Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid for sale in Kamloops, BC
Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid is available at Smith Chevrolet Cadillac in Kamloops, BC. Smith Chevrolet Cadillac is your premier retailer of new Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid. Our dedicated sales staff and top-trained technicians are here to make your auto shopping experience comfortable and smooth. Please utilize our various online resources and allow our excellent network of people to put you in your ideal new Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid today!
To see more new Chevrolet cars and SUVs, please visit our Chevrolet vehicle showroom in Kamloops, BC. At Smith Chevrolet Cadillac, we look forward to serving you, our valued customer.
New Vehicle Showroom > Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
|
MSRP Starting At: $28,490
Disclaimer: Pricing is subject to change without notice, actual price may vary; installed options may also vary by dealer. Price does not include applicable license fees, insurance, registration, tax, freight / delivery, PDI or administration fees. See dealership for final pricing and availability.
|
|---|
 |
|
      |
|
|
|
|
|
|
In its second year on the North American marketplace, Chevrolet’s Malibu Hybrid is a paradoxical offering. A true midsize sedan, the Malibu is a handsome machine with modern exterior aesthetics that are clean to the eye. Inside it has comfortable sea ...more
2009-04-19 00:11:48
|
|
|
|
System under maintenance. Check back soon.
Select a trim from the drop-down list to view its standard features
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
2009 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Road Test Review
April, 19 2009
In its second year on the North American marketplace, Chevrolet’s Malibu Hybrid is a paradoxical offering. A true midsize sedan, the Malibu is a handsome machine with modern exterior aesthetics that are clean to the eye.
When it comes to road-going abilities, the 2009 Chevy Malibu Hybrid is considered a “mild” hybrid, one in which the electric motor/generator accompanying Chevy’s ECOTEC 2.4-litre DOHC 4-cylinder engine is relatively small (four kilowatts, or just over five horsepower) and propels the car only slightly. Its primary purpose is to quickly and seamlessly start the gasoline engine when it automatically shuts off to save fuel at traffic lights or similar stoppages using the “auto stop” feature. The electric motor also provides acceleration boost and "torque smoothing" for additional fuel savings, and during deceleration or braking it acts as a generator to recapture energy and charge the on-board battery. The Malibu Hybrid’s electric motor/generator (with 36-volt advanced NiMH batteries) can, on its own, move the 1,604 kg (3,537 pound) car, but not for long distances as would a “full” hybrid such as the Toyota Camry Hybrid and technical clone Nissan Altima Hybrid against which the Malibu competes.
As it is, the Malibu Hybrid’s gas engine produces 164 horsepower at 6,400 rpm on its 8,000-rpm tachometer and maximum torque is 159 lb-ft at 5,000 rpm, and while the electric motor does give some boost under heavy loads, it’s not something you notice in normal driving. Indeed, the best way to achieve maximum fuel savings is exactly the same as for any regular gasoline-powered car: trip planning to minimize total distance traveled, and smooth acceleration and braking. An ECO light on the dash tells you when you get it right. Chevy fits a four-speed automatic transmission to the Malibu Hybrid, and in top gear the engine turns 2,550 rpm at 130 km/h (80 mph). With this gearing the Malibu Hybrid is happiest cruising at about 115 km/h (72 mph) and on flat ground. Acceleration is somewhat leisurely, with 0-60 times noted well above 10 seconds. All this begs the question, “Why bother?” The front-wheel-drive Malibu Hybrid is not a gangly tub of steel, plastic and rubber; it is a very nice machine.
Other than the drivetrain, there are few real differences between the Hybrid and a standard Malibu. Chevrolet has fitted all-independent suspension on every Malibu and, on this model, uses electric power steering that I found a bit vague and on the light side. Regenerative brakes with antilock capability are standard on the car, as are stability and traction control. The Malibu has a generous 2,767 litres (97.7 cubic feet) of passenger volume from its 2,852 mm (112.3 inch) wheelbase, mounted on a platform that measures 4,872 mm long, 1,786 mm wide and 1,450 mm tall (that's 191.8 inches long, 70.3 inches wide and 57.1 inches high). The turning circle is 12.3 metres (40.4 feet), about right for a front-wheel-driven car of this size. There is but one trim level for the 2009 Chevy Malibu Hybrid.
Entering the cabin, the driver finds a triple pod of gauges rimmed in a blue colour — in fact, just about all indicators are of a blue hue in the Malibu Hybrid. Gauges are black with white letters and numbers. The tachometer lies to the left of the speedometer and includes auto-stop; the speedometer has an LED trip computer below it that is activated and changed with the steering wheel’s controls. To the right lie fuel and ECO gauges, the latter noting when the engine is under assist and when the motor/generator is recharging. Above the centre stack is a shallow, closable storage area, and descending from there are dual vents, audio controls and the heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems.
Malibu earned five-star ratings for front and side impact crashes and four stars for rollover protection. There are dual-stage airbags in the front, outboard thorax side impact bags for front seat occupants and head curtain bags front and rear. There are three seat belts in the rear of the Chevy Malibu Hybrid but only two headrests; rear seat occupants have two pull-down cupholders and a 12-volt plug of their own, in addition to webbed pockets in the front seatbacks for storage. The trunk space is good at 428 litres (15.1 cubic feet), even with the battery pack at the far end of the enclosure. Lift-in is nice and low and the remote pops the trunk upward a couple of inches to aid ingress. At the rear there’s a chrome exhaust tip – but who notices when the engine is so quiet? This Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid model has OnStar service and Bluetooth connectivity, but the phone controls on the right side of the steering wheel are very easy to hit without meaning to do so. Base list pricing for the Malibu Hybrid is
During this test with the 2009 Chevy Malibu Hybrid, we put more than 1,100 kilometres on a vehicle that had only 1,715 kilometres at pick-up. That allowed us to break in the car a bit and to get to know its idiosyncrasies. Immediately we noted lethargy without a firm prod of the pedal; the first tankload yielded 7.84 L/100km from a vehicle rated at 8.5/6.2 L/100 km on regular fuel. The 60-litre tank yielded 7.35 L/100km on the second go-round and, after putting 130 kilometres on the third tank the trip computer stated there were 865 kilometres until empty. As any vehicle gains miles and the engine breaks in, the economy improves and the adage holds true with the 2009 Chevy Malibu Hybrid. By the time it has about 8,000 kilometres on the clock, this Malibu Hybrid should be managing 6.7 L/100km or better, judging by these numbers. Chevrolet warrants this car with a five-year/160,000-kilometre powertrain policy;
The 2009 Malibu Hybrid comes equipped as a “mild” hybrid and we had great expectations going in, because we like the standard gas-powered Malibu for its comfort, sporty handling, excellent build quality and acceptable fuel economy. The Malibu Hybrid retains most of these positive characteristics and improves the fuel economy but, perhaps not surprisingly, it seemed to me like the overall effect was only “mildly” different. Specifications (2009 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid):
© (Copyright Canadian Auto Press)
|
2012 Chevrolet Silverado
$51,060.00
