- The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu will go on sale in Korea and China in late 2011.
- The redesigned midsize sedan won't launch in the U.S. until early 2012.
- The Malibu will be built locally in Korea, China and the United States.
SEOUL, South Korea — General Motors said the redesigned 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, which was simultaneously unveiled last week at the New York and Shanghai auto shows, will be built and sold first in Korea, then in China, before it reaches U.S. customers early next year.
GM Daewoo will begin building the Malibu this fall at the Bupyeong plant in Korea. At the end of the year, the Malibu will go into production in Jingjiao, China. Finally, in early 2012, it will be launched in the U.S. at the Hamtramck plant in Michigan and the Fairfax plant in Kansas.
GM said the new Malibu, which is based on the automaker's global Epsilon midsize platform, eventually will be sold in nearly 100 markets on six continents.
Inside Line says: GM continues a pattern that began several years ago, when it started building and selling new Buicks first in China before they were released in the American market. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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xorbe says:
08:51 AM, 05/02/2011
I guess that pshopped marketing photo is not for the USA, because he's on the wrong side of the road illegally!
mirde98 says:
06:45 AM, 05/01/2011
Seems all new Chevy's are going to be GM Daewoo. Chevy Spark, Aveo/Sonic, Cruze, Malibu, etc.
styleraj says:
09:20 PM, 04/30/2011
ITs still a freekin chevy...dont matter what chevy brings out..until they get rid of that hideous looking gold knife/kite looking chevy emblem,..I am not even concidering one.....And the same goes for Hyundai and Kia
ambee514 says:
06:36 AM, 04/30/2011
The upside of that is they are letting the Chinese and Korean markets work out the kinks, GM really needs to make sure that the products they roll out here are top notch quality, that is why they are releasing in other countries first.
That and the fact that the Asian market is now bigger then the US market.
se_riously says:
11:51 PM, 04/29/2011
For those who complain about why the US "home market" gets the Malibu later, here's why:
GM's CHINA sales outnumber US sales. It's about money, plain and simple. Of course, when it comes to getting a government backed loan, they come crying home when times are tough.
jm1212 says:
08:55 PM, 04/29/2011
its a shame that GM continues to put the US, its home market, behind others. same case as with the Cruze.
jnik23260 says:
08:11 PM, 04/29/2011
Hey, they have to go where the money is, right?
Besides, the Chinese and the Koreans have JOBS!
Jobs that used to be ours.
akula1 says:
06:42 PM, 04/29/2011
Still think it looks like a Buick w/ an ugly Chevy grill.
wjtinatl says:
06:38 PM, 04/29/2011
Good to know we invested 50 billion to give the Chinese first crack at the better Malibu. Does Hertz have a huge presence in China?
ed124c says:
03:06 PM, 04/29/2011
It's just you.
Apparently the US is now chopped liver.
That is a really good looking car.