Back in December 2013, GM announced that it was pulling most of its Chevrolet models out of Europe, leaving only the Corvette. They still sell a few models in Russia, though, and the upcoming 2019 Malibu facelift was just spotted undergoing testing in Southern Europe.
From what we understand, General Motors is no longer interested in what's across the pond. It sold Vauxhall and Opel too, but there might be a few test facilities left. Otherwise, how can we explain this recent sighting? I mean, there's a little Renault Clio in the background, and you don't see that in Detroit.
The amount of camouflage covering the car is ridiculous. You've got one layer of white and black wrap over everything, followed by a tarp designed to disguise the panel lines. This and the fact that the Malibu is sporting provisional taillights suggests the cosmetic changes are going to be extensive. The bumpers, light assemblies, quarter panels and trunk - these are just some of the pieces that will change.
The Malibu is a cousin of the Opel Insignia B, built on the same platform at a time when Chevy and Opel were still umbilically linked. This is the ninth generation of the vehicle, and it's been on sale since 2015. A few months ago, the 2017 model year was announced, complete with a new nine-speed automatic transmission.
We can't confirm any new powertrains at the moment, but everybody is talking about diesel. You see, both the Cruze and the Equinox crossover have a new 1.6-liter unit, and since they're all platform brothers, this would be something interesting and relatively novel in the midsize sedan segment.
That's wild speculation, but carry-over 2.0-liter turbo (250 HP) and hybrid (182 HP) units look like safe bets to up.
At the moment, nothing is known about the interior. However, the newer Equinox could once again serve as inspiration for the designers, who might also be tasked with incorporating the latest MyLink screen.
The amount of camouflage covering the car is ridiculous. You've got one layer of white and black wrap over everything, followed by a tarp designed to disguise the panel lines. This and the fact that the Malibu is sporting provisional taillights suggests the cosmetic changes are going to be extensive. The bumpers, light assemblies, quarter panels and trunk - these are just some of the pieces that will change.
The Malibu is a cousin of the Opel Insignia B, built on the same platform at a time when Chevy and Opel were still umbilically linked. This is the ninth generation of the vehicle, and it's been on sale since 2015. A few months ago, the 2017 model year was announced, complete with a new nine-speed automatic transmission.
We can't confirm any new powertrains at the moment, but everybody is talking about diesel. You see, both the Cruze and the Equinox crossover have a new 1.6-liter unit, and since they're all platform brothers, this would be something interesting and relatively novel in the midsize sedan segment.
That's wild speculation, but carry-over 2.0-liter turbo (250 HP) and hybrid (182 HP) units look like safe bets to up.
At the moment, nothing is known about the interior. However, the newer Equinox could once again serve as inspiration for the designers, who might also be tasked with incorporating the latest MyLink screen.