GM Previews 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Exterior

[TopHat]

From LLN.com



General Motors today released a teaser photo of the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, which will be fully unveiled at the Detroit auto show in January. The preview comes nearly a month after the automaker released a single photo of the 2008 Malibu's interior.


The new teaser gives a clear glimpse of the Malibu's new face, which is considerably more muscular and modern than the existing model. Recent spy photos of the exterior show a new Malibu with a beefy front end, wide fender flares, a relatively high beltline, and angular styling reminiscent of the new Tahoe. See the full teaser after the jump….
https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/

So, all those pictures were correctly identified as a Malibu then? Cool.

EDIT: Check it out! A full pic from from the least likeley source! NAIAS!

 

[usedHONDA]

The front looks like a Saturn and the back makes it look like a supercar (the tail lights) or a remix of the Cobalt. I hate the grill(s)

 

[TopHat]

That looks like an Early sketch, this picture of the Malibu has a blunter front end, its a little more beefy.

 

[DuckRacer]

The car looks like a damn toaster.

 

[TopHat]

Yes, It does, but it looks a lot more daring with the styling than that of the current Malibu.

 

[V1P3R]

At this point I think ANYTHING is better than the current Malibu. xD

 

[L8 Apex]

Full pic leaked! (By NAAIS Website, of all things. Oops... )

http://www.jalopnik.com/cars/detroi...-site-spills-chevys-biggest-secret-222715.php

Holy improvement, Batman! The maw is a bit too big for my tastes (see Audi, VW), but overall it looks, dare I say it, attractive. 👍

 

[TopHat]

Nice find! 👍 added to first post. It's very classy in black.

 

[a6m5]

I also don't like the grille. Rest of the car is gorgeous.

 

[V1P3R]

:shrugs: Looks like CTS with a Chevy nose.

Actually, no... maybe a Fusion?

 

[Tornado]

Holy hell Batman! They ruined the fish!



Seriously, am I the only one who thinks this may look even worse than the current car? Throwing a chunky fron end on a car does not automatically mean better styling, no matter what DaimlerChrysler says (Sebring, anyone?).

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

I think that front ruins the whole car. Pretty much, it looks worse than all previous Malibus.

 

[BlackZ28]

This is badass, compared to the current look. I work for a chevy dealer so this is seriously good news.

 

[TopHat]

For all we know, the pictures may not be all that flattering, so it may or maynot be that "chunky". Lets wait till we see them. Just remember, one reason that people buy the 300 is the looks...

 

[Tornado]

Yeah, because the 300C looks cool. This...not so much.

 

[JCE]

The 300C is neither cool nor good looking. The 300 just looks like ass all the way around. It is not a luxury car, it isn't fast. The suspension is horrid...people complain about GM's suspensions? Try the Chrysler on for size around a brisk corner. The body lean is pathetic.

This looks like crap:

This does not:

I mean they are on the same platform and probably use the same suspension (I doubt it) but on looks alone this is the only Chrysler product from the entire company (including Dodge) that looks good.

[/opinion]

Ontopic:

The new Malibu looks great, and the interior is lightyears better. I like where GM is heading in the interior department. Now as long as there will be an SS model with RWD that's all it needs in my opinion.

 

[95GTIVR6]

I cant help but think that this looks a little "Toyota-influenced" The droopy grille, headlight and greenhouse shape al lappear to have cues from the Camry, Yaris and Corolla.

Just my opinion. However, I dont think the car looks bad overall, I just couldn't help but notice the similarities.

 

[TheCracker]

It has a very Euro look to it. Give it a different grill and it could quite easily be a Vauxhall.

 

[YSSMAN]

(sorry for the delay in posting here guys, Internet has been down a few days)

Wow, what a great way to bring back Chevrolet in the best way possible. The look of the car is as aggressive as ever, and really does bring back some meaning to the Malibu nameplate that has been gone for so long. What is most important here is that it appears as though Chevrolet is taking a chance with styling, doing something that is bold and somewhat polarizing, and giving it a go...

Considering where it is coming from (look above), and where it is now, the E2-based Malibu is a pretty striking model in terms of design. As noted, it is very Vauxhall-esque, and the aggressive grille is sure to please most people that are looking to buy American, or are simply looking to buy something different. I'm interested in how they decided to stylize the rear of the car, as that too should be interesting. If I recall correctly, the rear on the prototype had circular brake lights like the old Impala... Either way, the car looks quite similar to the SS Concept that debuted a few years ago in Detroit.

...And pair this exterior style up with the new interior that GM showed-off a few weeks back...



I'm almost certain this car will be a success here in America.

---

And just for the hell of it, lets show some photos of the competition:

The 2007 Chrysler Sebring:

The 2007 Ford Fusion:

The 2007 Honda Accord:

The 2007 Toyota Camry:

...I think it is pretty fair to say that Chevrolet certainly wins the beauty contest here...

 

[Tornado]

Except the Honda walks it, and is going to be redesigned for 2008.

 

[V1P3R]

...I think it is pretty fair to say that Chevrolet certainly wins the beauty contest here...

Well yeah, if your bias to them.

 

[95GTIVR6]

Well yeah, if your bias to them.

Well of course. But I would definately say it looks better than the majority of those candidates. I like the styling of the Fusion (one Ford I actually do like) and bits of the Camry, but compared to the rest like the Honda (restyling soon) and Sebring (looks like a bloated VW Eos) I would say it is actually one of the better attempts at styling.

 

[a6m5]

Also, that Camry is a beautiful car in person. I'd hated it from the pics online(even named it the ugliest of 2006, without seeing it in person), but the actual car is THE best looking midsize sedan to me right now. Very, very popular from the people I've talked to also.

This is kind of funny. Everybody I know in person likes the design, too, but there are people I know "online" who doesn't like them.

 

[Tornado]

This is kind of funny. Everybody I know in person likes the design, too, but there are people I know "online" who doesn't like them.

I've seen it in person and I still don't like it. Not as bad as the Yaris, but not much better.

 

[Jim Prower]

Not thrilled about Chevy's trucks getting into their car design, which has been happening since the Silverado, but this car doesnt' exactly look bad, either. and Chevy'll move alot of them.

 

[JCE]

YSS from all the cars you posted the Fusion and the Accord wins followed by the new Malibu. The Malibu's bonus will be the RWD setup that they might do...if they do consider that the winner.

 

[YSSMAN]

Well yeah, if your bias to them.

Well, I don't think you would have expected much different from myself, but even then, it doesn't walk too far from the truth there. Either way, it is a good looking car, very European and Asian (in some respects) while still being rather American. Kudos to the design team, and I'm very interested to see it in person.

 

[BlackZ28]

Boy, that Sebring sure is ugly.

 

[Pupik]

Did the car get significantly longer, or is it just my imagination? I suppose they'll be on the road and in rental fleets before too long, so I'll know for sure. Overall, it's a quite sharp design for a "family sedan". Just put the driven wheels in the back, and then it might start to distance itself from anonymity.

Can I assume the Maxx is dead? It's a pity, since it was really the only "mid-sized American-nameplate 4/5-door hatch" (station wagon) available. I drove one for 10 days while my car was repaired from hurricane damage, it wasn't a bad car, save the numb steering due to front-drive understeer.

 

[YSSMAN]

The car is indeed bigger, but not a whole lot bigger. The next Malibu rides on the larger wheelbase version that is used on the Maxx, G6, and Aura. This allows for a lot more room in the back, which is very nice indeed, and shouldn't have compromised much (if any) of the cargo space as well.

Unfortunately, the Malibu will continue on without the Maxx model. Sales apparently weren't strong enough despite the claims that the Maxx was the better model as compared to the sedan. It is unclear as to whether or not Chevrolet will do a wagon version of the Malibu, but it does seem likely to some extent, as there will always be a segment of the market that is looking for a car like that. But, we may be more likely to see a wagon version of the Impala, not the Malibu, a bit further down the road.

...But don't worry about RWD problems, the Impala has that covered. Chances are the Impala will look similar to the Malibu, but not identical. That will indeed be our "American Commodore," and we can look forward to a wide-range of engine and transmission options in the very near future.