A change-up within the midsize sedan powertrain hierarchy appears to be imminent. A select group of manufactures have already made the risky switch to all four cylinder power and when the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu hits the streets, it will follow suit. Under the global hoods of the first run cars will not be a six cylinder but instead, a collection of high-efficiency four bangers. But like the Hyundai Sonata, top-tier motivation for the new Chevy will out power any previously offered V6 model and will do so via forced induction. Enter the all Ecotec Malibu.
Spinning the front wheels of the base car will be the all-new 2.5 liter Ecotec straight four. Breathing nothing but pure air, the light weight DOHC block features direct injection to put out the most torque of any naturally aspirated four cylinder engine in the midsize segment. A well-balanced 191 lb-ft of torque will work together with 195 horsepower and GM’s wonderful six speed automatic transmission. For a little more oomph, the 2.0 liter turbocharged Ecotec takes over as the high output Malibu powertrain. Rated at a SAE-certified 259 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, the direct injected single turbocharged DOHC four cylinder out hustles all big six cylinder sedans from the past. With the help of lighter weight materials, the 2013 car should be able to hit 60 mph from a standstill in 6.3 seconds. On the opposite spectrum is the already working eAssist powered ECO, which will adopt the Buick’s lithium-ion battery pack and small electric motor. With this drivetrain, up to 37 mpg can be averaged on the highway. Needless to say, when all 2013 Chevrolet Malibu models become available by the fall, there will be a sedan for just about anyone.
“The 2013 Malibu is the latest entry in Chevrolet’s growing global car portfolio, which has seen almost an entirely revamped lineup in the last 15 months,” said Chris Perry, global Chevrolet marketing vice president.
Source: Chevrolet
