Chevrolet Malibu sales increased in the United States while decreasing in Canada, Mexico, and South Korea during the first quarter of 2020.
Chevrolet Malibu Sales - Q1 2020 - United States
In the United States, Chevrolet Malibu deliveries totaled 35,283 units in Q1 2020, an increase of about 3 percent compared to 34,197 units sold in Q1 2019.| MODEL | Q1 2020 / Q1 2019 | Q1 2020 | Q1 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| MALIBU | +3.18% | 35,283 | 34,197 |
Chevrolet Malibu Sales - Q1 2020 - Canada
In Canada, Chevrolet Malibu deliveries totaled 811 units in Q1 2020, a decrease of about 5 percent compared to 853 units sold in Q1 2019.| MODEL | Q1 2020 / Q1 2019 | Q1 2020 | Q1 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| MALIBU | -4.92% | 811 | 853 |
Chevrolet Malibu Sales - Q1 2020 - South Korea
In South Korea, Chevrolet Malibu deliveries totaled 1,209 units in Q1 2020, a decrease of about 64 percent compared to 3,373 units sold in Q1 2019.| MODEL | Q1 2020 / Q1 2019 | Q1 2020 | Q1 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| MALIBU | -64.16% | 1,209 | 3,373 |
Chevrolet Malibu Sales - Q1 2020 - Mexico
In Mexico, Chevrolet Malibu deliveries totaled 5 units in Q1 2020, a decrease of about 93 percent compared to 71 units sold in Q1 2019.| MODEL | Q1 2020 / Q1 2019 | Q1 2020 | Q1 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| MALIBU | -92.96% | 5 | 71 |
Competitive Sales Comparison
Although Chevrolet Malibu sales increased slightly during the quarter, the midsize sedan fell one position in its competitive set, becoming the fifth best-selling model in its segment (out of ten rivals).
The Toyota Camry continued to dominate the segment, remaining the best-selling model with 77,188 deliveries and a 26 percent segment share. The Camry was followed by the Nissan Altima in second place, with 47,347 deliveries and 16 percent segment share. Third place went to the Honda Accord, which accounted for 47,125 deliveries and a 16 percent segment share. Fourth place was claimed by the soon-to-be-discontinued Ford Fusion with 36,937 deliveries and 12 percent segment share.
The Malibu saw a 12 percent segment share and posted the only increase in sales volume in the segment. That enabled it to increase its segment share from 10 percent in Q1 2019 to 12 percent in Q1 2020. All remaining models each saw single-digit segment shares, including the Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata, Subaru Legacy, Volkswagen Passat (see VW Passat sales), Mazda6 (see Mazda6 sales), and the discontinued Chrysler 200.
Sales Numbers - Midsize Mainstream Sedans - Q1 2020 - United States
| MODEL | Q1 20 / Q1 19 | Q1 20 | Q1 19 | Q1 20 SHARE | Q1 19 SHARE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOYOTA CAMRY | -5.50% | 77,188 | 81,684 | 26% | 24% |
| NISSAN ALTIMA | -8.03% | 47,347 | 51,480 | 16% | 15% |
| HONDA ACCORD | -26.84% | 47,125 | 64,411 | 16% | 19% |
| FORD FUSION | -11.39% | 36,937 | 41,683 | 12% | 12% |
| CHEVROLET MALIBU | +3.18% | 35,283 | 34,197 | 12% | 10% |
| KIA OPTIMA | -10.25% | 20,345 | 22,668 | 7% | 7% |
| HYUNDAI SONATA | -27.50% | 15,602 | 21,520 | 5% | 6% |
| SUBARU LEGACY | -20.49% | 6,535 | 8,219 | 2% | 2% |
| VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT | -22.91% | 5,981 | 7,758 | 2% | 2% |
| MAZDA MAZDA6 | -34.89% | 4,506 | 6,921 | 2% | 2% |
| CHRYSLER 200 | -88.46% | 3 | 26 | 0% | 0% |
| TOTAL | -12.84% | 296,852 | 340,567 |
The midsize mainstream sedan segment contracted an average of 13 percent to 296,852 units in Q1 2020. As such, the 3 percent increase in Chevrolet Malibu sales during the quarter outperformed the segment average.
The GM Authority Take
Chevrolet Malibu sales posted quite a healthy performance during the first quarter. While many might characterize the 3 percent increase in sales volume as a minor event, the uptick is very much noteworthy given that Malibu sales outpaced the segment average and the negative growth rate of all segment contenders.
We believe that the increase in Malibu sales was caused by GM filling pent-up demand caused by the 40 day-long work stoppage during the end of Q3 2019 and the first month of Q4 2019 at all U.S. GM plants, including the GM Fairfax plant in Kansas where the Malibu. The production stoppage resulted in inventory levels falling below optimal levels at dealers, causing pent-up demand to rise on both the retail and fleet sides of the business. A restart in Malibu production during the second half of Q4 2019 and during the first two months of 2020 enabled GM to satisfy that pent-up demand during Q1 2020, allowing the Malibu to record the increase in sales volume.
It will be interesting to see how Chevrolet Malibu sales continue to fare during 2020. Besides the COVID-19 pandemic, the midsize sedan also has two other factors working against it. These include very strong competition from Japanese and Korean rivals, which are all fielding all-new, highly-competitive offerings, and an ongoing shift in consumer buying dynamics where in buyers continue to shift toward crossover SUVs at the expense of sedans.
The Malibu is currently the only Chevrolet sedan to not be discontinued or with concrete plans to be discontinued in the immediate future. Other Chevy sedans like the Cruze and Volt have already been axed, while the Impala will be discontinued in the near future and the Chevy Sonic will likely also be dropped, though Chevrolet has been denying those claims. For its part, the Malibu is expected to be sunset at the end of its lifecycle in 2024.
About The Numbers
- All percent change figures compared to Chevrolet Malibu sales in Q1 2019, except if noted
- In the United States, there were 76 selling days in Q1 2020 and 76 selling days in Q1 2019
- South Korea sales figures reflect actual vehicle registrations rather than wholesales
- China sales figures represent retail deliveries and not wholesales
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Comments
They would be foolish to discontinue the Malibu. It’s such a part of Chevrolet’s history.. Of greater significance than the Impala even due to the Chevelle variant. They could keep the Malibu and offer a 2 door Chevelle for even one model run. Dodge Challenger who??
The Malibu just needs a nicer interior and an AWD option for those in the snowbelt. It’s the all American car.
Please no fwd Chevelles, I doubt you’ll see a large coupe from GM unless it’s a Cadillac (expensive) but some magic is to happen most likely it will be a Monte Carlo.
Now a new Malibu or Chevelle VSS-R replacement can be possible since most families go to trucks/SUVs anyway and the wheelbase, interior, trunk is large enough to replace current Malibu and Impala but practical for commuting/Intercity driving. Start with a 2.5 , 2.0t for base and fleet to the mighty S/C 6.2.
I mean its basically the CT4, with a base MSRP of 33k its already at a Chevy price point. It’s a little small for some people, but the perfect size for me. The idea of marketing it as a Chevy has some appeal to me, maybe revive the Chevelle or more appropriately the Nova.
Who bought all the Malibu’s….Hertz?
In a better world I do wanna see a CT4 based Nova for Chevy against Civic, CT5 based Malibu/Chevelle and CT6 based Impala all available with V8 power, unfortunately it’s not 1971 or even 2011.
Since trucks-SUVs are the majority and profit of Chevy sales also Cadillac is doing small/mid/large sedans due to higher asking price one VSS-R Chevy sedan should cover leftover sedan/sport sedan buyers that don’t want Cadillac attention or price, around the size of the Charger and SS so it’s still economic and compact but room for fleet, passengers and large engine options.
Oh no, I wasn’t suggesting a potential Chevelle variant be a FWD. No way… They’d ruin the nameplate forever if they did that. I was thinking Challenger when I said that.
Either way the Malibu needs to live on. The CT4 idea is good too.
The Malibu is going to pick up Fusion sales (both retail and fleet) towards the latter part of the year.
They need an AWD wagon model to add to the mix, and the next gen Malibu should also have a Buick version (Regal).
The 2.0L turbo model is a rocket. And they added a disable switch for the start/stop system.
The refreshed model is a legitimately good car.
Now before anyone gets upset let me clearly state I own a Malibu so I am not a hater.
But here is the reality, sales are up because of the Impala, Fusion demise. One has to also consider how many of these were fleet sales too.
But the writing is on the wall as all models including the heavy hitters in this segment are in decline. Note they all have been declining for a while now.
Adding a AWD, Wagon, and a Regal was already tried and it did not move the needle even with good discounts. It was @ case of a great car that no one cared about.
The only reason some of these cars are still here is global sales where they still sell overseas unlike the Malibu.
Coupes are even more endangered.
The first need is to look at what people are buying. That is where investment will go as that is where the return on investment is.
If more people were buying sedans we would get more sedans.
It used to be one model half million or more and now even the class leaders fall short of that.
Time to look at this how the automakers look at it. You can not spend billions developing cars that sell 100k units while the same investment could sell 400k CUV models.
GM went broke selling millions of cars that few were buying. Even when they did they made little money on them. Today they are making good money selling less models but more profitable models.
Bare in mind that these numbers are just through the first quarter, the winter months, making the increased sales even more impressive. It will be interesting to see how GM reacts if these numbers continue to climb through the summer. It’s nice to see that people are finally recognizing how nice the Malibu is when equipped with a 2.0t. It’s performance really makes all these CUV’s seem like the soccer mom cars they really are.
As for selling 400k units, you obviously forget how well the Cruze sold. Combined with Sonic sales, there are definitely some years that those numbers were up around 400k.
Good performance, nice car. It needs a better interior and more AWD options.
The Malibu is a solid car, GM just needs to take advantage of the situation like others have done. Improve your product then market it to people who have no interest in suvs.
I am a GM employee and It would be nice to have sedan/wagon sized between the Malibu and Impala. Go with one vehicle much like Toyota and Honda with Camry/Accord. Offer AWD in both sedan and wagon. Wagon to have a higher stance like Subaru’s. This would allow to target multiple demographics and preferences with a single product/name plate.
I just don’t see the wagon being worth the development cost, yes it works for Subaru but it hasn’t for Toyota(Camry) or Honda(Accord) hence why neither of them offer a wagon anymore. The Regal wagon which was actually a good effort barely sold and it had great reviews.
Although Toyota doesn’t offer a “wagon” the Corolla hatch is pretty close, and does sell. The Regal TourX was well built, but it weighs more than the Equinox and it really showed it’s heft during my test drive. The 2.0t was just not enough motor to get the hefty awd system and all 4000 lbs moving with any real sense of urgency. That’s probably one of the reasons why that regal wagon was receiving massive discounts and slow to move off the lots. The TourX is a solid vehicle, but for less money the Corolla hatch is a way more engaging vehicle to drive on a daily basis and has similar cargo management capabilities. And if the consumer wants AWD at that price the just buy a Japanese brand or an SUV. You can get an AWD Mazda3 or CX30 hatch for atleast 5k less than a Buick sportback AWD.
It would have been really cool to see how the Regal wagon and hatch would have been brought under the Malibu name and produced in the same factory and given decent amounts of advertisement and visibility at the local Chevy dealers. I have a feeling it would sell more but probably not enough to justify doing it sadly due to the bazaar obsession with cute utes and trucks.
As for the current Malibu if it is to survive against the competition Chevy would need to do the following to keep it fresh and exciting-
1) AWD borrowed from the Regal and made an option on RS, LT and Premier trims
2) 2.0T RS model
3) Any kind of power bump for the 1.5T even 170 HP like in the Equinox/Terrain is needed with an increase in the highway figure
4) Replace the cloth on the dash with the padded vinyl like the Premier or LT with leather models
5) Upgrade the door panels on RS, LT and Premier models with more padding and two tone with charcoal and wood or charcoal and carbon fiber etc
6) Leather wheel and shift knob should be std on LT just as it is on RS and Premier
7) Heavier MCE for 2022 or 2023 with all of the above changes and a revised front and tail incorporating current design language
8) Come up with some type of advertising that keeps this once popular name in people’s thoughts and tout it’s features.
Note that most of these items are readily available and would take little to achieve. The front and rear changes would be the most of the budget along with incorporating the AWD setup from the Regal but the rest should be easy
If I were on the market for a sedan, the Malibu would be my main aim. You can get an LS new with everything you need for $20k. If they offered the 2.0 in the RS and LT, I’d be even more up for it. AWD would probably seal it. It looks and feels like a good car. Everyone I’ve met who has one loves it. I wish they’d kept the Impala, and worked on it, but if the Malibu is their choice, or it’s just doing better, then they ought to give it some serious effort to keep it their catch-all. This crossover thing probably won’t last forever. When people start looking again to sedans, for whatever reason, the Malibu is a good jumping off point. They could build a lineup of good cars from there just fine. And even if sedans remain a niche market, or a secondary one, the Malibu is a good representation. They don’t have to spend a ton of money to give it a little of everything. Don’t mess it up, GM.
I agree Aaron if only they would include as standard equipment the key safety systems like their competitors include. I would need to spend over $1,000 for this option and only if it was available in a car on the dealer lot. When i mentioned it to a Chevy salesman he said you can choose to have it or not on the Malibu where as you get it whether you want it or not on the competition. Good answer I suppose but I would like it included without the extra cost.