Chevrolet has been struggling to craft a car with the appeal of the long-ago Malibu, one that — as the 1960s original — would look cool, behave itself in most situations and deliver a bit of spunk.
The Malibu of yore mainly was a snazzy compact, relying on its name more than its hardware to call up images of beach and bliss. It endured until 1983.
Chevy (GM) revived the name in 1997 in an attempt to give velocity to a plain-Jane, midsize Chevy rival to Japan's sedans.
Starting with the all-new '08 version just now in showrooms, there's another identity. The newest Malibu is supposed to be "a $40,000 car for $20,000," Chevy says.
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