2013 Chevrolet Malibu – Eco
Staff photo by Mark KennedyFAST FACTSModel: 2013 Malibu EcoExterior color: Silver Ice MetallicInterior color: Jet Black TitaniumEngine: 2.4 liter, 4-cylinder with E-assistHorsepower: 182Transmission: six-speed automaticFuel economy: 37 mpg highway, 25 mpg cityDealer: Walter Jackson Chevrolet, Ringgold, Ga.Price (as tested): $27,075
If you’re pulling for a General Motors comeback, then watch sales of the new-for-2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The midsize sedan from GM’s bread-and-butter Chevrolet division is a good bellwether for the company as a whole.
This week, we drove a mild hybrid, “Eco” version of the new Malibu sedan from Walter Jackson Chevrolet in Ringgold, Ga.
The Malibu Eco, which gets 37 miles per gallon highway, is exceptionally quiet and has the refinement to compete in the crowded midsize segment, which accounts for about a quarter of all auto sales.
The Eco engine combines a 2.4 liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and a small electric motor. Chevrolet expects the soon-to-arrive 2.5-liter gasoline-only car (base price $23,150) to be its Malibu volume leader.