Chevy Malibu Hybrid Breaks Cover at All-Star Game

We’ve seen some strange places serve as sites to debut a new model, but Chevrolet really takes the cake this week. The company unveiled its 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid at Major League Baseball’s All-Star FanZone in San Francisco. The powertrain is similar to the Saturn Aura Green Line hybrid sedan, and new 2008 EPA figures have mileage rated at 24 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. These figures aren’t as high as other hybrids, like the Toyota Camry, but it does achieve better mileage than the standard four-cylinder Malibu — by 2 mpg — while producing more power. GM will introduce a more-efficient hybrid system for a number of vehicles in 2009. 

While the 2008 Malibu will offer a six-speed automatic transmission for the standard gasoline-powered four-cylinder, the hybrid will feature only a four-speed automatic transmission.

The standard four-cylinder and V-6 powered Malibu will go on sale in August. Production of the hybrid starts in October, with the sedan hitting dealerships soon after. 

Comments

Any word on the price? How different is it from a regular Malibu?

it would probably get better mileage if it didn't have that old school 4 speed auto. Whats up with that?

What was the ad back then?
Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet?
What surprises me is choosing the Bay Area for its unveiling. Japan and Germany rule the Bay Area. If its American, it's a rental. Go hawk it in Cincinnati. And make sure it's as nice looking as the Malibu's back in the day. Before they killed them in the 80's and 90's.

The price increase will be similar to the Aura I'd assume.

Question though, does it offer 2 MPG more then the new Malibu or old. And is the hybird (using 2008 method) compared to it by the other with new or old testing methods.

Why 4-Speed for the Hybrid and 6-Speed for the regular non-hybrid version. Its weird.

They're probably using the 4sp vs. the 6sp auto because it's easier. It's the same drivetrain setup that's in the hybrid Aura and Vue, and they probably haven't spent the time to calibrate the new 6sp to match the hybrid 2.4L and shift smoothly. Just a guess though.

It also keeps cost down since the 4sp is cheaper than the 6sp, although the 6sp would almost certainly deliver better MPG (not always, look at the 5sp auto ION vs the 4sp auto ION as an example).

Isn't this ironic?
The topic right below is stating that someone bought a Hybrid is suing the manufacturer for "non-achievable" MPG figures. And this Malibu is only getting 2 MPG gain comparing to the non-hybrid one.

I can already see people might sue Chevy real soon too, because the Hybrid gets worse mileage than the conventional ones.

seriously, tend to be a GM person, but why even bother? let me buy a hummer and get 11 mpg. i think GM still gets the hybrid tax break. do it for that reason alone.

and while we are at it, stop it with the flex fuel. is barely worth it and the price of food goes up.

You would think by making a car like a hybrid you would get much better mpg then that. MPG is what people want these days, 32mpg does not impress me on a hybrid. We need High MPG.

check out the tests on edmunds.com

The Aura is a 'hybrid' and so is this Malibu. Both the Altima and Camry get way better mileage.

If you want to protect the enviroment get a Cobalt.

Tor,
mentioning our competition isn't a nice thing to do especially since we've tested the Aura on KickingTires:
http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2007/05/first_drive_200.html

Sheesh.

Also it is a different type of hybrid called a mild hybrid, hence the non stellar mileage figures. All figures are 2008. We'll be using 2008 figures on any 2008 model obviously and when it is a 2007 we'll mention the EPA adjusted numbers.

Remember the Aura Green Line was still the most affordable hybrid on the market but there was no 4-cylinder aura offered only V-6s. The Malibu's standard 4 with 6-speed will return pretty good mileage it seems. Funny they haven't released official info on that but it looks like 22/30 mpg is a good guess.

The only thing I'd say is if GM really is coming out with a more advanced hybrid system in 2008/2009 that they could've just left Saturn with the Hybrid sedan to help that brand when the all-new Malibu probably won't need that type of draw.

Jeez. My '04 Maxx gets 25+ in stop-and-go, and 32-33 on mostly-interstate travel. And that's with, of course, the 200 hp v6 and "old" 4-speed.
What's the point?

This car is only a partial hybrid, like the aura and the vue, while cars like the camry, prius, and Escape offer full hybrids. I'm in the "why bother?" camp on this one. Mileage increase is negligible.

Jeez (two notes up) is absolutely right!
Why would anyone advertise this complexity....and buy it, when proven conventional stuff that's guaranteed for 100,000 for less money? (and at 100,000 it remains a functional auto NOT NEEDING expensive battery replacement)
The 3.5 Maxx has plenty of power and you have to be an idiot to not get well over 30 mpg on the highway.
The engineers are doing their job--the 3.4s and the 3.5s will deliver the best power and mpg in the entire industry...
FIRE THE GM ADVERTISING DEPT!
If I want a hybrid, I'll wait for the VOLT!

The fact that e-85 raises the price of food is a myth! E-85 can be made from waste, like grease from fast food places or waste from beer production. If people are buying hybrids because they want to be "green" then they should really consider e-85 because it is cleaner burning and uses much less gas/oil than a hybrid. A Tahoe run for one year on E-85 uses less gas/oil than a Prius for one year. Besides, what happens to all those Prius batteries in 8 years? Is Japan going to take them back? Once the distribution of E-85 is up and running the price will drop significantly. Some states offer rebates if you turn in your e85 reciepts at the end of the year. There are also government rebates for the purchase of Flex Fuel vehicles.

Support America, r u just dumb or what? Have you checked the real facts 'bou E-85? Let me bust your every sentence with a real fact here.

(1) Check your local grocery market on milk prices. Go to cbs5.com and search for a news report on why milk prices have almost double this year. Hint: corn, an ingredient as cow's diet, has been used significantly for fuel, which part of it is for E85. As a result, corn prices have gone higher, and so is milk price.
(2) E-85 isn't cleaner burning - it's just have the same petroleum in it, but to a less quantity. The exhaust is still the same as non-E85. It's "CLEAN" because it uses less petroleum, but cleaner burning it definitely IS NOT!
(3) ALL reviews - anyone you can search on car magazines, have stated that the mileage of E85 is significantly worse than regular petroleum. As a result, E85 is the worst bust of being labeled as a clean energy.
(4) Did you do a test on the Tahoe VS Prius for 1 year? Which report are you referring to? Based on government released figure, there's NO WAY you statement can be true, unless the EPA mileage of a Tahoe is better than the Pirus.
(5) The battery warranty, depends on car manufacturers, can actually be more than 8 years. And you don't have to worry 'bou disposing those batteries...battery disposing is available, and car manufacturers do have ways to handle those used car batteries for hybrids. In fact, there was a news report not long ago on what hybrid batteries are being used for other useful purpose.
(6) Japan is NOT going to take the batteries back. Japan is a country, not a person or a company. Besides, even GM, BMW, etc. are promoting Hybrid vehicles, such as the GM Volt. Why aren't u asking the same question, "Is US going to take it back?" You know how silly your question actually sound?
(7) E85 is NOT a technology per se! It's been out there for many years now, even earlier than Hybrids! However, prices of vehicle that runs E-85 has hardly gone down at all! Remember, E-85 is just that a regular engine, with slight modification, can take on E-85 petroleum. What you'll need to do, may be to help you in enhancing your education level, is to go back to university and study chemistry and engineering - to know what E-85 really is.
(8) The rebates on E85 is much more limited than that by Hybrids (although the Hybrid rebates aren't as easy as they seem). However, many corporations are paying their employee on buying Hybrid vehicles (Google, for example, gives $5000 rebate, and so is Timberland for several thousand dollars). Plus the gas you saved on Hybrid (remember, when you pump in E-85, the price of E-85 is at or even more expensive than regular gas, NOT cheaper). Thus, tax rebate + corporate rebate + gas saved is much much more and much much easier on the wallet of a hybrid owner than an E-85 owner.

Every single point busted!

Oh, 1 more pt:

E-85 isn't made from waste. Those made from waste are called biofuel!

Now, Every single point busted!

Amuro,

Since you are in the pursuit of truth, let’s take a closer look at some of the points you made.

1) Higher milk prices are not the result of increased ethanol production or higher corn prices. Milk prices are set by a formula under regional Milk Marketing Orders, the main component of which is supply and demand of dry milk powder, whey powder and cheddar cheese. The regional MMO sets the price bottlers must pay farmers for milk. The prices are high now, because of a supply shortfall driven by global trends, including dairy policies in Europe, a long-term drought in Australia, growing demand for milk powder in Asia, and the rapid growth of cheese consumption in the United States. Those trends have raised the base price of milk paid to dairy farmers. There is no shortage of feed corn for livestock. Each year, on average, there is about 1 billion bushels of surplus corn produced in the U.S, which is generally exported. This will be true again for 2007. In response to greater global demand for corn, this year farmers planted the largest corn crop since 1944. As a result, corn prices are already coming down in response to the higher production. This year, corn prices have already fallen approximately $1 per bushel. If your theory is correct, and increased corn prices led to increased milk prices, then the converse should be true as well. However, milk prices have not fallen along with the decrease in corn prices, have they? A study done by John Urbanchuk, an independent economist, found that oil and gasoline prices have twice the impact on consumer food prices that corn prices have. This is in line with findings by the USDA, National Corn Grower’s Association, and US Dept. of Energy. They found that increases in food prices in 2007 can be attributed to increased energy costs (oil cost). All food products have to be transported from farms to processing facilities, and transported to stores. Higher transportation costs due to the higher cost of fuel (gasoline and diesel) are passed on to the consumer in the form of higher food prices.
2) “E85 isn’t cleaner burning …” I understand what you are trying to say, but your logic is flawed. It is a fact that ethanol burns cleaner than petroleum, and E85 has 85% less petroleum per gallon than gasoline. Therefore, a gallon of E85 would have to burn cleaner than a gallon of gasoline. In addition, current ethanol production reduces greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 20% (more than 25% in the newest plants). Cellulosic ethanol production, which is coming, will reduce emissions by more than 90% compared with gasoline. (Source: Argonne National Laboratory) Therefore, E85 is cleaner to produce and cleaner to burn than gas.
3) There is about a 15-20 percent fuel economy loss with E85 versus gasoline, depending on the vehicle. However, even with the loss in fuel economy, E85 still reduces greenhouse gas emissions, it is a renewable fuel that has significantly less impact on the environment than gasoline, and it can help reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
4) Support America did not say Tahoe got better “fuel” economy than Prius. Support America said it used less gas/oil in one year. Remember, for every gallon of E85 burned, 15% of that gallon is gasoline. Therefore, based on combined fuel economy ratings (city/hwy.) of 14 mpg for a Tahoe using E85, and 46 mpg for Prius, Tahoe would burn approximately 1.07 gallons of gasoline per 100 miles while Prius would burn approximately 2.17 gallons of gasoline. It appears Support American may be right.
5) Someone will still have to pay for the disposal and recycling of those batteries. If the manufacturer takes the batteries back for disposal, you can bet the cost will be passed on to the consumer in the price of the vehicle. Nothing is free! Of greater concern is the environmental impact of producing these large nickel hydride batteries. The nickel is mined and smelted in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The land for approximately a mile around the facilities is now devoid of plant and animal life thanks to the sulfur dioxide spewed out of the of the facility, which resulted in plant killing acid rain.
6) GM’s Chevrolet Volt is not a hybrid vehicle. It is an electric vehicle. There is no parallel internal combustion propulsion system like a hybrid. Also, the Volt will use different battery technology that, hopefully, will be more environmentally friendly.
7) Prices on vehicles seldom decrease from year to year, so you would not expect E85 capable vehicles to get cheaper just because they can run on E85. However, E85 capable engines used to be a $500+ option in many vehicles. Today, some of those same vehicles made by GM (trucks & SUVs) either come with E85 capable engines as standard equipment, or as a no-charge option. This has been made possible through economies of scale. So, E85 technology has gotten cheaper.
8) There are actually only a handful of corporations offering rebates to employees that purchase a hybrid. Of those, Google and Bank of America are about the only ones that employ a significant number of people. So, if you don’t work for one of the handful, forget about the big rebate. I suspect as more light is shed on the true energy and environmental costs of producing and owning a hybrid, the corporate rebates will disappear. Studies have shown it will take at least 5 years just to break even in gas savings with what it cost extra for a Prius hybrid. It takes even longer with the other hybrids. Why do you think Honda dumped the Accord hybrid and other manufacturers are reluctant to produce hybrids? They just are not cost effective for the manufacturer or the consumer. In addition, hybrids do little to address U.S. dependence on foreign oil or environmental concerns. At least E85 is a renewable fuel source produced in the U.S. Profits from E85 stay in the U.S., and benefit U.S. farmers, ethanol plant owners and workers, and the U.S. economy as a whole, instead of going to the middle east. By the way, there are many places in the mid-west where E85 is 40 cents or more per gallon cheaper than regular gas. With more ethanol plants coming on line in the next few years, and the production of cellulosic ethanol right around the corner, which will be cheaper and provide fuel economy more like gasoline, the price of E85 will continue to fall. This scares the major oil and gasoline producers. It is suspected that much of the misinformation being circulated about E85 has been the work of major oil companies in an effort to discourage the acceptance, use, and production of E85, and thwart further research into E85 and other alternative fuels.

Keep Drinking the Kool-aide phillip.