Driving should be as easy as lying on a beach while soaking up the warmth of the sun and the sound of rolling waves. These days, unfortunately, driving is anything but. Apart from the traffic jams that never seem to abate, we’ve got reckless drivers, thunderstorms that can cause flash floods and pedestrians who cross roads while glued to their smartphones. Indeed, driving has become a complicated and dangerous endeavour. It doesn’t help that many new cars today are packed with so many features that they require a good measure of IT knowledge to operate.
Thankfully, there are cars like the Chevy Malibu, which despite its modern-ness, remains uncomplicated to drive. As the global successor to the mid-sized Epica saloon, the Malibu sports a rather handsome design. Its chiselled front end is complemented by the bold grille, but the most striking element of the car’s design is its rear. The square tail-lights (which are inspired by the brand’s Camaro sports car), in particular, give this saloon an athletic look that’s usually absent in this segment.
Cockpit looks snazzier at night, when the blue backlighting becomes visible.
This styling cue is repeated inside, where you’ll find the instrument dials nestled within two square-shaped binnacles. The snazziest element in the cockpit, however, is the chrome strip that runs the length of the dashboard. At night, its blue backlighting lends the cabin a very youthful feel.
For convenience’s sake, the Malibu comes with a remote start feature that’s activated via a button on the key fob. This function lets the driver run the engine and air-conditioning system before getting into the car, but the catch is that once you get in, you can’t just shift into drive and go. You’ll have to switch off and restart the engine first. According to Chevy, this helps prevent any would-be car thieves from making off with your prized possession.
Sure to please younger drivers is the Malibu’s new infotainment system, which comes with satellite-navigation as standard. Compared to its Epica predecessor that has a basic hi-fi setup (with that awful green display), the system here has a large touchscreen display with vibrant colours. Properly executed, too, are the controls for it and the air-conditioning system. The large, well-spaced buttons are not only intuitive, but also offer a positive feel.
The rear accommodations, however, could be improved. There’s less legroom and no air-con vents back here, unlike segment rivals such as the Toyota Camry and Kia Optima. But the Malibu does make up for this by providing generous headroom and plenty of foot space.
You’ll have to push the revs past 4000rpm if you really want to get a move on.
Equally spacious is the deep 545-litre boot, which can be expanded thanks to the 60/40 split-folding rear seats. The boot’s floor, however, is rather high, making it more suited to carrying longer instead of bulkier items.
In contrast to the preceding Epica model, which has a 2-litre inline-6, the Malibu is powered by a larger 2.4-litre 4-cylinder engine. Although the latter isn’t as silky as the former, it is more powerful and efficient. While the Epica could only muster 142bhp/195Nm, the Malibu packs 167bhp/225Nm – a significant 25bhp/30Nm more.
Remote start feature is activated by pressing the button that sits below the “lock” function.
The Malibu is also claimed to be capable of covering 12.8km on a single litre of unleaded – an improvement of 2km per litre.
The enhanced output supposedly means a boost in performance figures, too. The Malibu does the century dash in 9.7 seconds (1.8 seconds quicker than the Epica), but its acceleration feels as relaxed as its predecessor’s. Due to its naturally aspirated nature, the Malibu’s low-end performance is languid at best, but the meatier midrange really shines during expressway runs.
The car’s 6-speed automatic performs unobtrusively, but what really stands out is its manual override function. Instead of having paddle-shifters or a side gate, there’s a rocker switch atop the gearshift lever. You press right to shift up and left to downshift. Although the action feels unnatural, you’ll be glad to know that the gearbox does respond in earnest.
Handling-wise, the Malibu isn’t as sharp as say, the current Mazda 6, but its suspension, which is comprised of MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link setup at the rear, keeps body roll in check and lets the saloon tackle corners in a progressive manner. The dampers do feel a little stiff at first – especially when compared to the overly soft suspension on the Epica – but I soon realised that the Malibu actually strikes a decent balance between ride comfort and handling.
With its neat handling and ergonomic cabin, this easygoing mid-size saloon makes driving here feel like a day at the beach.
This article was first published in the October 2013 issue of Torque.
Chevrolet Malibu 2.4 (A)
ENGINE 2384cc, 16-valves, inline-4
MAX POWER 167bhp at 5800rpm
MAX TORQUE 225Nm at 4600rpm
GEARBOX 6-speed automatic with manual select
0-100KM/H 9.7 seconds
TOP SPEED 206km/h
CONSUMPTION 12.8km/L (combined)
CO2 EMISSION 187g/km
Check out our overseas drive of the latest Chevrolet Malibu here
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