Chevrolet Is Killing Off The Malibu In Favor Of Electric Vehicles

UPDATE 09/02: Chevrolet has shared the following statement with CarBuzz: “As previously announced, GM is investing approximately $390 million in our Fairfax Assembly Plant for production of the new, Ultium-based Chevrolet Bolt EV to deliver one of the most affordable all-electric vehicles with an improved driving, charging and ownership experience. To facilitate the installation of tooling and other plant modifications, after nine generations and over 10 million global sales, GM will end production of the Chevrolet Malibu in November 2024 and pause production of the Cadillac XT4 after January 2025. This will result in a layoff until production resumes for affected employees. Affected employees will be supported according to the provisions of the UAW-GM agreement. When production resumes in late 2025, Fairfax will produce both the Bolt EV and XT4 on the same assembly line, which gives GM flexibility to respond to changes in customer demand.”

After 27 years, Chevrolet is killing off the Malibu for the second time. The midsized sedan is reportedly being discontinued as General Motors looks to move towards an electrified lineup of vehicles. In a statement to Car and Driver, the automaker confirmed the Malibu would end production in November 2024.

GM will invest $390 million in the Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas, where the Malibu is currently built. Chevrolet will overhaul the facility to prepare for the production of the new Bolt EV, which is expected to arrive in 2025. While sedan sales continue to plummet – and manufacturers kill off their sedan offerings – the Malibu has always been a strong seller for Chevrolet. In Q1 2024, the automaker shifted 32,749 examples, making it more popular than the Bolt, Suburban, Tahoe, Blazer, and all Buick and Cadillac products.

2024 Chevrolet Malibu

Base MSRP

$24,700

Engine

1.5L Turbo Inline-4 Gas

Horsepower

163 hp

Fuel Economy

27/35 MPG

An Unusual Move To Make As Demand For EVs Fall

This move comes at a strange time. General Motors recently said it would focus on offering more plug-in hybrids as demand for electric vehicles dwindles. In October, the automaker said it no longer planned on building 400,000 electric cars between 2022 and mid-2024. GM has also struggled to ramp up production of EVs across all its brands, so adding another more to the lineup may overwhelm its manufacturing capacity.

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While General Motors previously worked with Honda to co-develop the Prologue and Acura ZDX (both of which use Ultium technology), the pair parted ways in October, scrapping plans to engineer affordable electric cars together. Aside from the Malibu, the publication reports that production of the Cadillac XT4 will be paused in January, allowing for the retooling of the Kansas-based facility. The XT4 and new Bolt are expected to be built on the same production line.

Could The Malibu Make A Comeback In The EV Era?

The latest Malibu, while competent, was never a trailblazer in its segment, with Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai all able to offer far superior family sedan options. Chevrolet made minimal changes for MY2024, which led many in the industry to believe a more substantial facelift (or entirely new model) was on the way. However, it would seem this is the final model year for the automaker’s venerable sedan.

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Powered by a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine, the Malibu sends its power to the front wheels via a CVT. It’s a far cry from the original, produced between 1964 and 1983. During this time, the Malibu was available as a sedan, wagon, coupe, and convertible, with a series of inline-six and V8 engines. Perhaps it will return one day as a futuristic electric sedan, possibly looking something like the FNR-XE Concept.