GM Scrambles To Make Malibu Competitive - But How Did They Miss The Mark So Badly To Begin With?

Car executives typically don't talk about future models more than a year before they hit showrooms for fear of dampening enthusiasm for the current one. But in the case of the Chevrolet Malibu, there's not much enthusiasm to dampen.

Since its redesign for the 2013 model year, the Malibu's share of the competitive midsize car market has slid. Sales are down 7 percent this year, the only decline among the segment's top eight sellers. In the past two months it was outsold by the Chrysler 200 and Kia Optima, once distant also-rans.

Chevy is trying to revive Malibu sales with some screamin' deals this month. It's offering $3,500 in cash off the car and its $189-per-month, $1,369-down lease is the industry's hottest deal, Kelley Blue Book said last week.

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JDMUSMuscle - 12/22/2014 9:52:43 AM

-2 Boost

And most likely unreliable as hell, too. Because it's American. Cheap engineering with bad reliability, that's the power of the American engineering.

Might as well just dump those things.

carsnyc - 12/22/2014 10:19:14 AM

0 Boost

American trucks are the best which proves your point wrong.

It's just that the people behind the Malibu project are unaware of how good the Accord and the 6 are.

JDMUSMuscle - 12/22/2014 10:43:25 AM

-1 Boost

The full size ones only. The small SUVs and trucks that America makes are some of the biggest junk that you can buy.

cidflekken - 12/22/2014 2:21:28 PM

+3 Boost

Sometimes I just don't understand American car companies. Specifically in the mid-size sedan arena. Chevy had a pretty good hit on their hands with the last Malibu. It was stylish. It drove nicely. It had plenty of room. Then with the new Malibu they went backwards in just about every category. The same happened with Chrysler/Dodge 20 years ago. When they came out with the Cirrus/Stratus/Breeze, it was met with many positive reviews, then subsequent updates/models were mediocre. Ford did it with their Taurus. When first introduced it really set the benchmark in alot of ways but subsequent models were mediocre.

Let's hope that the trend has stopped with the Ford Fusion and Chrysler 200.

MDarringer - 12/22/2014 9:45:30 PM

+2 Boost

UGLY styling for one...