Chevrolet recently launched a four cylinder version of their mid-sized Malibu sedan which is combined with a six speed automatic transmission. The six speed unit is only offered in the top LTZ model for now and replaces the four speed that's offered in the LT and LS versions. GM is still ramping up production of the six speed and will expand availability as volumes go up. In the meantime, Jim McCraw had a chance to take a road trip in the new 6 speed LTZ model which performed quite well.

McCraw went 500 miles from Detroit to Gary Indiana and back along US 12 which is a mix of cruising and stop and go and managed nearly 30mpg. The LTZ comes equipped with a wide array of standard equipment like heated leather seats, steering wheel mounted audio controls, and pretty much everything else available. It's not a bad deal at $26,545. The four banger's 169hp isn't going to excite enthusiasts but it's enough to haul a mid-size car around without straining. Interestingly that 30mpg on the road is better than the 26.5mpg I managed with the Saturn Aura Hybrid last year which is built on the same platform.

[Source: Popular Mechanics]

Recently, we told you GM shelved a hybrid Malibu TV ad to air in the Superbowl. MediaPost is reporting that GM will "advertise during the show (Grammys), with commercials - including one starring Mary J. Blige - that tout the Chevy Malibu and GM's "Gas Friendly to Gas Free" campaign." Is that Malibu ad for the hybrid version of the car? We will tell you after the Grammys (now with writers!) air February 10th.

This won't be Mary's first advertising gig with GM. Mary was also a part of GM's celebrity-packed show at last year's Detroit Auto Show. Whatever GM has in store for us on Grammy night, it can't be as unflattering as using the Greek character of Sisyphus in their Superbowl Yukon Hybrid ad. Someone please tell GM that Sisyphus' pushing that stone symbolizes unending, pointless punishment.

Related:

• Video: GMC's Superbowl ad for Yukon hybrid
• Yukon Hybrid Super Bowl ad includes imagery from 1976 animated short
• 2008 Detroit: videos of the Dodge Ram Hemi hybrid, Chevy Volt, E85 Coupe

[Source: MediaPost]

Super Bowl XLII airs Sunday (Feb. 3) and GM is debating if it should air ads for the Chevrolet Malibu and Saturn Vue hybrids in the iconic event. "The debate we're having is we're not sure we'll have enough inventory [of the new hybrids] on February 3 to warrant running an ad for them during the Super Bowl. ... We don't want to frustrate consumers," GM spokeswoman Ryndee Carney tells InsideLine. Nissan, Audi, Hyundai and Toyota will also air ads this Super Bowl but not for hybrids. Toyota, for example, will air ads for the Sequoia SUV and new Corolla.

Related:

• It's the Colts, the Bears and Segways in Super Bowl action this weekend (2007)
  
• Honda to talk up superior fuel efficiency in Super Bowl ad (2007)
  
• Volkswagen kicks off cross-country DIESELUTION tour

[Source: InsideLine]

Last fall, the Chevy Tahoe 2-mode Hybrid won the Green Car of the Year award at the LA Auto Show. The hybrid SUV couldn't pull off a similar victory in today's North American Truck of the Year award at the Detroit Auto Show. Instead, the Mazda CX-9 crossover took top honors, beating the second-place Tahoe in the voting points 201-140.

Over on the car side of the aisle, the Chevy Malibu (standard, not the hybrid) won the Car of the Year award with 190 points (beating second-place Cadillac CTS. Does this mean that green issues will take a back seat here in Detroit? It's not an auspicious start, but we will certainly see a healthy dose of green news from the Motor City (as you'll be able to read later today). What this does mean, though, is that the CotY judges appreciate a simple, vanilla sedan as much as anyone.


[Source: NAIAS, Autoblog]

According to Ed Peper (pronounced "Peeper") General Manager of Chevrolet Division of GM, Chevy is on quite a roll. Outside the US, the brand is growing by double digits in many markets, and the Chevy line is holding its own against competition in the US. While it is true that GM and Chevy are talking green every chance they get, one finds it hard to forget history. GM and Chevy are synonymous with the high energy lifestyle we are trying to wean ourselves from. GM invested in and out of the EV-1, preferring to destroy what cars they built rather than leave them in the hands of their users as evidence that, indeed, they once existed at all.

Continues after the jump.

[Source: International Motor Press Association]

The video above is a tour of the GM booth at AltWheels Boston 2007. Sir Mix-A-Lot would be proud to know that GM described its new Tahoe hybrid, the company's first full hybrid, as a "big ass hybrid" in the video. That colorful wording proves GM definitely wants the public to think hybrids are big, powerful machines. The Tahoe is the heaviest car GM makes and in the video, you can hear how I was told the hybrid version even has a larger engine than normal. But hey, GM reduced weight in the Tahoe hybrid by making the doors and hood out of aluminum.

The video also includes a tour of GM's fuel cell Equinox. The Equinox has two connections for refueling, as you can see in the video: a data connection below the back license plate that tells the pump the status of the tank as well as a hydrogen connection. Finally, the video includes a quick look at the Malibu hybrid. The Malibu is a mild hybrid and will only get 34 mpg on the highway and 22 in the city. The Malibu mild hybrid starts production in October. The Tahoe full hybrid starts production in November. Oh, and don't forget about Sir Mix-A-Lot's Baby Got Back video below the fold.

Related:

• VIDEO: Driving the GMC Yukon Two-Mode Hybrid
• ABG First Impressions: Two-Mode hybrid Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon
• GM will provide the fuel cell Equinoxes to customers for free
• Technical Analysis: 2008 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell/HydroGen4
• Detroit Auto Show: Hybrid option for 2008 Chevy Malibu
• 2008 Chevy Malibu Hybrid to debut at Baseball All-Star Game

[Source: YouTube]

Click the Malibu for a high-res gallery

The new Chevrolet Malibu hybrid was spotted roaming the streets of suburban Detroit the other day and yesterday it had its official coming out at the Baseball All-Star Game. Chevrolet is showing off the Malibu in the All-Star Fan Zone that is part of the festivities in San Francisco where the game will take place on Tuesday night.

The Malibu will feature the same belt-alternator-starter mild hybrid system used in the Saturn Aura and Vue mated to the 2.4L EcoTec four cylinder. When we first saw the new Malibu in January at the Detroit Auto Show we were all impressed by the handsome styling and the hybrid should make a welcome addition to the lineup. The new Malibu also gets an electronic stability control system. The Malibu hybrid starts production in October and should be available for purchase by Halloween.

[Source: General Motors]