2012 Chevrolet Malibu Details
What's
the thinking behind the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu? That's difficult to
say, as development is still at an early stage. But we can confirm
some major elements and make safe guesses about others.
For example, we know that the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu will share GM's
new "Epsilon 2" (E2) midsize-car platform with the 2010 Buick
LaCrosse, slated to bow in early 2009, and a redesigned 2010 Saturn
Aura expected later that same calendar year.
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The current Aura and 2008
Malibu use the
original Epsilon platform, as do the Pontiac G6 and GM's premium-brand
Saab 9-3. Exterior sheetmetal will again disguise the common "bones,"
but with a key difference. Unlike E1 models, E2 is being engineered
so that all versions can be built in the same plants, including
overseas facilities. Such "flexible manufacturing" allows GM to more
quickly alter the production mix to suit changes in sales demand,
which not only saves money but also boosts potential profits. It's
the same approach used by Toyota, Honda, and Nissan, and you know
how successful they are.
Spy photographers have already snapped test prototypes of the
redesigned Aura and LaCrosse, so it's logical to infer that the 2012
Chevrolet Malibu will also have an arched roofline and a boxy tail (good
for trunk space), plus higher-rise bodysides with more sheetmetal
creases for a leaner, less "puffy" look. Equally inevitable is a new
version of the current
Malibu's Chevy-brand "face", but still with a
thick horizontal bar bearing the bow-tie logo laid atop a large
trapezoidal grille.
Sources
say the 2012
Chevrolet Malibu will be somewhat larger than today's
car. That implies an extra inch or two in wheelbase and overall
height--but maybe not overall length--which should mean more
passenger and cargo space.
 E2
engineers at GM's German Opel branch, which have global
responsibility for GM midsize cars, will be watching weight with an
eye towards boosting fuel economy and reducing emissions. We thus
expect the 2012
Chevrolet Malibu and other E2 models to make greater
use of lightweight materials, including stronger hydroformed steel
for major structural members, which should pay off in cars that are
tighter, quieter, and more durable.
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2012 
