!

    The 2019’s did gain heated seats and remote start but lost the rear exterior door handle unlock buttons. Equipped with the extra cost red paint, two option packages that included advanced safety items that are mostly std on other mid trim level competitors costing 1095.00 the sticker price on two of the 2019 LT carts was over 29K! And for that price the car lacked a leather steering wheel and shifter, no LED headlights, no auto day/night mirror, auto up only on the driver’s power window, no power moonroof, no navigation, no smart trunk opening feature, no radio upgrade and no 110V rear outlet like last years car had and a cheap hard plastic small glove box with no light! And lets not forget that the seat belts can no longer be adjusted on this car or the Cruze in yet another cost cutting move by Malaize Mary and the fact that this car has the lowest powered engine in it’s entire class!

    Now lets compare the 2019 Fusion SEL that has an MSRP of 29475. It has a 10 way power driver seat and a 6 way power passenger seat with premium Active X seating material, a leather wheel and shift knob, Bliss, premium 11 speaker audio system, 18″ deluxe alloy wheels, rain sensing wipers, lane keep system, auto dimming rear view mirror, keyless entry keypad, auto dimming driver’s side mirror with memory, LED headlights, 185 Hp v s 160 and adjustable seat belts.

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    1. It’s like they are de contenting on purpose.

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