Part 2 of a six-part series on cool hybrids for 2008:
Chevrolet Malibu — Base price, $22,1400; Safety Features, dual-front, front side and side curtain airbags; Fuel Mileage estimates, 22-27 mpg; Warranty, Bumper to Bumper, 3 years/36,000 miles; Powertrain, 5 years/100,000 miles; Corrosion, 6 years/100,000 miles.
It's hard not to see Malibu advertisements. With its keen redesign for 2008, Chevrolet put everything it had into the marketing of the car named after the southern California beach city.
The promotion began in earnest during the World Series and it hasn't waned. Chevrolet wants the Malibu to compete with the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, and that's a hefty task.
With its hybrid version, new for 2008, the Malibu feature GMC's "mild hybrid system" rather than its dual mode full hybrid system.
And when compared to other hybrids mainstays, the Malibu still goes in reverse before it finds forward gears. The reason: Early mileage for the hybrid are about two percent higher than to 22 to 27 mph for the gas engine Malibu. That's little to boast about particularly when you're trying to compete against established brands.
The hybrid's configuration is a 36-volt electric motor coupled with a 2.4 liter Ecotec VVT four-cylinder engine with a four-speed manual transmission. Using an integrated starter-generator, mild hybrids, shut the gasoline engine off at stoplights.
With its well-touted exterior redesign, the new Malibu also features a sharp new interior that chrome outlines on gauges, center vents and the console shifter. Wood and several two-tone trims are also available.
Beyond cosmetics, the Malibu's interior leg and body room is spacious, but head room remains only adequate. Its average head clearance can be overlooked considering the fast trunk, expansive access area and the spacious pass-through from the rear-seat to the trunk.
Overall, the Malibu hybrid offers an enticing price point in an exciting, attractive new version of a near-classic car that's been around since 1964. But the hybrid version doesn't yet distinguish itself against industry leaders.
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