2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco: Squeeze Better Fuel Economy

GM has moved to launch the new 2013 Malibu with just one engine option – it’s most efficient; meet the Chevrolet Malibu Eco. GM unleashed the aerodynamic hounds on the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco in an effort to squeeze ever better fuel economy from the vehicle.

GM specifically said the automaker wanted to give mid-sized buyers a sportier, more aesthetically interesting vehicle for the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco. While we’ll gladly agree the four-door looks as sharp as a snake bite from the front compared to most of its competitors, the Chevrolet Malibu Eco design quickly grows dull toward the vehicles rear just as before.

The company’s designers have taken pains to draw parallels between the new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco and other 2013 Chevy models, the Chevrolet Camaro, by importing the muscle car’s square taillight treatment.

Throw in a dash of underbody cladding and the Chevrolet Malibu Eco is good for a .30 coefficient of drag. For reference, other 2013 Chevrolet models such as the Chevrolet Corvette is only slightly slipperier at .29 – a figure the standard 2013 Malibu will reach in part thanks to its more aerodynamic wheel and tire package.

GM tallied the pros and cons of greater fuel efficiency by decreased drag or decreased rolling resistance courtesy of the Goodyear Assurance rubber found on the Chevrolet Malibu Eco, and the 17-inch alloy wheels and low-rolling rubber won out against the slicker 18-inch option; GM says that the standard Malibu will feature a coefficient of drag that’s within spitting distance of the .28 of the Chevrolet Volt – a figure that vehicle shares with the 2012 Toyota Camry.

The Chevrolet Malibu Eco styling features a Camaro-style taillights and rear fenders. From these pictures of 2013 Chevy Malibu, the new hevrolet Malibu Eco is 0.5 inch shorter, but wider and slightly taller than the 2012 model. Chevrolet Malibu Eco offers slightly more passenger room, though the Eco’s lithium-ion batteries reduce luggage space.

The five-passenger interior of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco will feature eight air bags, Chevy’s MyLink touch screen and voice-recognition system for phone calls, music, navigation and more. The designers at Chevrolet have executed a very nice cabin, however. With a base price of $25,535, the Chevrolet Malibu Eco will cost less than more fuel-efficient hybrid sedans with more powerful electric systems like the Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry.

Under the Hood 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco

Under the Chevrolet Malibu Eco hood, GM has paired the same 2.4-liter four-cylinder Ecotec engine from the 2013 Chevy Malibu engine with a 15 kilowatt electric motor and 115 volt lithium-ion battery pack. The cars engine alone produces 182 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque, though the electric motor adds in an extra 15 horsepower and 75 pound-feet of torque to that mix.

The first model out the chute in Chevy’s all-new family of 2013 Malibu midsize sedans, the Chevrolet Malibu Eco uses many systems common to hybrids for predicted EPA fuel economy ratings of 25 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. Like other GM eAssist vehicles, however, this Chevrolet Malibu Eco isn’t a hardcore hybrid.

At no point can the electric motor turn the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco wheels by itself. Instead, the motor allows the Chevrolet Malibu Eco to use a taller final drive gear than would otherwise be possible, that means the internal combustion engine can turn fewer rpm and consume less fuel while the electric motor picks up the slack.

2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco HD Video Review