Chevy's New Malibu Is That Good

Look out Camry and Accord, Chevy's redesigned 2008 Malibu is the midsize game-changer GM has been looking for

by Paul A. Eisenstein

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Chevy's 2008 Malibu

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Get out of the fast lane, Toyota Camry. Move aside, Honda Accord. For the first time in a generation, General Motors is back with a game-changing midsize sedan. And the imports better be worried, when they see the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu pull up in their rearview mirror.

There was a time when Detroit, GM, in particular, dominated the midsize market, but that's so far back, many of today's buyers likely won't even remember anything but the more lackluster offerings that followed, like the Chevy Lumina or the various Chrysler K-car variants.

We got a signal GM might be ready to get back in the game at last January's Detroit Auto Show, when the automaker revealed a new version of the Malibu . There was no denying the visual impact of its taut, dynamic exterior, and unexpectedly upmarket interior. But the big question was how would it drive? Would it stand up to the best of the imports -- read Camry and Accord -- which overwhelmingly dominate the segment's sales charts?

After spending time in the '08 Malibu, the answer is unabashedly, "yes." For the first time we can remember, there's no reason to make excuses for a mainstream Detroit sedan, no reason to explain away the compromises. Chevy's new entry stands up solidly on its own four wheels.

Down on Beale Street

To get a feel for the new offering, we headed down to Beale St., the heart of blues country, in Memphis . We spent the day driving all the key Malibu variants that will be coming to market in the weeks and months to come, including the four-cylinder LS and six-cylinder LTZ, as well as the Malibu hybrid (which we'll cover in a separate road test).

Beauty may only be skin -- or sheetmetal -- deep, but it's where an automaker must make a first, and lasting, impression. And GM designers have succeeded handsomely. This is the new face of Chevy, with a chrome-wrapped, split grille, highlighted by a wide, bowtie-bearing crossbar. The creased hoodline suggests power and implies a vehicle decidedly more expensive than Malibu 's starting price of $19,995.

From the side, the new Chevy sits high on its haunches, with still more luxury cues, such as the curvaceous C-pillar. "Good bone structure," is an apt description used by one of Malibu 's designers. From the rear, you'll quickly recognize the twin lamps, long a Chevrolet trademark, but here done far more elegantly than in other, recent executions, such as the awkward Monte Carlo. Rounding things out, the chrome tipped exhaust (a dual pair of pipes on the LTZ) and chrome license plate surround.

For years, General Motors has, frankly, chintzed out, using lowest-common-denominator materials that may have cut costs but given its products all the style and warmth of a resale store. Particularly galling was the use of glossy, often ungrained plastics that could have come from the KMart bargain rack.

With the Malibu, GM's design studio has crafted a two-toned, twin cockpit look that implies a sense of both sportiness and elegance. The materials are far more lavish, easily matching the feel of the Accord and far exceeding that of the Camry, which Toyota seems determined to drive downmarket. The black plastic is gone, even on the base Malibu, incidentally. On the highline model, though, you can opt for a two-toned, nubbly leather that might just as easily show up on the Cadillac line. And kudos for the stylish, yet easy-to-read instrument cluster, complimented by the cabin's tinted ambient lighting.

There's also a fair bit of storage, including a large bin at the top of the IP's center stack. One omission that annoyed us was the lack of door grab handles. This is a common flaw on many new GM products, including Caddy's second-generation CTS. Apparently, engineers haven't figured out how to fit those useful handles over the hidden, roof-mounted airbags.