Six production months of the 2025 Malibu should be enough to feed buyers through the normal buying cycle of Spring 2025. Ten model years of gen9 was probably enough. Assuming Detroit News has it right, I hope the employees in Fairfax find jobs nearby during the layoff.

 

Do you know if they are moving to a '2025'? It just says end production, but I don't see anything about if they will make a new model year. I know originally May 30th was a date they were looking at cutting over ... but will that actually happen now?

 

From what I can find online, there weren't any real changes to the vehicle for 2025, just some minor parts revisions so there would be no retooling taking place. It's basically just punching in a couple of digits on a keyboard to change from a 2024 to a 2025 model at this point so I see no reason why they wouldn't.

 

Do you by chance have a site that shows what parts are changing? Just curious about a few things like if they are moving to electronic vacuum pump, 5G, etc or is it more just part revisions?

 

Anyone care to copy/paste the article since it's hidden behind a paywall?

 

It wasn't earlier but it is now. I definitely don't have a subscription as it is the worst rag in Detroit. This one is basically the same thing:

GM Finally Ends Chevy Malibu Production

Chevrolet is officially ending production of the Malibu sedan to make room for more EVs in the lineup.

www.edmunds.com

 

Nevermind. Original article can be found here. The Detroit News

 

For one reason or another, GM wasn't able to turn a decent profit on sedans (or their hatchback counterparts). It just seems pathetic and sad at this point.

Sonic - super cool sporty sub-compact - dead 2020
Cruze - solid commuter car (we are totally happy with ours) - dead 2019
Malibu - decontented every year since 2017, basically tailored for fleet now with a CVT and no premium trim - dead 2025
Impala - excellent full size sedan for its final generation, never refreshed in 7 years - dead 2020
Camaro - top tier performance, but 2 straight generations of bottom-tier practicality - dead 2024

Honorable mention to the Buick Regal and Lacrosse, which were really nice entry-lux sedans that the market just seemed to overlook year after year.

 

The XT4 is already built in Fairfax, it will just go on suspension during the lengthy retool. They'll probably both be EVs on the other side. Maybe someone will build some chargers for this potential future. Last night in Ann Arbor my hotel had 4, all taken. A month ago at a different hotel, brand new, 2. Thank goodness 90% of the lots ran on gasoline.

Sad way the Malibu goes out. Half a production year, CVT they won't even put in new cars, low sales, infotainment disappointments. It never even got that glovebox light or mechanical trunk release.🤣

 

GM to end production of the Chevy Malibu this fall, will prep Fairfax for Bolt production

GM will halt production of the Chevrolet Malibu sedan this fall at its Fairfax plant in Kansas to prep for production of the new Chevrolet Bolt EV.

www.detroitnews.com

2026 will be the new redesigned model. It is rumored to be a hybrid or at least offer it.

 

If there is a 2026 I suspect the production moves to Mexico. I sense a hiatus for a couple years while they work out some Ultium bugs. Production of the Equinox EV and Blazer EV remain painfully slow. My local dealer has 0 Equinox EV, 2 Blazer EV. That's paltry. They need to get some up and running before expanding.

 

With GM falling back in love with hybrids, I wouldn't be surprised if the Malibu is moving back that direction sometime in the future.

 

Yes, especially since this electric car flop and the government being pressured to reverse course with their plans to fine automakers who don't comply. Ford lost over 3 billion last year in their electric venture. Toyota's president said they will accept the fine and continue with hybrids or possibly other powered sources. The profits off of alternatives will offset any fines dished out.

 

GM announced yesterday, the 2024 Malibu will be the last of this model, as they are switching to more EV cars starting November 2024.

Does this mean our cars will be collectible classics?

To me a big mistake. EVs will become passe, when hydrogen powered cars arrive.

Oh well....

https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/09/business/chevrolet-killing-off-chevy-malibu-sedan/index.html

 

GM announced yesterday, the 2024 Malibu will be the last of this model, as they are switching to more EV cars starting November 2024.

Does this mean our cars will be collectible classics?

To me a big mistake. EVs will become passe, when hydrogen powered cars arrive.

Oh well....

https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/09/business/chevrolet-killing-off-chevy-malibu-sedan/index.html

Yes, the last of this model until the 2026 redesign as mentioned above. Dealers were notified last month of the new model, and the name Malibu will continue on.

 

A Monte Carlo with a 335 hp 2.5t might make us somewhat enthusiastic again. Help us to recover from all these 3 cylinders

 

The Buick Envista is such a nice looking car in person but then you remember they picked that 1.2 i3 like a cheap Ford Fiesta. Same powertrain in the new Trax which again looks so much better externally but... maybe they will turn out to be reliable engines. Who knows.

Loyalty and proximity to dealer is how I ended up with a Malibu. Ironically I rarely use the dealer anymore as I got more hands on and the dealer became less friendly and inconsistently professional. My father-in-law is a retired 40 year Flint/Warren shop guy so I try to keep one in the driveway. There is still a lot of good in these cars - ergonomics, build quality is pretty good. If you think about all the tech in gen7 then increasing a little each gen (for better or worse), it is remarkable how much works and how rarely we read of issues with certain systems. My Malibu is staring down 170,000 and there is absolutely nothing broken on it and engine sounds and performs great. Sometimes I stand in the garage staring at that vacuum pump though.

 

The Buick Envista is such a nice looking car in person but then you remember they picked that 1.2 i3 like a cheap Ford Fiesta. Same powertrain in the new Trax which again looks so much better externally but... maybe they will turn out to be reliable engines. Who knows.

Loyalty and proximity to dealer is how I ended up with a Malibu. Ironically I rarely use the dealer anymore as I got more hands on and the dealer became less friendly and inconsistently professional. My father-in-law is a retired 40 year Flint/Warren shop guy so I try to keep one in the driveway. There is still a lot of good in these cars - ergonomics, build quality is pretty good. If you think about all the tech in gen7 then increasing a little each gen (for better or worse), it is remarkable how much works and how rarely we read of issues with certain systems. My Malibu is staring down 170,000 and there is absolutely nothing broken on it and engine sounds and performs great. Sometimes I stand in the garage staring at that vacuum pump though.

Three-cylinder engines have been around for quite a while now. At least 10-years in North America. I personally don't quite feel comfortable, and it took me a while to accept a four-cylinder engine in a midsized car. If I were in the market for another cross-over I would go with and take a chance on the three in the Envista.

 

Yes-Envista & Trax are very good looking & I’d say the same about the whole Chevy line up. IF (big if) we start drilling again GM will probably make some vehicles that old fans like us just might want.

 

They tuned the 1.5T LSD in the 23-24 Equinox/Terrain and soon 2025 Equinox up to 175hp. GM is so confident in that engine they made it the launch engine in the next gen high volume Equinox. The 203 wide torque curve keeps it drivable. I still don't understand why GM continued with the Malibu's 1.5 LFV at 163 / 184 when they could have just unified 1.5T production.

As for those i3, they shrunk those 1.2/1.3 down so much they even lose the fuel economy benefit of a small motor. They got so small it struggles.

 

The new Malibu has 163 hp.

I agree with the shrinking down. Because of the engine has to pull more weight it diminishes the mpg somewhat. If it had a larger engine such as a 1.8L or 2.0L it would likely get the same or better mileage because the potential hp increase would not be as much struggle to get moving. People who put 5.3L V8 engines in Chevy S10 pickups achieve mpg in the 20 range, which is comparable to the previous V6 offering. I suspect that the small 3 cylinder offering is to cut costs in manufacturing.

 

Marketing drives the industry. The demand for sedans has been dwindling for years, folks want SUV type vehicles AKA station wagon capacity since everything has downsized. No more big sedans with giant trunks like the old days. With downsizing the cargo capacity in sedans has really dwindled. That's why I think one vehicle families go the SUV route.
IMO only sedans now will soon be hybrid or electric and most of them are second vehicles, providing you have parking with charging availability on the pluggable or fully E ones.
Look at Lincoln, they have no sedans anymore, just SUV's, who would have thought Lincoln would abandon sedans. Caddy may be next.

 

Marketing drives the industry. The demand for sedans has been dwindling for years, folks want SUV type vehicles AKA station wagon capacity since everything has downsized. No more big sedans with giant trunks like the old days. With downsizing the cargo capacity in sedans has really dwindled. That's why I think one vehicle families go the SUV route.
IMO only sedans now will soon be hybrid or electric and most of them are second vehicles, providing you have parking with charging availability on the pluggable or fully E ones.
Look at Lincoln, they have no sedans anymore, just SUV's, who would have thought Lincoln would abandon sedans. Caddy may be next.

Yeah, the CT4 and CT5 are probably done in 2 years. To my knowledge, GM is barely marketing those cars at all. Not sure why they wouldn't want to generate interest with an ad campaign displaying their performance prowess, maybe something taking a jab at the more soulless German luxury sedans.

 

Marketing drives the industry. The demand for sedans has been dwindling for years, folks want SUV type vehicles AKA station wagon capacity since everything has downsized. No more big sedans with giant trunks like the old days. With downsizing the cargo capacity in sedans has really dwindled. That's why I think one vehicle families go the SUV route.
IMO only sedans now will soon be hybrid or electric and most of them are second vehicles, providing you have parking with charging availability on the pluggable or fully E ones.
Look at Lincoln, they have no sedans anymore, just SUV's, who would have thought Lincoln would abandon sedans. Caddy may be next.

Yeah, the CT4 and CT5 are probably done in 2 years. To my knowledge, GM is barely marketing those cars at all. Not sure why they wouldn't want to generate interest with an ad campaign displaying their performance prowess, maybe something taking a jab at the more soulless German luxury sedans.

As long as these Globalists assert their power to force this trend towards EV’s and frame fossil fuels as “evil” there’s no incentive to produce expensive vehicles with combustion engines. At least this is how I see it.

 

I moved this discussion to Auto Industry/General Motors News and renamed it "End of Malibu production and future speculation". I have also closed the somewhat parallel "10th Generation Malibu may be in the works (2025)!" discussion as both have similar topics relating to product production and rumors of a next generation.

In the spirit of rumors, gmauthority is reporting (LINK) production of the 2025 Malibu (final year of gen9) will begin July 10 rather than the prior reported May 31. The order guide for the 2025 Malibu can be read HERE. Glancing through the order guide, the only listed change I have found is new color "Night Shade Metallic". I wonder if they make the 2025 fleet only. I notice they don't have anything in the pressroom or in the build sites.

New 2025 Malibu Order Guide date June 7 2024 just released. I attached it to this message.

 

Electricity comes mostly from carbon fuels. So how are EVs "green"? It's just lipstick for those who don't look paste the pictures.

 

40% of the electricity in the USA is generated by renewable sources or nuclear and that number just keeps on growing. Meanwhile, coal is down to 16%.

 

So what will happen in NASCAR? Camaro ends, now Malibu, what's left? Cadillac? Some ideas
in this commentary:

34K views · 7.5K reactions | CHEVY DISCONTINUES THE MALIBU, WHAT WILL RACE IN NASCAR? #nascar #racing #motorsport | BrakeHard

CHEVY DISCONTINUES THE MALIBU, WHAT WILL RACE IN NASCAR? #nascar #racing #motorsport.

www.facebook.com

 

They will convert over to battery cars. Years back I followed the Nascar craze in the mid-late 1980s, but for me it became too boring with not enough road courses, and look alike cars. In the coming years I don't see myself watching electric car or motorcycle races.

 

What about them? Please tell me you're not whipping out the "why should the USA do anything if (insert country here) isn't"

Try not to read into my comments what is not written in them.

You stated this:

40% of the electricity in the USA is generated by renewable sources or nuclear and that number just keeps on growing. Meanwhile, coal is down to 16%.

The US is not the world.

You seem prone to looking no further than your own backyard, much the same as many others in their own countries do, as well as those in their own states or provinces do. They see the world through the looking-glass with a very vignetted view, which we call tunnel vision.

My question was to get some light shed on the generation of power around the globe, and what those percentages are. Also, what are all the rest of those in power (pun intended) doing to reach toward a greener future that is healthier for all, not just their own people?

One of the things that ticks me off the most is when I see a weather forecast on TV. They put the map up on the screen for the US and conveniently, all of the weather outside the lines of the lower 48 is missing. Gone! It's as if there is no weather anywhere if it's not in the US. Wow! All it does is reinforce the idea of not sharing with our neighbors.

At least when the eclipse of April 8, 2024 crossed North America, NASA and other websites showed the entire path as it entered Mexico, crossed into the US, and exited into Canada and over to Greenland. Finally, a more friendly, globally-minded display of what's happening on this Earth! How refreshing that was!

Since you have access to the numbers for the US, I suppose that you can also find them for the various other countries around the world. You would be doing all of us a favor by sharing those numbers so we can all see what they are and have a more informed discussion without the limited view.

 

I'm still rooting for flying unicorns that run on rainbows. Clean, no smell because rainbows have no waste.

 

Seems like we have some in here that think the mole people are hard at work making more oil and that we'll never run out. Funny since everyone in a position to give an educated opinion on the topic agrees that oil is a finite resource that'll be gone in the next 50-100 years depending on their particular estimate.

 

So, you're not gonna answer the question?

You're just gonna start making statements to stir the pot?

Did anyone at any time say that oil is never gonna run out? Lemme answer that truthfully and accurately for ya. Nope!

Your statement, though, suggests that that is exactly what we think. Well, it's not!

It's funny. You spin your words to try to trick others into thinking things that aren't true, and yet you won't reply to direct questions. You act like we're all stupid or something, and that you're superior in your ability to pull the wool over our eyes with misinformation.

You shared that 40% of the electricity in the US is green (including nuclear with it), leaving us to conclude that the rest is carbon-based. My direct question, still unanswered, is: What are the figures for the rest of the world?

 

“Forced to” (?) A lot of us are frustrated with opportunists in philanthropist’s clothing and yes they are wolves. A lot of forcing going on since 2020.

 

Yeah, "forced to" because there won't be any choice if they want to continue using electricity. You are aware that humanity will still be around long after your bones have turned to dust, right?

Oh and please spare us your vaccines, masks and lockdowns rant that you are clearly sitting there waiting to unleash. Nobody wants to hear anymore of that nonsense.

 

You really don’t need to throw stones to prove your point. In fact it says a lot about your character or lack thereof. We all have much to learn and we will all continue to experience unprecedented actions because division is the agenda and you are an excellent example of that

 

"Division is the agenda" say everything that needs to be said about who you are. It's a ridiculous talking point used by a certain side when they want things to remain the same or to return to the way they used to be. A bit of advice, leave the planet and survival of the human race to the experts.

Also, you accuse me of "throwing stones" in a post where you've done just that......classic!

 

Outstanding summary CP! Wisdom, insight and knowledge.