You're Going To Like The Way You Look In A Malibu Turbo
Hey kids! Are you feeling nostalgic for the old Celebrity Eurosport? Well then — line right up!
Although the Malibu Turbo is coming to market about two years behind the Hyundai Sonata Turbo and Kia Optima Turbo, it does make less power than either and it also has less room in the trunk and rear seat. Probably. Still, based on how long it took GM to bring out the Fiero after the X1/9 debuted, and the length of time between the showroom appearance of the first PT Cruiser and the Chevrolet HHR, this is remarkably rapid response from GM. The car also features a full nineteen more horsepower than the old Malibu Maxx SS from a decade ago, even if it can’t quite match the older car in actual passenger volume or utility.
Look for the Malibu Turbo to comprehensively beat the Sonata Turbo around a road course thanks to aggressive shock settings and for this fact to be widely touted even as the ‘Bu’s inability to keep within javelin distance of a Camry V6’s taillights is thoughtfully ignored by GM’s media lapdog. Sorry, kids, this time the Japanese Beigekrieg is likely to blitz the feckless General.
More by Jack Baruth
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Broken clock is right twice a day... My HHR SS is blast to drive and still a practical,economical mini-wagon. Yet I'm NOT a big GM fan. But it sounds like the Bu turbo has the same engine as my HHR (2.0L, 260 Hp), so I'll give it a long look.
1000 internets will be awarded to the first person to put authentic black and red "Eurosport" badges on a new Malibu.
Wonder how many former Saab 9-3 owners will trade in for a Malibu turbo since the next gen 9-3 was to be based on this platform.
Frankly, it was very silly for Chevy to even consider unveiling a next-generation Malibu that isn't the best at ANYTHING. The Malibu should have sported the most interior room OR the most horsepower OR the best fuel economy OR the lowest price OR the most toys OR the best looks OR any number of superlatives. But it doesn't do ANY of those things. Not on paper; not in real life (real life advantages are better). In this day an age, "just good enough" is just another way of saying "mediocre." Chevy has no one to blame but themselves. And unlike the Civic, this isn't going to automatically sell like gangbusters regardless of the lack of effort. This segment is too cutthroat. We'll see if consumers prove me wrong, but I forsee the Fusion eating Chevy's lunch.