Even before the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu hits dealerships, early test mules have already traveled to the moon and back; twice. During the course of the last 22 months, Chevy engineers have driven more than one million miles in pre-production sedans so that they can be absolutely sure it’s ready for prime time. When it does hit the market, the car will be available to nearly 100 countries scattered across six continents. Because this will be Chevrolet’s first honest-to-goodness global midsize sedan, they have been working hard to get everything just right.
“You learn a lot about a car when you spend so much time in it – and that’s exactly the point,” said Mark Moussa, global chief engineer for the Malibu. “In the last year and a half, during every minute of the day, a 2013 Malibu has been driving somewhere around the world – all to make it the best car it can be.” The pre-production miles began early 2010. About 170 fleet cars have racked up the distance and have averaged more than 45,450 miles each month. So far, the global Malibu has secured 13 powertrain combinations and plenty of equipment packages that will be offered around the world. Items such as engines, transmissions and suspension configurations have been green-lighted for production. Other features such as interior sound, comfort and finish are still being fine-tuned by Chevrolet engineers.
“Along more significant differences among markets, such as powertrains, there is a myriad of small details that vary in markets around the globe and they must all be validated in real-world driving tests,” said Moussa. “Even small things such as holders for toll change or tickets varies for different markets.”
Source: Chevrolet
