GM China is the third regional division to launch production of the eighth generation Chevrolet Malibu. The new car has entered production at the Shanghai GM joint venture’s Jinqiao plant in suburban Shanghai.
The Malibu for China comes with the choice of GM’s 2.0- and 2.4-litre I4 petrol engines in combination with a standard six-speed automatic gearbox. While in certain other markets, the arrival of the Malibu has meant the phasing out of the Chevrolet Epica, GM China will continue to offer this car as a cheaper model. The Chinese market Epica is also manufactured by Shanghai GM but not in the same plant as the Malibu.
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GM Korea was the first subsidiary to manufacture the latest-shape Malibu, production at the Bupyeong plant having commenced in October 2011. This was followed by Fairfax Assembly in Kansas (January), with additional build for North American markets at Detroit-Hamtramck to follow later in 2012.
Unlike the China-built car, the 2013MY Malibu is powered by a 2.5-litre Ecotec I4. North America’s Malibu is also available as a mild hybrid. A 1.6-litre I4 turbo is expected to follow for some markets, while a 2.0-litre turbodiesel will be available in Europe and other markets.
Shanghai GM’s Malibu is available in five model grades priced from CNY162,900-229,900 (US$25,851-$36,483). It is now available for preorder at 552 Chevrolet dealerships across China.
