Malibu Ideal for Dallas Drivin
I got to test drive the Chevrolet Malibu the same week my niece announced she received one as her company car on her Facebook page.
What a lucky girl.
Mine, a hybrid, was EPA-rated at 26 miles per gallon in city driving and 34 on the highway.
Malibu Hybrid has a strong stance and bold proportions. Clean, pure lines and wheels pushed to the corners, as well as a visually lower, yet longer, greenhouse and a shorter deck suggest motion, agility and attitude. The body sides are clean and elegant, interrupted only by distinctive, wheel-oriented forms that communicate an aggressive, stable stance and a rear profile with Corvette cues that connects to Chevrolet’s rich performance heritage.
The Malibu’s grille is characteristic of the global face of Chevrolet cars, and the twin round tail lamps also are Chevrolet cues.
The interior’s attention to detail matches the Malibu’s exterior with an ergonomic design using premium materials that convey quality and value. The integrated, flowing instrument panel features a Chevrolet-signature dual-cockpit design with prominent gauges backlit in blue and metallic or wood grain accents.
Along with a robust chassis, which minimizes vibration and noise, the body construction uses such noise-reducing materials as liquid spray-on sound deadener, laminated steel and composite wheel liners, to deliver one the segment’s quietest, most refined driving experiences. Laminated “quiet glass” also contributes to a quiet environment.
Steering response is precise and immediate, thanks to tuned steering systems designed for each model.
Malibu has a comprehensive roster of standard and available features that helps protect occupants before, during and after a crash. They include head curtain side-impact air bags (front and rear outboard seats), front seat-mounted thorax protection air bags, traction control, StabiliTrak stability control system with panic brake assistance and a tire pressure monitoring system.
A safety cage construction built into the Malibu’s body structure is complemented with reinforced rocker sections, as well as a reinforced front body hinge pillar and roof pillars that were designed to improve impact protection. A magnesium cross-car beam unites the lower sections of the A-pillars. This helps protect passengers in side-impact crashes and serves as a solid foundation for the instrument panel. High-strength steel is used in strategic areas to augment overall structural integrity.
Great for any driver but particularly in Dallas driving, where my niece is working. Her new husband shouldn’t have to worry about her.
Published June 2009
