Chevy to Introduce Malibu Hybrid in Just 11 States

Citing limited numbers of the 2008 Malibu Hybrid, Chevrolet has announced it will restrict the debut of the vehicle to 11 states, concentrating sales on the West Coast and in the Northeast. That means that if you’re interested in a new Malibu Hybrid but live in fly-over country, you’re out of luck for the time being.

Chevrolet says it doesn’t want the hybrid vehicles sitting on low-volume dealerships gathering dust, but after the anticipation for the vehicle, some would-be Malibu fans are left scratching their heads. Of course, this move could be just a stop-gap as the company develops a more efficient full-hybrid version of the sedan.

Right now, Chevy’s schedule for the Malibu looks like this: The standard gasoline version debuted in November, and the gas-electric hybrid version will hit those key markets in January. If you live in the Midwest, Southeast or Mountain West, however, you may have to wait until that full hybrid comes along.

GM to Limit Malibu Hybrid to 11 Markets (Autoweek)

Comments

[LM]

I guess they aren't wanting to be so green afterall. Or perhaps this is the result of selling a "hybrid" that really doesn't improve much upon the non-hybrid version. Prius' sell because it's a significant improvement upon a mid-size car's gas mileage.

[J]

What did they do with the Aura Green Line?
Aren't they the same car under the skin?

[ZB]

The new Malibu appears to be a good-looking car. Anything would be an improvement over the last model.

[Infosaur]

This is a Non-story, if people want a Hybrid that badly they can travel to another state to buy one.

[J]

But not offering even in Michigan?