Under the Hood

Three drivetrains are available for the new Malibu. The base engine, available in LS and LT trims (LTZ will come later), is a 169 horsepower 2.4-liter four cylinder. For now it is mated exclusively to a four-speed automatic transmission, but by early 2008 a six-speed automatic will be available in four-cylinder versions on the LTZ trim. Either way, Chevrolet has done a remarkable job with its four-banger. Not only is it quiet, but the sound has been managed so that it’s not just a quiet bad noise, but a quiet pleasant one, and maybe one of the quietest four-cylinders in its class.

The upgrade engine is a 252-horsepower version of GM’s 3.6-liter V-6. With twin cams, variable valve timing and all the other bells and whistles of a modern engine, it’s a powertrain that’s the equal of most of its competition. It’s down on power compared to the Accord and Camry, but it has slightly more torque than both: 251 lb.-ft. versus 248 lb.-ft. for the Accord and Camry. It also has a lower torque peak: 3,200 rpm versus 5,000 for the Accord and 4,700 rpm for the Camry. The upshot of all these numbers is that the Malibu feels plenty quick in V-6 guise, and refined thanks to the attention paid to sound management. The V-6 doesn’t have the silky quality of the Accord’s engine, but it’s smoother than the V-6 in a Nissan Altima, and sounds better than the one in the Camry.

The six-speed automatic transmission boasts manual shift control on the steering wheel. Dubbed “TAP-Shift” by GM, the buttons are reasonably quick to respond to inputs, but nowhere near the speed of a true manual or an automated manual like Volkswagen’s DSG system. Still, for enthusiasts who want to row their own – or at least pretend to – we’re glad to see Chevy making an effort, and a pretty good one at that.

Safety

The new Malibu has the usual array of safety equipment. Six airbags are standard; the usual dash-mounted front bags, two seat-mounted thorax bags, and side curtain airbags. The car is also designed to ace federal and insurance-industry crash tests, and anti-lock brakes and traction control are both standard, with full stability control on LT and LTZ models. Tire pressure monitoring is also a standard feature, as required by U.S. regulations. Curiously lacking are ceiling-mounted grab handles for the passengers; unfortunately, GM hasn’t integrated those handles yet with its side-curtain airbags.

Technology

The new Malibu breaks little technological ground, but still offers up some interesting features, mainly in ways that buyers will never see. In the quest for silence, engineers fitted the Malibu with a wide variety of sound deadening measures. The front side glass and windshield glass use laminated panes which are designed to reduce the amount of outside noise penetrating the cabin. The trunk is also fully lined, and the hood has extra padding underneath to help quell noise. The four cylinder’s plastic engine cover does double duty as a silencer as well, with five chambers integrated in order to help quiet the usual thrum, bang and buzz of the large four-banger.