Chevrolet has announced pricing for its dramatically redesigned 2016 Malibu, which made its debut last spring at the New York auto show. And the good news is that while Chevy has raised the bar with the new styling, it has lowered the base sticker.
-The new car ditches the odd and confusing numbered trim levels (1LT, 2LT, 3LT, and the like), in favor of a more normal hierarchy consisting of L, LS, LT, Hybrid, and Premiere. The base L starts at $22,500, which is $790 less than the cheapest 2015 model. The base car is powered by the new, 1.5-liter turbo four, whose 160 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque is somewhat shy of the old base engine, a 2.5-liter four making 196 horsepower and 186 lb-ft. That may be offset by the new car’s lighter weight, which Chevy claims is down by 300 pounds. It’s paired with a six-speed automatic and comes standard with auto stop-start. Fuel economy improves, to an expected 27 mpg city and 37 highway.
-Next up is the LS, at $23,995. It adds a seven-inch touch-screen, through which one can access the available Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also includes a backup camera. All Malibus have 4G LTE Wi-Fi capability.
-The LT, at $25,895, brings LED daytime running lights, a power driver’s seat, and the option of a 2.0-liter turbo four—priced at $29,495. With 250 horsepower and 258 lb-ft, the 2.0-liter is also less powerful than the version in the outgoing car, which had 259 horsepower and 295 lb-ft. The 2.0-liter is mated to an eight-speed automatic.
-The Premiere will come standard with the 2.0-liter, as well as leather, GM’s Teen Driver monitoring system, wireless phone charging, and LED taillights, among other things, all for $31,795—or $490 more than the previous top-dog Malibu, the 2LTZ.
-As to the hybrid, Chevrolet has not yet released pricing for that model, which doesn’t join the lineup until next spring.
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Note that all the above prices are for the redesigned, 2016 Malibu. Confusingly, there is also a carry-over, 2016-model-year version of the previous Malibu being sold as the Malibu Limited. And the 2016 Malibu Limited, which starts at $23,390 for the LS model, is not any cheaper than the flashy new 2016 Malibu. We’re told the Limited is designed to fill the gap in between the departure of the 2015 version and the arrival, at the end of the year, of the new car. Once the new car becomes available, the Limited will become a fleet-only offering, although one wonders why even fleets would choose it over the new one.
-from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/1FzRDxC
via Agya
