GM to Sell New Malibu Alongside Previous Model

General Motors says it pulled ahead production of the new-for-’13 Chevrolet Malibu Eco to get a jump on the competition, and the revised schedule will keep the current model in the market at the same time.

“There will be about a 6-month overlap,” says Malibu marketing chief Russ Clark. “The focus with the new (version) is to get very clear messaging and focus on the styling and technology in the car.”

’13 Chevy Malibu Eco variant priced at $25,995.

It is not unprecedented in the U.S. to sell a previous-generation model alongside a new one. When the Malibu transitioned to the Epsilon architecture in 2004, GM kept making versions off the old N-body architecture and sold it to rental-company and fleet customers as the Chevy Classic.

The Malibu Eco variant comes in the first quarter of next year as the first model in the next generation of the nameplate. That’s about six months ahead of redesigned-for-’13 models such as the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and Ford Fusion.

Competition in the midsize-car segment is among the fiercest in the industry. With 1.4 million units old through October and a 13.7% share of the market, it is the third-biggest segment behind compact cars and midsize cross/utility vehicles, according to WardsAuto data.

Pulling the Malibu Eco ahead would give GM the wide stage it may need to explain the car’s eAssist powertrain, a stop/start system combining a 2.4L 4-cyl. internal-combustion engine with a 115V lithium-ion battery pack and 15-kW (20-hp) electric motor-generator.

The setup provides V-6 power with 4-cyl. fuel economy of 26/38 mpg (9.0-6.2 L/100 km) city/highway, according to GM. An all-new 2.5L 4-cyl. engine without eAssist as well as additional trim lines come in the second half of next year to round out the Malibu lineup.

The early release of the new model could give GM some pricing power. The new Malibu Eco starts at $25,995, which includes a $760 delivery charge. That’s about $2,600 more than a similarly trimmed ’12 Malibu but still below key competitors with hybrid powertrains. Four option packages will be available.

“It is a well-equipped car,” Clark tells WardsAuto in a phone interview.

The Malibu is one of GM’s most successful nameplates and with its latest redesign becomes a truly global car, with sales in nearly 100 countries on six continents. It will be built in China, Korea and two sites in the U.S. – Fairfax, KS, and Detroit.

Through October, sales of the 4-year-old Malibu were up 3.4% against an industry up 10% ahead of like-2010.

“The current car has done well,” Clark says. “We wanted to take it to the next level and with the styling and technology it does that.”

[email protected]