COMFORT ON ROAD AND AT THE PUMPS
Malibu Hybrid is a fuel-sipper — and a solid driving family sedan writes Brian Harper.
TEMECULA, CALIF. Much like Subarus are the unofficial wheels of the U.S. Northeast, Toyota’s fuel-efficient Prius is the de-facto vehicle of California. They’re everywhere, both as taxis and in private use — a thumbed nose to the state’s high gasoline prices.
By dint of their quirky styling, Priuses are highly visible. Yet they’re far from the only hybrids in town. Take the redesigned for-2016 Chevy Malibu Hybrid, which, except for a tiny H badge on the trunk lid, is virtually identical to the rest of the gas-only Malibu models in North America’s midsize sedan segment.
Malibu’s exterior changes are pretty positive. It’s a far more handsome car, longer and lighter than previous iterations and with styling cues borrowed from the larger Impala. As family transportation, it offers a larger cabin, thanks to a 101-millimetre stretch of the wheelbase.
As vacation wheels during our six-day, 750-km. meander through Southern California, our U.S.-spec Malibu Hybrid proved a quiet, comfortable and frugal mode of transportation. The car averaged 42.4 miles per U.S. gallon during our trip, which works out to 5.5 L/100 km. Compared to our real-world driving, Natural Resources Canada rates the Malibu at a fairy-tale 5.0 L/100 km in the city and 5.1 on the highway.
Unlike the non-hybrid Malibu models, which come with a standard 1.5-L turbocharged four-cylinder or optional 2.0-L turbo-four, the Hybrid is driven by a new, direct-injected 1.8-L four mated to a two-motor drive unit. The drive unit, based on the Chevy Volt, provides additional power to assist the engine during acceleration, resulting in 182 hp of total system output.
The engine also features Chevrolet’s first application of Exhaust Gas Heat Recovery (EGHR) technology, which uses exhaust heat to warm the engine and cabin. EGHR improves engine warm-up and helps offer consistent fuel economy performance in cold weather.
Electric power to the hybrid system is courtesy of an 80-cell, 1.5-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Chevy claims it can power the car up to 85 km/h on electricity alone, though in our experience, the gas engine kicked in a lot sooner, as it’s programmed to automatically come on at higher speeds and high loads.
In addition to the drive unit, the Malibu Hybrid also shares the Volt’s blended regenerative braking system, which provides maximum kinetic energy recovery during braking to be stored in the battery system to help maintain charge.
Acceleration is steady if not exactly hurried, though you don’t have to fear trying to get around slower-moving vehicles. It doesn’t much run out of breath when things get hilly, either. With friends aboard, we ran the Hybrid up serpentine highways and some 5,000 feet in elevation change to Idyllwild, where temperatures were about 20 F cooler — the hike dropping the car’s average to about 31 mpg (7.6 L/100 km).
Considering the Malibu is by no means a sport sedan, handling was quite acceptable — my friend insisted the car felt far more stable in the twisties than his Buick LaCrosse.
Plenty comfortable for four adults, the Malibu’s interior is more functional than it is luxurious. In Canada, the car is based on the LT trim, which is fine as far as it goes, but the car is worthy of a higher trim level, such as the Premier edition offered in regular Malibus. Instrumentation detailing the car’s frugality is plentiful, yet the car’s OnStar turn-by-turn navigation is disappointing in that no map display is included, leaving little context as to where one is heading, especially on an unfamiliar route. Chevrolet MyLink with navigation is available with the eight-inch system and features three-dimensional map views for most major cities and attractions.
As always, the argument against hybrids is their cost recovery. In the case of the Malibu Hybrid, its base price of $28,850 is a $3,605 premium over that of a regular LT model. Even with its superior fuel economy, given the current price of regular gasoline that’s a whole bunch of years before the Hybrid pays for itself.
Still, for those who feel even slightly environmentally conscious, remember: the Malibu is not only a very fuel-efficient hybrid, it’s a solid driving, comfortable and well-priced family sedan, no matter what is powering it. Unlike Prius drivers, though, don’t expect to be recognized as a greenie.