- The newest member of the GM Ecotec engine family is rated at 190 horsepower.
- Highway fuel economy in the 2013 Malibu is projected at "more than 30 mpg."
- The new Malibu goes on sale in the U.S. in early 2012.
DETROIT — General Motors said the new Ecotec 2.5 four-cylinder engine that debuts next year in the redesigned 2013 Chevrolet Malibu is expected to get "more than 30 mpg" on the highway and will be considerably more powerful than the engine it replaces.
The twin-cam, direct-injection 2.5-liter engine supplants the current Ecotec 2.4 unit, and will be mated with a six-speed automatic transmission in the new Malibu.
Earlier this year, GM unveiled the 2013 Malibu simultaneously at the 2011 New York Auto Show and 2011 Shanghai Auto Show. At the New York show, Chevrolet also introduced the 2013 Malibu Eco, a mild hybrid with GM's e-Assist system. The Malibu Eco will return an estimated 38 mpg in highway driving, Chevy said, and will go on sale in early 2013.
The standard engine in the 2013 Malibu will be the new Ecotec 2.5, which will deliver 190 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque. The current Ecotec 2.4 in the 2012 Malibu makes 169 hp and 160 lb-ft, and has an EPA highway rating of 33 mpg with the six-speed automatic.
GM said the new Ecotec 2.5 features a redesigned combustion system with a higher compression ratio and higher-flowing intake and exhaust ports in the cylinder head.
The new Malibu goes into production initially this fall in Korea, followed by China. The U.S. production launch is scheduled for early next year. Eventually, the car will be sold in nearly 100 countries on six continents, GM said.
Inside Line says: Look for additional derivatives of the new engine in other GM products in model year 2013.
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ed124c says:
09:33 AM, 09/20/2011
The new Camry V6 gets 21/30. So, yeah, Chevy better get a LOT better highway than 30 with the 190 hp 4 cylinder.
kevm14 says:
05:13 PM, 09/19/2011
Penalty box? Hardly. The current interior is far from awesome, but it's also far from a penalty box.
dagmar3 says:
05:05 PM, 09/19/2011
Has anybody noticed that GM seems to be getting their act together on the interiors of their new vehicles? The Malibu will no longer be a penalty box. I look forward to the day when a Malibu at the airport rental lot will no longer cast a cloud on the whole trip.
frank908 says:
04:15 PM, 09/19/2011
"The Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger already get more than 30mpg on the highway, and they're 4000lb rear-drive sedans. Chevy will need more than "more than 30mpg" if they want to stay relevant."
I doubt GM sees anything from Chrysler as a threat at all. I also doubt anyone who's eco-conscious or green thinks of a Chrysler product at all.
By the way:
Chrysler 300 sales:
2006[14] 143,647
2007[14] 120,636
2008[15] 62,352
2009[16] 38,606
2010[17] 37,116
Chevy Malibu sales:
2006[42] 163,853
2007 128,312
2008[43] 178,253
2009[44] 161,568
2010[45] 198,770
ralphhightower says:
04:08 PM, 09/19/2011
Put the HHR on the Cruze platform and the 2.5L in it.
zimtheinvader says:
03:57 PM, 09/19/2011
"The Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger already get more than 30mpg on the highway, and they're 4000lb rear-drive sedans. Chevy will need more than "more than 30mpg" if they want to stay relevant."
I wish companies would start talking about their average mpg. The whole "30+ mpg highway..... but only an average of 22" gets old.
ambee514 says:
03:57 PM, 09/19/2011
GM, the 2.2 L Ecotech from a Cobalt XFE got 37 highway, why do you have trouble hitting that number 4 years later
m6user says:
03:32 PM, 09/19/2011
What is with GM and Mazda? It seems like everybody is getting huge mpg numbers with their 4cyls with 180+ hp but GM and Mazda struggle to get 30 or 31 mpg. Is it just weight? Gearing? Do they drive that much peppier to justify the lower mpg numbers? It just seems strange.
lostandfound08 says:
03:27 PM, 09/19/2011
The Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger already get more than 30mpg on the highway, and they're 4000lb rear-drive sedans. Chevy will need more than "more than 30mpg" if they want to stay relevant.
blackdynamite1 says:
02:32 PM, 09/19/2011
The Ecotec can't get that good a gas, because it makes the Eco Hybrid obsolete
Why get a hybrid that gets 26/38, when a gas engine almost gets that?
New Camry gets 25/35, so why go GM hybrid?
BD