Spy Photo: 2012 Chevrolet Malibu Summering in Michigan

For once, I'd have to agree with 1487. The price point of the 3.6L Malibu is outrageous, especially considering you can buy a Buick with a better interior (in my opinion) and a V6 engine for less. Better GM be on the cutting edge of a new trend for engines in the mid-size sedan segment than behind like many others are likely to be.

Let Buick have the V6 line-up. Offer something a bit more sporty for the top line model of the Malibu. I like the idea of the 2.0T being offered.

The Malibu needs to drop the V6. I agree with flicmod, it makes more sense to have Buick offer V6s because the people who want a fwd V6 mid-size (more like large these days) sedan are also going to want all the bells and whistles too. The Lacrosse would probably best serve them. A LTZ trim level with the 2.0 turbo that will be in the Regal is what I would prefer to see. Throw a manual in there too and a nice sport tuned suspension and it could be pretty nice

I agreed with "1487"

So far GM are kind of going back to doing business as before, sloting overlap products or not matching the right products to the right brand.

Buick should be targeting a V6 crowd as the Chevorlet should be the younger crowd so 2.OT matches the profile of Chevorlet.

It is wired it like shifting the younger buyer to Buick and older buyer to Chevorlet.

I wish Chevy would lay off the rising beltlines. As a kid, I hated not being able to properly see out of the rear windows, but raising them higher isn't the solution. It cuts back on driver vision too. Doesn't help the looks either, just makes it look like it's got a too tall ass.

"It's apparent from this shot that the front fascia won't change much during this mild redesign"

So 1487, is it a full redesign or a mild one?

I loved real Chevrolet cars with RWD. if you feel not good for Chevrolet with FWD is cheaper. I loves two Corvette and Camaro are Sports Chevy. Chevrolet Malibu FWD is very boring model.

I'm not to sure if going all 4 cylinder is the best idea until they get a full redesign. The car has already been designed to support a 6 cylinder which kind of makes it a porker. If car companies are going to start going to all 4 bangers in midsize cars (which I kind of like, if done right) they need to cut some serious wieght out of the cars. Hyundai kind of set the precedence with the brand new Sonata by engineering it specifically for 4 cylinder motors which makes it a couple to a few hundred pounds lighter than the competition.

Otherwise we are just going to have a bunch of overweight slow midsize cars that still get crappy gas mileage.

all of malibu's competition is still offered with a v6 of some kind (fusion, camry, accord). i think gm would be remiss in leaving out a v6 option and alienating those potential customers, however many there are. i do agree, however, that the price point of a v6 malibu should be less than that of a buick.

"So 1487, is it a full redesign or a mild one?"

full redesign. IL mistakenly claimed in another post that it was just an update. Its all new on the shorter wheelbase of the Regal.

"Otherwise we are just going to have a bunch of overweight slow midsize cars that still get crappy gas mileage."

The regal is designed to take a V6 and it weighs as much as the current Malibu. If the 2012 Malibu follows the example of the Sonata it can lose some weight along with the option for a V6.

"Chevrolet Malibu FWD is very boring model."

That is where the "boring" high volume is in this market. You dont run a major brand on the sales of sport coupes.

The Current Malibu V6 option is excellent. It would be sad to see it go

i thought the new malibu would be built off of the "regal" chassis and moving the impala to the "lacrosse" chassis. it would be nice treat if the new malibu came in SS trim with the OPC V6 Turbo and AWD.

im guessing it will offer a similar setup as the buick regal 2.4 DI and 2.0T. Not saying thats a bad thing, but it would be nice to see some differentiation between brands in terms of engine offerings.

I wonder if they will offer the new malibu in red, it suxs buick decided not to offer red on the regal :(

Yes, I'm pretty sure this is a full redesign to the updated Regal platform (a derivative of the old Malibu platform). GM needs to learn the art of the midcycle refresh. Ford is making money hand over fist on the "new" Fusion, and the current Explorer is 10 years old (!). Anyways, I sincerely hope Chevy got the interior right on this one....the current interior is nice, but still not on the level of the Camccord, or the social climbing Sonata. And yeah, there should be a 4cyl only powertrain lineup. There wasn't too much for the current model to improve on, but, like the Fusion, the results would be game changing.

The current car's interior is better-designed than any of the other midsizers besides the new Sonata. I'm interested in the new car's cabin.

drivera:

I would expect more Regal colors and trim levels in 2011. A base model will be added next year once production moves to Canada. There are two other colors being added for the 2011 model year as well. I would thik the Malibu is not going to get whatever engine will be used in the Regal GS to maintain differentiation between the two cars.

allbook:

What you're saying doesn't make sense. The Malibu is being replaced 4 years after it debuted with an all new model. The Fusion was replaced after 4 years with a very thorough facelift. An all new Fusion is coming in 2012 or 2013.

I fail to see how anyone could say the Malibu's interior is lacking vs the Camry. That is certainly not the case. The camry's interior is average at best and unlike the Malibu it has dull, low rent color schemes. I'm thinking the new interior is going to be very similar to Cruze and Equinox.

2.4 DI is absolutely mandatory and might even edge out the Sonata for fuel economy. Look how well it does in the heavier Equinox.

yeah but the Regal only gets 30mpg highway due to lacking electronic steering and weight. The Malibu already gets 33mpg without DI so I expected more from the Regal 2.4 DI.