Like some other hybrids, including Two-Mode, it uses coasting/braking energy to recharge the batteries, but does not allow driving on electricity alone. Though GM's future plans are unclear, this system costs much less to build than Two-Mode, which could keep it around as a more-affordable green alternative for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu.

      Conventional four-cylinder and V6 powertrains won't be neglected. GM's corporate 3.6 V6 already offers efficiency-boosting direct fuel injection in some applications, so we expect that feature to migrate to Malibu by 2012, if not before. It's one tool GM has for meeting the government's tough new 35-mpg mandate taking effect in 2020. But for that very reason, we think a pair of new high-efficiency engines may be destined for the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. Executives at GM Powertrain talk of replacing current engines with smaller units that achieve better mileage without sacrificing performance. The next-gen Malibu could thus offer a base four-cylinder of around 2.0-liter displacement and a V6 of, say, 3.0-liter size. Low-pressure turbocharging could be the magic key to doing more with less, but we'll have to wait and see what develops.

Of course, smaller engines mean less fuel-wasting mass for a car to drag around, but they also mean less front-end weight to spoil handling. We thus expect the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu to be even more agile and fun-to-drive than the already-capable '08, thanks to more-equal front/rear weight distribution that allows the suspension to be tuned for a better balance between handling and ride comfort.

 

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