You soon won't be able to buy a new Chevy Malibu Hybrid (they're being discontinued), but if you think GM's fuel-conscious sedan is the car for you - and you happen to be in NYC today, head on down to Times Square. eBay has been running a series of live game show promotions called "Let's Make a Daily Deal," hosted by actor and comedian Mario Cantone, and wants to go out with a bang. For the last day (today), the grand prize is the aforementioned Chevy Malibu Hybrid. The car will be awarded to a winner of a special bonus game that'll take place during the first round of today's "show." Lots of other stuff - electronics, jewelry, etc. - will be handed out to the 60 contestant, so if you've ever been curious where your eBay seller fees go, now you know. The event starts at 1 p.m.


[Source: eBay]

Following the announcement from Ford that Alan Mulally, CEO of the Ford Motor Company, would be driving to Washington from Detroit in a Ford Escape Hybrid, General Motors has today proclaimed that Rick Wagoner will make the trek in a Malibu Hybrid. Of course, they almost have to at this point, now that both Detroit automakers have also announced that they would be ridding themselves of their fleet of private jets. Wagoner's choice of a Malibu Hybrid seems solid as well; though it may not be as advanced as some other hybrid models, including GM's own 2-Mode trucks and SUVs, the Malibu is a good car and a sales success that seems to represent GM's promising future.

The next obvious question is how Nardelli will get to DC. We'd wager that it'll be in a Chrysler vehicle, but which one? Ford and GM both had hybrids to choose from, but Chrysler recently canceled its first hybrid models before they ever really got off the ground. Ideas?


[Source: AP via Google]

Click the Malibu for a high res gallery

There was a time not so many years ago when the best-selling cars in the U.S. market were mid-sized models from General Motors. Cars like the Oldsmobile Cutlass and Chevrolet Malibu outsold everything else by very healthy margin. In the middle of the 1980s, that changed as the successive generations of Honda's Accord grew larger, Toyota introduced the Camry and Ford brought out the then-radical Taurus and Sable. Sales of mid-sized GM passengers went into a steady decline with the once top-selling Oldsmobile brand being euthanized completely and Malibu being dropped as a model name.

While 2008 has been an absolutely dismal year for automakers in the U.S. market, there have been a few bright spots. For those like me who have never been fans of SUVs and could never quite grasp why so many people had gravitated towards them, the resurgence of sales for smaller and mid-sized cars has been a pleasure to watch. The Chevy Malibu is back for a third iteration since its revival at the beginning of this decade. The first was so bland as to be invisible, while the second was not easy on the eyes. The latest version debuted in 2007 to almost universal acclaim for its bold styling. We recently tried out two different Malibus that are set up specifically for improved fuel economy. Check out our thoughts after the jump.



Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Since its debut last fall, the 2008 Chevy Malibu's four cylinder engines have only been available with a like number of transmission speeds. If you wanted a six speed gearbox you had to opt for the top-end LTZ model with the 3.6L V-6 engine. No more. You still have to opt for the LTZ to get the six-speed, but now you can get the smaller 2.4L engine paired with it. GM has been ramping up production of the new 6T40 automatic transmissions since last summer and there are now finally enough to merit the new drive train combo. The result is a Malibu that gets the same 22mpg city rating as the existing 4 pot, 4 speed variant, but highway mileage jumps up 2mpg to 32mpg. By comparison, the V-6 only gets 17/26mpg. The mild hybrid Malibu squeezes out an extra 2mpg city for 24/32.

Now if only GM would add the six speed transmission to the base LS and mid-level LT models it would be more appealing to those who may not want every luxury bell and whistle on the LTZ. Similarly, if GM replaced the four speed in the hybrid it might be a little more appealing than the current unit. Maybe for 2009.


[Source: General Motors]

Found on the roads of metro Detroit, please say hello to the 2008 Chevy Malibu hybrid. As you can see in the pictures uploaded today to the GM Source website (where there are four large images of the car), the Malibu hybrid doesn't look much different than the standard new Malibu, which was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show back in January. The only reason we even know it's the hybrid version is the little hybrid badge that's now standard on the GM 'brids.

As for the powertrain, the Malibu hybrid is going to have the same mild hybrid system that's already available in the Saturn Vue Green Line and the Aura Green Line (clicking on either of those two car names there will bring you to our in-depth reviews of these vehicles) and it's a good guess that there's a Cobasys battery pack inside the Malibu.

[Source: The GM Source, h/t to Josh O]