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GM Working On D-Segment EV As Potential Chevy Malibu Replacement

Among the spate of confirmed upcoming vehicles during the recent GM Investor Day, General Motors revealed that a Chevrolet Low-Roof EV is on the drawing board, which could serve as an all-electric replacement for the Chevy Malibu.

GM took advantage of this year’s Investor Day presentation to announce the development of a future Bow Tie brand electric vehicle aimed at the midsize car segment – where the Chevy Malibu currently competes. The General’s global president Mark Reuss described it as a “pretty dramatic” D-segment vehicle with sedan-like proportions. The model is in an early stage of development and has already been confirmed for China.

“This one’s coming a little bit later, and this is a Chevrolet version of it. It’s a ‘Car-D’ primarily for the Chinese market, and we’ll see the desirability as we clinic this,” said Reuss during his product roadmap presentation to investors. “It’s a little bit further out, but this is a pretty dramatic low-roof, sedan-like proportion that we’re just beginning to design and engineer. It’s really quite a statement from a design standpoint, but we’ll see how it goes,” he added.

Although the model is only confirmed for the Chinese market for now, Mark Reuss’ words indicate that the potential all-electric replacement for the Chevy Malibu will also be considered for other markets during its development, and this leaves open the possibility of offering it in North America. Sedans remain very popular in China, where Chevrolet’s best-selling models are the Chevy Monza and Chevy Malibu XL.

The all-electric replacement for the Chevy Malibu is the first production Chevrolet sedan-like EV confirmed by the automaker, having unveiled its parent brand’s upcoming zero-emissions model range earlier this year, led by the all-new Chevy Silverado EV, Blazer EV and Equinox EV. In fact, in China, the company has just introduced its first fully electric sedan from Chevrolet in concept format, the Chevy FNR-XE Concept.

Chevy FNR-XE Concept

This potential all-electric replacement for the Chevy Malibu will be a low-roof vehicle based on Ultium Battery and Ultium Drive technology, and is scheduled to make its global debut at the end of the 2024 calendar year in China. For now, it’s unclear if this intriguing Chevrolet D-segment EV will continue the long-established Malibu nameplate or use another name instead.

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Deivis is an engineer with a passion for cars and the global auto business. He is constantly investigating about GM's future products.

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Comments

  1. Good news, but what about the NA market? I doubt it will be built upon a GEM platform, so a NA production and release should be in the offing.

    Reply
    1. As an EV it will likely be built on the BEV3 “Ultium” platform.

      Reply
  2. With Lower production cost more niche models can be done.

    Ford already stated assembly could cut 40% of the line.

    Reply
    1. Yeah, if “lower production costs” Is actually to be believed. Sure its requires 40%less line workers at final assembly, but we’re already seeing astronomical component costs at the motor and battery plants. Just Bev your shipping costs out of house doesn’t make it cheaper

      Also, I don’t think that the Malibu features unique powertrains does it? Isn’t the motor and transmission shared in the equinox, XT4, trailblazer, and a hosts of other GM vehicles??? Aren’t the seats, shifter and many dash components as well??? Isn’t the only thing truly unique to the Malibu it’s shell? That’s not exactly what I would call niche production.

      Reply
    2. Cool, more layoffs….all of these are “niche” models….

      Reply
  3. I hope the platform they are basing this EV Malibu on can be easily adapted to an ICE powertrain. I think that gm will be very disappointed when they realize the buyers at the heart of the market are not going to willingly embrace gm’s “all electric future.”

    Reply
    1. 😂

      GM’s EV’s are pulling in a lot of first time brand buyers to them.

      But don’t worry too much, ICE fans probably will still have GM choices for another 10 years or so.

      Reply
      1. If this thing takes 10 years to reach American consumers, they had better redesign the Malibu in the interim.

        My next car will be an EV. Looking hard at the Model S. I would certainly consider a Chevy EV if it were good looking, had good performance, and wasn’t made in China.

        Reply
    2. Says who? It will take a while, it won’t be overnight, but sales are showing promise and reviews are too.

      Reply
      1. And remember, iCE won’t stay idle as companies vie for sales and profits. By the time we get this EV Nirvana everyone’s orgasming over with affordable solid state batteries and mass production, BEV’s will have to compete with the next generation of ICE powertrains.

        FYI, if I had to choose between the GM EV1 and a 1970’s car, I’d choose the EV1. Fact was when the EV1 came out it was competing with the LS V8’s and 1st gen ecotechs. A decade from now ultium might be a joke if not wholly obsoleted by next gen ICE.

        Reply
        1. Who’s developing these next Gen ice powertrains

          Reply
          1. Mazda and Toyota.

            Reply
            1. Mazda? Seriously? I’ve been at a Mazda store for over 6 years and they now have only one engine (2.5L in NA and turbo). They have basically dropped the 2.0L NA (other than in Miata). Mazda doesn’t have anything in the works of true substance and their only EV is a pathetic attempt that was doomed to fail from day one. They are working on an inline 6 (so the rumor has it), but they are still attempting to force the rotary in there somehow. This is just how they do things. Too proud to admit defeat and move on. So if you have more info on what next gen ICE Mazda is working on, I’d love to hear more about it.

              Reply
              1. The inline 6 isn’t a next gen motor? It’s pretty much a ground up new architecture? Also won’t skyactiv-x engines use a very lean mix and ignite under extreme pressures much like a diesel engine, resulting in a more efficient and complete combustion. Toyota invested in Mazda specifically for their ICE technology.

                As evidenced by the CX-30 having the same MPG as the sh*tbox TB, actually better on the highway, while having a substantially more powerful engine.

                Reply
          2. New small block to be released in 2024 (2025YM)

            Stellantis just unveiled the hurricane, and I imagine the hemi will be updated soon as well as the hurricane didn’t win many hearts.

            Toyota is dumping R&D into ICE as well.

            Still waiting on ford, but unless they plan to be totally eclipsed on the ICE side, they will invest and pull something at the very least out of their butt.

            Reply
        2. Almost no one is investing much in ICE development anymore

          Reply
          1. At their peril. I want an EV sedan, but not everyone can make that work for them.

            The pickup market (where GM and Ford’s bread is actually buttered) is not going to be easy to convert. Those customers have valid concerns over charging and practicality over an EV setup. Tech and infrastructure isn’t quite there yet, especially in areas dominated by agri-business.

            EV trucks to date are more in the vein of being play things for well off buyers in metropolitan areas. Not direct replacements for the massive amount of trucks on the road that people use for their intended purpose. The charging infrastructure still isn’t there even if there were compelling products for those buyers to choose from. That’s going to take a long time to build out.

            Reply
    3. GM has already stated that they are phasing out ICE cars and for good reason; customers are increasingly going for EVs. So, no, any new cars GM will come up with will definitely be EV. Same for almost all automakers except, perhaps, Toyota and smaller Japanese carmakers who still try to push hybrids.

      Reply
  4. GM has moved all Chevrolet sedan projects to China. They ended Malibu production in South Korea last month, and the new Chevrolet sedan will also be made by Chinese communists, not by South Korea. Like Buick Envision, it may sell GM vehicles produced in China to the United States, but the new Chevy sedan is more likely not. GM is giving China too much.

    Reply
    1. I am not so sure they will try and import an EV sedan from China as they would lose too many incentives from the IRA package. And I believe they still have an import tariff of 25% on cars coming from China as well. With GM’s new Ultium system and flexible factories I think they could make it cheaper here than in China when faced with all the “taxes”.

      Reply
  5. Like I said when they showed the concept, that should be the new Malibu.
    GM hopefully will get first mover advantage on the Malibu. The Ioniq 6 and Tesla M3 are way above the Malibu price point.

    Reply
    1. Well, the Hyundai Ionic 6 sedan is due fairly soon. No pricing yet, but it’s in the same class.

      Reply
      1. Buick should have an Ionic6 competitor.

        But it’s GM, and they don’t care about Buick very much.

        Reply
  6. This gives me a flicker of hope for GM and sedan’s. But I will not hold my breath.

    Reply
    1. Not sure this is even a sedan. They repeatedly use the term “sedan-like” throughout the article. Another cross over? Bored already.

      Reply
      1. Sadly, something like this may be as close to a car/sedan as we get for a very long time. At least from GM.

        Reply
  7. Hmm. Trouble with the server again?

    This sounds good, but I will not be holding my breath.

    Reply
  8. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think they should bring a rear wheel drive based (optional AWD) sedan to the market with performance based derivatives. Totally gives them an opportunity to bring back the Chevelle (I know most people remember them as coupes but they were available as 4 doors too!) and they could build a coupe close in size and finally electrify the Camaro; unless of course they do another ICE generation however it seems at this time that a new ICE
    Camaro is unlikely.

    Reply
  9. Without enough and easily available charging stations EV is doomed. If you build them they will come.

    Reply
    1. Every home has a charging station. It is call an outlet. Or does your home has no electricity?

      Reply
    2. Dude, unless you live in the sticks, there are charging stations all over the place. Besides, the vast majority of people charge at home, and then at work, not on the road. With 250 plus miles, most folks rarely drive down that much on even a semi-regular basis. And given the rise in EV ownership and the waiting lists for EVs, EVs are far from ‘doomed’.

      Reply
  10. I love the Malibu since seeing the first one in 1964. My Dad had a 1972 model, and I rent the latest models at Enterprise every time I visit Florida. I want to see the electric Malibu soon.

    Reply
  11. IF its not made in NA, not buying…period!

    Reply
    1. I won’t buy any car that’s assembled in China.

      Reply
  12. My first EV will be a long range sedan.

    Guess it’s not going to be a Chevy or Buick since this is Chinese market only. I don’t hate the Model S, so this works out okay.

    Reply
  13. My Malibu is a 2017 not a 2022

    Reply

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