Chevrolet Malibu

Overview

Chevrolet has made some really nice cars which have scored well in terms of visual appeal and size, and its flagship sedan in the Philippines, the Malibu, is no different. The Malibu is positioned above the Cruze as the flagship sedan in the country and showcases an impressive design and performance to make sure that it complements its predecessors. In the Philippines, the Malibu is being offered in a single LTZ variant with all the bells and whistles one would expect from a flagship sedan. The colors on offer for the Chevrolet Malibu are Summit White, Abalone White, Black Meet Kettle Metallic, and Gray Metallic

Interior & Features

On the inside, the Chevrolet Malibu succeeds in impressing one with the way its cabin is laid out. The overall interior exudes premium quality with well-chosen materials and features, with the dual tone black and walnut interior making the space beautiful.

The three-spoke steering wheel as well as large instrument console has simple yet elegant finish to them with chrome accents. The U-shaped center console looks large and wide with vertically aligned AC vents and dominating touchscreen infotainment system, with the latter incorporating all modern smartphone connectivity options as well as BOSE 9-speaker music system. The controls for dual zone automatic climate control look a bit cluttered though.

It is roomy enough for four passengers, with space for the fifth passenger at a premium owing to limited legroom and sloping roofline eating into the headroom. Premium features of the Malibu include - a push-button start with keyless entry, sunroof, front ventilated seats, wireless smartphone charger, handsfree park assist, cruise control, and memory functions for electrically adjustable driver’s seat and outer rear view mirrors.

Exterior

On the outside, the Chevrolet Malibu hits the perfect middle ground between a muscle car and sophisticated traditional sedan. The overall design is quite muscular, while at the same time, is elegant and has got nice curves at some places.

At the front, the Malibu comes with a sleeker design. It features a stretched design for the Chevrolet’s traditional two-part grille, with bowtie logo in the middle and chrome surrounds. The headlamps have got a sleek design as well, yet they are loud enough to make the car look bigger from the front. The boomerang shaped daytime running LEDs look quite out of place, though.

Coming to the side profile of the Malibu, the car has got two nice curves on the side doors, which along with the sloping coupe-like roofline, makes the car look modern and up-to-date. At the rear, the overall visual drama dilutes a bit, with simple trapezoidal tail lamps and dual exhaust pipes rounding off the look at the back.

Ride & Handling

Underpinning the Chevrolet Malibu is a suspension setup of Macpherson struts with stabilizer bar at the front and rear independent four-link setup with stabilizer bar at the rear. The suspension has a sort of firmness to the overall ride quality, but this same firmness gives it rock-solid agility in all conditions.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

The Chevrolet Malibu comes with a sole powertrain option of a 2.0-litre petrol engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The turbocharged engine is powerful enough to pump out a maximum power output of 250 PS and a peak torque output of 353 Nm. All the power is channelled to front wheels via the 6-speed automatic gearbox which has got active select manual mode as well.

Braking & Safety

The list of safety features in the Chevrolet Malibu is good enough to make it fit the bill of a premium flagship sedan. The car comes equipped with front, side and curtain airbags, front and rear parking sensors, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, traction control, hill start assist, electronic stability control, front collision alert, and front pedestrian protection. Further included in the list are forward automatic braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert, and tire pressure monitoring system.

Verdict

Being one of the most underrated sedans in the segment, the Chevrolet Malibu has the ability to impress with the way it looks on the outside and feels on the inside. The performance and ride quality are decent enough to make it engaging yet practical.