Chevrolet Malibu 0-60 times

Most mid-size sedans tend to be boring economy cars – take the Corolla for example. But not all of them – the Chevrolet Malibu is one of the mid-size vehicles that combines good performance, involving driving experience and comfort in a stylish package. Add to that a roomy interior and the Malibu immediately becomes a winner in a lot of people minds.

The Malibu is available with three powertrains – a 1.5 and 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engines and a 1.8-liter gasoline hybrid with a lithium-ion battery. It’s also available in several trims, but the lower ones don’t come with the advanced safety systems available, which is a shame on Chevrolet’s end. That said, this doesn’t detract from the fact that the Malibu is a solid mid-size sedan for the price.

Chevrolet Malibu Performance

The base Chevrolet Malibu comes with a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine with 163 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox. This engine provides enough oomph in the lower rev range but quickly loses breath. That said, it’s pretty fuel-efficient, with a rating of 27/36 city-highway.

If you’re serious about performance, the 2.0-liter turbo-four is a much better choice. This engine churns in 250 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque and is equipped with a nine-speed automatic gearbox. Thanks to the ample torque down in the rev range, the bigger engine pulls readily whenever the driver needs maximum acceleration. The gearbox helps here as well – there are more gears to play with and the gear shifting happens almost instantly.

Chevrolet offers a hybrid powertrain as well. This one has a 1.8-liter gasoline engine, that develops 182 horsepower with the help of an electric motor. The hybrid version is equipped with a CVT, which is not very responsive if you’re into a sporty driving experience, but on the other hand, it returns 49 mpg in the city, which is an impressive number, and 43 mpg on the highway. Buy the hybrid only if you’re into fuel-efficiency.

Exterior & Interior

On the outside, the Malibu catches the eye with an elegant, yet sharp looking lines. Some may even call it sporty. All in all, we think it’s one of the best-looking vehicles in its segment.

The interior can easily be recognized as a Chevrolet, and that’s not a bad thing. It looks premium in our eyes and it’s equipped with a lot of tech – a 7.0-inch touchscreen is standard, while higher-end trims get an even bigger 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment.

While we are at it, the Malibu comes in five available trims. The Malibu L, Malibu LS, and Malibu LT are all available with the 1.5-liter turbocharged engine, the Malibu Hybrid is available only with the hybrid powertrain, while the Malibu Premier is available with the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. We would’ve liked the most powerful engine to be available at least in the LT trim.

Conclusion

The Malibu looks stylish on the outside, has a roomy interior with a pleasing design, a lot of standard and available technology, a good balance between handling and comfort and is available with efficient and powerful powertrains. All of these attributes certainly make it one of the best vehicles in its class at this moment.

Ivo Gievski