It’s been three years since the Chevy Malibu was last updated. While we liked that model, we were excited by rumors that the ninth generation would expand the safety and entertainment suite, and there were some of our taller members who wished for a little more legroom.
Chevy did not disappoint us. They stretched the wheelbase an extra four inches, giving passengers the legroom of a full-sized sedan. Safety features like Lane Keep Assist, Front Pedestrian Alert, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are all either standard or options. The Chevy MyLink with a seven inch touchscreen is standard, and customers can now add the popular 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and wireless phone charging to any Malibu.
Parents will be happy to note that the ground-breaking Teen Driver feature is a standard feature on most trim levels of the 2016 Malibu. This lets parents track and view their children’s driving habits, recording information on speed, warning alerts, and whether safety features have been engaged. Plus, the system mutes audio and linked devices if the car’s occupants haven’t fastened their seat belts.
The big surprise was the announcement of a new Malibu Hybrid, due in showrooms this spring. It uses a version of the 2016 Volt’s two-motor drive unit, pairing a 1.8 liter four-cylinder gas engine with an 80-cell, 1.5 kilowatt lithium ion battery pack. The Malibu can drive on electric only up to 55 miles per hour. The engine gets a fuel economy rating of 48 miles per gallon in city, making it the absolute best midsize car ont eh market when it comes to efficiency.
You can’t fully appreciate all the Malibu’s updates without seeing it for yourself. Come by Heidebreicht and talk to one of our associates about test-driving a 2016 Malibu today!
