Midsize sedan sales are down — but there are still buyers out there, and not all Ford, Chrysler, and Dodge owners are willing to move to crossovers. Chevy is taking advantage of that by updating the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu, which will have restyled fronts and rears along with three good engine choices.
The 2019 Chevrolet Malibu will have a standard 163-horsepower 1.5-liter turbocharged engine with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), except on the Premier and Hybrid. The Premier (shown in these spyshots) gets serious power with a 250-horsepower two-liter turbo four; and the Hybrid has a 182-horse 1.8 liter four, with two motors. Combined city/highway mileage on the Hybrid midsize sedan is an admirable 46 mpg; try matching that with an Explorer or Cherokee.
The 2019 Malibu is being refreshed with a new front fascia, grille, and headlamps, along with restyled tail-lamps. LED tail-lamps are used with some, but not all, trim levels. The turn signals are far from the headlamps, for greater visibility, but close enough to the DRLs to require the DRL on one side to shut off when the blinker is on.
New for 2019 is the RS (Rally Sport), whose main changes are blacked-out styling cues (grille and bowtie emblems), a rear spoiler, 18-inch wheels, and a dual-outlet exhaust.
The interior has a new 8-inch reconfigurable color driver information center. The “MyLink” name is dead, replaced by Chevrolet’s Infotainment 3 system. The Malibu Premier will add rear heated outboard seats.
Our friends at Real Fast Fotography caught the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu testing this past weekend, so you can see that the Malibu’s new looks are more rounded and less aggressive than the 2018 model. The car looks friendlier, playing it safe to attract those former Chrysler 200 and Ford Fusion buyers when it reaches dealer lots in the third quarter of 2018.
Spy photographer and Mopar enthusiast Robert Miller is a mainstay of Allpar and Mopar Insiders, as well as aCarPlace. He has been successfully predicting new cars, particularly at FCA, for years.
Very true, we see the same in Australia and this is where Hyundai and Kia are selling cars !