The 2008 Malibu is an important vehicle to Chevrolet for the sedan market segment. The Hybrid is a member of a series of six trim levels for the Malibu which include . The four-door car with its front-wheel drive is positioned to aggressively fill this niche for Chevrolet. There is strong competition from vehicles from Lexus.

Performance

The restyled Malibu Hybrid is equipped with a General Motors 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine that utilizes a total of 16 valves. The Ecotec engine is paired with a General Motors 4-speed transaxle. This configuration has proven to be a successful design for Chevrolet.

The Malibu uses power-assisted brakes, with 4-Wheel ABS support. The front brakes are disc while the rear brakes are disc. Steering is handled through a power-steering rack-style configuration. The car uses coil and coil springs front and rear respectively.

The fuel system for the 2008 Malibu is a traditional SFI, running on ELECTRIC/GAS fuel. The fuel is controlled by an electronic system and is a fuel-injected MFI design. The capacity of the fuel tank is 16.00 gallons.

Malibu Hybrid Statistics

The dimensions of the Malibu Hybrid are 70.30 inches wide by 191.80 inches long. It sits a comfortable 57.10 inches off the ground. It seats a standard five passengers, with 4 doors. The wheelbase of 112.30 allows for limited leg room for the backseat passengers.

There is a 36,000 mile, 36 month warranty with this vehicle, including a powertrain warranty of 100,000/60 miles/months. This is normal for this price range.

The original manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) was $20,630 when new, with a dealer invoice cost of $19,495. This price was in line with the industry average price for a 4-door Sedan.

Fuel Efficiency

The Malibu Hybrid received a miles-per-gallon rating of twenty two in-city driving and thirty when it came to long-distance. Being a electric/gas-powered hybrid car, this was subpar.

In 2007 and 2008 the Malibu Hybrid was availble in the exterior colors of Amber Bronze Metallic, Black Granite Metallic, Dark Gray Metallic, Golden Pewter Metallic, Imperial Blue Metallic, Sandstone Metallic, Silverstone Metallic, and White.

In Summary

The 2008 model year was unsuccessful for the Chevrolet Malibu. The introduction of several trim levels (along with the Hybrid version) meant that buyers had several options to choose from..

Related posts:

1. Overview 2009 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid A lot has been said about the Chevrolet Malibu...
2. Overview 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Standard equipment in the Malibu for 2007 and 2008...
3. The Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid for 2008 The 2008 Tahoe is an important vehicle to Chevrolet...
4. The Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid for 2008 In 2008 Chevrolet released the Tahoe Hybrid to the...
5. First Impressions 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Hybrid In 2004 Chevrolet released the Silverado 1500 Hybrid to...

Tags: 4-Door, Chevrolet Malibu, Hybrid, Sedan, United States market

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 at 1:54 am and is filed under 2008, Chevrolet, Malibu. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.