2014 Chevy Malibu

            After the introduction of the all-new 2013 Chevy Malibu, Chevrolet sought out to try and improve on the car for the 2014 model year.  The new car was unveiled at the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix late last week. 

           The styling of the car was changed slightly with more aggressive headlights and grille.  There was nothing wrong with the 2013 styling, but GM just sought out to refine the looks a little bit.  The bigger improvements were made in the interior and under the hood of the car.

            Customers will enjoy the increase in legroom over the 2013 Malibu.  GM designers were able to squeeze out an additional 1.25” of legroom to sitting in the back a little easier on the knees.  While it doesn’t sound like much, 1.25” is enough to keep your legs from hitting the seat in front of you and give you just a little more room to stretch out. The interior was also improved in the center console area of the car.  Chevy replaced the storage area with cup holders and cell phone bins. The Malibu will also come with Chevy’s version of infotainment, MyLink.

            Under the hood, Malibu customers will have a choice of either the naturally aspirated 2.5L Direct Injected four-cylinder, or the 2.0L turbocharged four cylinder engine. Engineers were able to squeeze out more performance with the engines that are available in the Malibu.  The 2.5L features variable valve timing and Intake Valve Lift Control, which is said to enhance low end torque. However, with the new technology, the engine loses one horsepower to 196 and also loses five ft-lbs of torque to 186.  If people want an increase in performance, the turbocharged 2.0L saw a boost in power.  The horsepower rating stays the same at 259, but torque went up an impressive 35 ft-lbs to 295.  Fuel economy improved slightly to 35mpg highway.

            With the small tweaks made to an already fine motor vehicle, The Malibu should sell even better than it did in 2012.

Matthew Colan

Handy Chevrolet