Huge step up from the last Malibu…If its priced right It should sell well……Although its a tough market with Accord, Camry, and Fusion all proven sellers, hanging around. It looks pretty nice though..

I like that quite a bit.

is it RWD? where’s the coupe?

the pic is pretty grainy. Almost looks like a Buick Lucenure.
It does not have the look that screams “RENTAL”. Little better but has the boring, generic look to it. Try again, GM!

Blech! It looks a bit like the new Toyota Camry. And I hate the styling of the new Toyota Camry.

yeah try again GM, next time make it sexy like the Accord or Sonata! Nobody does attractove family sedans like Japan and Korea. Don’t we all just lust over the sexy forms of the Accord, Camry, etc.? When is GM going to learn?

Looks pretty good, I mean its no S-60 but….

sampson,

Its not RWD. Why would you think it would be? What RWD sedan platforms does GM have for affordable cars? Zero. There wont be a coupe either.

There might be a coupe, called Monte Carlo or Chevelle.

Keep in mind this is the same car consumer focus groups gave the highest ever rating for a GM product.

sj79: they have the knappa platform.

kappa is far too small. And why should this be RWD? None of the cars in this segment are. The Impala will be the midlevel RWD sedan.

Awesome, much better than any Chrysler Dodge POS from recent years

I’m up for someone taking a photo of me as I leak

The platform is epsilon. Some of you have a serious problem-damning GM cars just because of their make. Just because you don’t find one picture striking doesn’t mean its a bad car or will be a flop. But if it makes you feel better throwing your “weight” around on this and other websites, thats fine. You know who you are.

This shows why you can’t throw rocks based on just one teaser shot. I was a bit turned off by the first pic of the front only, but after seeing the whole car it actualy looks real good. I would go as far as to say it’s the most interesting design in it’s class.

front end looks kind of like a cadillac

It’s hideous. Lose the GM badge, Please.

saturn aura anyone?

When this car was under camo it looked like the headlights may be projectors..why does Chevrolet (and GM in general) avoid using projector headlights when it seems to be all the rage? Slap projector headlights on the car with some HIDs, Chevrolet eat the cost of those extra lighting and style enhancements, and that will give people a reason to buy this over Camry, Accord and Fusion.

This looks good, and sj70 had better be kidding about the Accord and Camry being sexy. I’ll give you functional and reliable, but they have never been even remotely sexy (especially the dull Accord). I may have missed his subtle sacrcasm, but I just wanted to make sure…

wow. they’ve done a really good job of being absolutly boring and unimaginative. good work. next…

a huge step from the last one! i like the frontend!

based on a grainy photo, I’d say its not too bad looking. What a joke to hear a volvo driver call another car boring looking. Ha!
In any case, even a good picture rarely does a car justice. I say its a step in the right direction.

The front end looks better in context, the rims are sweet, and the design is fresh and clean.

If it has quality it could have some conquest sales.

“Inadvertently” published? Yeah, right.

stop the bloody badge engineering……..
its about time GM recognize that poeple r not stupid!!!!

OK, which car is this Malibu badge engineered from? I keep hearing this term bandied about but cannot figure out where it comes from. The Malibu is based on the Epsilon architecture. There are 4 cars out that are on this platform:Saab-looks nothing and probably shares nothing with the Malibu except architecture (few powertrains and suspension. G6, same thing. Aura, same thing. Am I missing something?

Your not missing a thing chris2, it just makes the GM hate club feel warm and fuzzy to say it. I wonder how warm and fuzzy they are going to feel when the new Malibu sells in record numbers.

Some of you love to trash the “GM-hate club”. Guys, don’t listen to us “gm-haters”. Instead, look at the financial statements… let me market judge on its own. After all, it already has.

GM has some great products, especially the Corvette and its new truck/SUV offerings. Many Cadillacs have finally become competitive in the premium market too.

GM even has some good cars like the Solstice and the Aura. Heck, the Chevy Cobalt is a fine vehicle too.

However, GM makes a lot of mediocre cars. The Impala and Maliby both are crap compared to their Japanese competition. The Buicks and Pontiacs (with the exception of the afformentioned Solstice) are all below the competition. Saab is getting its butt kicked by every other near-luxury vehicle (Volvo and Acura are both far superior). Hummer has managed to become the most hated car brand in America (sadly, because there is a great argument to making good strong SUVs for those that actually need that ).

GM has one task in order to turn many of us around: “build class-leading vehicles”. Nobody bashes Corvettes anymore, why? they’re great! They’re class-leaders and reliable, for sport cars. If GM builds more class-leaders, its sales will also lead the stock way higher in wall street. In the meantime, you can trash me all you want, but my hard-earned dollars will still buy German sports cars (I don’t buy in Corvette price range) and Japanese daily drivers.

alfa_Romeo, Alfas are just badge engineered Fiats.
.
As for the Malibu, it is looking a lot better. Are there any rear-end shots? (shut up deantj, I mean the cars rear :p )

Angelo, I agree with a lot of what you say.. however, the problems is that the car is not even out and already it is being bashed by the haters. GM is headed in the right direction that should go without say. BUT! How the hell are they supposed to keep the stock holders, the unions, the haters, etc… happy all at once, overnight? It aint gonna happen..

I drive foreign cars right now (acura & lexus) but will highly consider american brands the next time around.

Oh, and by the way. Though the picture is not clear.. based on this pic and previous spy shots this car has a lot more presence the current model. A step in the right direction. + for GM!

It looks great. 1000% better than the previous generation and based on the interior pics the whole car is a million times better all around.

“Ohh its boring, ohh its not distinct enough.” Excuse, who says a car has to be massively exciting to sell well? Did you forget how many f’n Camry’s and Accord are all over the roads? Do they ‘turn your crank’? Give me a break. The new Malibu looks aggressive and intriguing, and will attract many new people to Chevy showrooms. It’s eye-pleasing yet unique, and thats the whole point.

Grow up.

It’s not as bad as it looks

the first thing i thought when i saw this was saturn aura, but although i like the vectra more than this malibu, i like this more than the aura. nice new face GM its working well and will look sharp as hell on the new impala.

Hooray for Stealth E34, I agree with you 100%. The Toyota Echo, the replacement for the Tercel, looks like a total pile of ****, I can’t stand the looks of it, but you know what? It is fuel effecient, and it is very reliable. It sold VERY well…when I go driving, every two minutes there is a Echo. ****ty looking cars. The Civic too, no, I’m not saying that I am disgusted with the civic, but it certainly ain’t nowhere near the best looking car and that too is a massive seller. It makes me sick to the fact that so many people would actually COMPLAIN about a car or company for that matter just because if there looks. I LOVE awsome looking cars, but I would by the cheapest most reliable car I can find. Basically to get me from point A to point B. That’s all cars are for.

Looks great for what it’s supposed to be: a sedan. I don’t know what you guys are expecting.

88Chrysler5thAvenue, I used to drive one of you. (Mike, is that you?) One of the best cars, if not THE best, I ever owned, and I sold it to someone I know. It’s still on the road, running like new with no leaks or smoke at 150,000 miles. 318’s forever!

This Malibu looks great, inside and out. I thought they took a step backward with the 2004-present generation, but this looks like the “Road To Redemption.” Face it, guys, GM ain’t going down without a fight, and they’re very much up to the task.

why are there fog lights on that picture, but not on the official teaser?

That’s a goodlooking car.

Rather take a Alfa Romeo 157

43 posts… on this ?

GM news seems to generate a lot of emotion. I think that most people would love to see GM reach it’s potential. I also think that there are many that are afraid of GM’s potential. I don’t anticipate it any time soon, if at all, thanks to the UAW, corporate politics etc… but I think GM contains the potential dominate. Folks dont want to see their favorite brand beaten on the race track (Corvette/Le Mans) or the market place. Case in point it the thread on the Solstice currently outselling the Miata.

JD, no I a, not Mike…lol…name’s Peter….Did you say you used to drive one of me? couldn’t have…I’m one of a kind…I’m a 1986 White Boy manufactured in my momma tummy…LMFAO….I crack myself up sometimes….

I think the “GM haters” on here are really infiltrators sent by Greenpeace or the Asian car companies to spread propaganda and attempt to lower morale. It’s just a working theory.

I have been sold. When I saw just the front end shot I was scared that GM has screwed the pooch, but seeing the entire vehicle gives me hope. GM continues to impress me with their recent designs and executions. Bravo.

It will sell since its a huge improvement over the current model with its awkward styling.
I like the direction GM styling is taking.

foglights: most likely the GM supplied shot is of their uplevel car with fog lights. The spy shot is of a base car. (but look a those wheels-do not look base)

We all want to see GM succeed. It would be good for our country (USA) and good for us (car aficionados).

As stick2clutch said, I also intend to shop GM next time around. Next year, when I’m buying a new sedan, I’ll test drive the next CTS. However, odds are that I don’t like it more than a 335. The question will be, how much cheaper is it?

Reaction to GM products tend to be polarizing, because, I think, most people have had polarizing experiences with GM products. Either the vehicle has been reliable, or, as in my case, it ends up being the worst new car experience ever (97 service days in the first three years). Based on the ownership experince, the dealer experience, and in fact my dealings with GM Canada, GM has lost me as a potential customer forever. Am I biased? Yup, you bet.

The success of GM is important to the North American economy, and as such, I don’t think anyone wants to see them fail. What frustrates people is seeing them continue to put out mediocre product instead of being the best in the world. As I said in an earlier post, it’s a little hard to believe that the level of quality has risen to import levels when I’m sitting in a GM showroom waiting for my car to be fixed once again, and looking at a brand new Lucerne with its badges misaligned, or driving down the road behind a Cobalt and looking at how the bumper doesn’t line up with the body of the car, and seeing more than one with this problem.

Angelo, It is moving up to 5 series territory so it will probably be more expensive than a 3 (maybe not 335) but it will be bigger.

Rumor has it, the CTS teaser will be shown today.

I love how the sense came in at the end here, nice job guys.

I was a diehard GM fan for decades. Owned an 87′ Cutlass Salon as my first car, then a couple of not-so-perfect Z-24 Cavaliers and then a 94 Camaro RS which was lemon lawed. Did I learn? No, I bought a Blazer to replace the Camaro which had a blown head gasket and a shot tranny by about 39,000 miles.

So I spent some time away and bought a Nissan Altima which I drove up until 2003. Put 200k on the damn thing and it was still running like a top when I traded it for my Avalanche. What an absolute pile of crap that truck was. From Tranny issues, to rear axle problems, to power windows breaking, dead radios and just chintzy, cheapo build quality. My wife at the time had an 02 Envoy which went through some stupid **** like windows popping out of the frame due to low temp glue used to hold them in (Um, if it heats up it doesn’t hold the windows, how’s that for boneheaded engineering?) Finally the sun gear in tranny caused the thing to buck like a mo-fo or at least that is what the dealer told us when we brought the POS in for a tranny fix…

It is those experiences that have soured me on GM’s for ever. Thus the sceen name.

This isn’t f’n Queersandgears folks, not everyone has to be in love with Garbage Motors. This car is a rental, history has proven that. The venerable Accord and Camry, and Altima, and Legacy and the rest of the competition are not going to all of a sudden pale in comparison to a car that has been the epitome of Avis lots across the country. That is “dream on” folks.

A good site to visit, if you are interested in reading people’s comments about the cars they own, is carsurvey.org.

I’m not a GM hater – just a hater of stoopid decisions made by people who, given their resources of people and money, would/should seem to be able to provide a clear direction for the rest of the World. But GM is run like the current admin. – only they aren’t going to leave 25,000 dead/wounded when they collect their pensions…just more layoffs and supplier closings.

Having said that; this car doesn’t look bad – from the outside.

j i m

Better than it was…

looks nice

Come on guys, you have to be kidding. It looks IDENTICAL to the Aura. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but how could you say it looks like a Camry for instance when it’s obviously a badge-engineered Aura?

But yeah, I like it. My favorite Malibu was the last generation before the “refreshed” the front end. That little redesign made it look terrible haha. But thumbs up on this one.

Pleasantly surprised, both with the pics of the car and injection of some sensible discourse in the midst of the usual rampage of GM hate-mongers.

Oh wow that looks bad ass.

wetstuff, you sound like a hippie

Looks okay to me. I’m not quite sold on the grill design, though.

looks like a winner

Wetstuff = brainless jackass.

Sorry, not my typical post, but I’ve had it with these whiny hand wringing ‘I’ve got no where eles to go or any friends so I am just going to interject my retarded political commentary on an totally unrelated automotive board’ crap for brains attention needing fools.
Grow up, the world doesnt operate on the principles of your insane bumper stickers.

Oh Fatstrat, try not to get too worked up, being wrong ain’t easy I’m sure

Looking slick, IMO!

THis thing is going to put everyone else out of business! I can’t wai until Toyota, Honda and Nissan close their doors when they find their trash rotting on the lots because everyone would rather have a GM.

Pack it up boys, the party is over. This thing is going to kick Audis ass, nevermind the Camcord.

Kick Audi’s ass?? Malbiu isnt competing with Audi!!! God, ur are really stupid! And what…. Camcord?? You’re even more stupider!!

the overall shape reminds me of a caddy…overall this mailbu is much improved inside and out over the current ho-hum model. my concern is that instead of this vehicle competing with Camry and Accord it will end up competeing with GM’s own Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura.

GMrules, though an adherent to the good General like myself, nonetheless demonstrates a level of juvenility that even S-60 would find difficult to reach. Why, oh why did he have to come spoil our nearly idiot-free string of comments? As much I would like your prophecies to come true, sir, I can’t imagine a realistic scenario in which Toyotas and Hondas rot away on dealer lots like so many Yugos. Let’s get real, shall we?

And what’s camcord?

The grill is just wrong. But we can’t have it look like Acura’s grill, can we? So, let’s run a bar through the middle and put a badge on it.

Hey, why stop at three openings, why not outdo the new Acuras and make it seven or eight?

Ricardo,

I don’t think alfas are badge engineered fiats… Which model are you referring to?

GM to GMRules: Don’t help us!

2008 car of the year here folks. Bet on it. Why? because this car single-handedliy proves that spending 10 grand more on an inferior pile of crap like an Audi or a BMW is the most idiotic thing you can do.

Way to make a Chevy Fusion!!!

What it looks like is that GM found out that people really loved the styling of the front ends of the new Tahoe and GM adapted it with some curvy refinement to the Malibu. The same thing with the Escalade where a refined version of it’s grill / front end is going to be on the new CTS.