What is it? General Motors sees the redesign Malibu as crucial to regaining market share in the midsized family sedan market, where it competes against the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. The new car is nicely styled and the interior makes a good first impression. The new Malibu shares its platform with the Saturn Aura and Pontiac G6, and it also uses their fairly long 112-inch wheelbase. The base powertrain is a 167-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder with a four-speed automatic transmission, a setup we found very noisy in the Pontiac G6. The higher trim levels get GM’s sprightly and more refined 252-hp, 3.6-liter V6 and six-speed automatic.
What is new or notable: The outgoing Malibu retires after a run of only four years. The new car looks more competitive, especially with its new V6.
