Holden makes a spectacular return to the mid-size sedan segment with the all-new Malibu – a global car for General Motors which was styled by two Holden designers and developed locally for Australian conditions. In a segment where some cars are ‘vanilla’, the all-new Holden Malibu stands-out with Chevrolet Camaro-inspired looks and a dynamic on-road presence.
Including a choice of petrol or turbo-diesel engines, the all-new Malibu replaces the less-than-spectacular Epica and is set to give Holden much-needed traction in a segment which accounted for more than 68,000 sales last year.
As Holden chief Mike Devereaux put it: “The locally-made Holden Commodore and Cruze can’t be everything and now with the Malibu we have a sedan in every segment from Barina to Caprice.”
Holden Malibu Overview
Holden is offering the all-new Malibu in its familiar model nomenclature – entry-grade CD and range-topping CDX both in petrol or diesel.
Following the lead of the all-new VF Holden Commodore, extensive standard equipment underscores the tremendous value of the Malibu.
Inclusions in the CD model are six airbags, 17-inch alloy wheels, rear-view camera, cruise control and nine-speaker audio.
CDX adds 18-inch alloy wheels, leather seats (heated and power operated fronts), front fog-lights, LED tail-lights and leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear lever.
The full range is:
CD petrol $28,490
CDX petrol $31,990
CD diesel $32,490
CDX diesel $35,990
Holden Malibu Engine
Highlighting again the ‘internationalization’ of the automotive industry are the two four-cylinder engines available in the all-new Holden Malibu. The 2.4-litre petrol engine comes from the GM plant in Bupyeong, South Korea, while the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel is an Opel engine (used in the Insignia) and comes from Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Both drive the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.
The petrol engine delivers 123kW of power at 5800rpm and peak torque of 225Nm at 4600rpm. Fuel consumption (combined cycle) is 6.4l/100kms and it scores a ‘4’ rating in the Federal Government’s Green Vehicle Guide.
For Holden Malibu’s turbo-diesel, you can chalk-up 117kW of power at 4000rpm and peak torque of 350Nm from 1750rpm. Fuel consumption (combined cycle) is 6.4l/100kms in the CD and 6.5l/100kms in the CDX. Green Vehicle Guide rating is ‘3.5’.
Holden Malibu The Interior
Two Holden engineers on international assignment to General Motors Head Office in Warren, Michigan – Justin Thompson (exterior) and Yan Huang (interior) - were responsible for styling the Malibu which is sold in more than 100 international markets (mostly as a Chevrolet). Both were educated in Melbourne – Thompson with a Bachelor of Technology (Industrial Design) from Monash University and Huang with a BA-Industrial Design from RMIT.
Does Australia have a world class automotive industry? Damn right we do!
Contemporary materials, soft-touch trim, a prominent centre stack and clever storage options highlight the Holden Malibu’s interior. For example the seven-inch colour touch-screen centre-dash folds out to reveal a brilliant, secure storage ‘cubby’ ideally sized for wallets and mobile phones and there’s a crevice in the centre console perfectly sized to securely hold your phone while it is being charged.
Looking at the centre stack, there are undoubtedly some similarities to the Holden Cruze, or even the Volt, but the all-new Malibu shows-off its extra width and overall larger size with a new horizontal dashboard design and chrome highlight strip. At night, blue ambient lighting gives a distinctive and elegant look.
Metallic-style trim highlights and a nicely shaped gear lever add sporty touches and the rake/reach adjustable three-spoke steering wheel (leather-wrapped in CDX) is the usual high quality Holden design.
Seats too are the expected Holden quality with plenty of space and comfort both front and rear.
Audio is a nine-speaker CD system with the usual connectivity and Holden’s excellent MyLink infotainment system with a seven-inch colour touch-screen and embedded apps including Pandora and Stitcher SmartRadio.
Holden Malibu Exterior
Replacing the unloved Epica with the all-new Malibu is like replacing Fred Flintstone with Brad Pitt. Where the Epica was far from elegant, the Malibu looks athletic, contemporary and classy.
Sure the Malibu may be a $28,490 mi-size sedan, but there’s plenty of Chevrolet Camaro evident in the raised bootlid and four square tail-lights. So in that context, the usual front-three-quarter photographic angle in many ways undersells Holden’s slick, contemporary newcomer.
Regular CarShowroom readers will know the North American Chevrolet Malibu has just debuted its first facelift with a modified front-end and could be wondering about implications for Holden. In fact that’s irrelevant as the Holden version scores its own unique front fascia and hallmark Holden grille (similarities to the just-launch VF Commodore are deliberate).
The muscly look for the bonnet is not just about looks – the Malibu is the first General Motors sedan to receive the maximum five-star safety rating for pedestrian protection. Elsewhere the elegant looks of the Malibu reflect the designers’ efforts for simplicity and efficiency – a trait already seen in the latest Camaro and which we’ll see again shortly in the all-new Traxx compact SUV.
And of course aerodynamic efficiency was at the core of every pen-stroke for the Holden Malibu’s exterior design – the drag Cd varies from model to model but is never higher than Cd 0.29.
Thinking of garage space – Holden Malibu’s overall length of 4865mm and wheelbase of 2737mm is similar to Mazda6 and Ford Mondeo.
Holden Malibu On The Road
Ah Melbourne in winter…single digit temperatures and constant rain greeted the Holden Malibu national media preview. Nevertheless we were keen to get some ‘seat-time’ in vehicle we’ve seen and heard about for months and we rushed onto the Western Ring Road out of the city and up to Hepburn Springs, the cleverly-mapped route encompassing a wide variety of road conditions.
During the full day, Car Showroom got behind the wheel of Holden Malibus in both entry-grade CD and range-topping CDX. Both were petrol-powered (we’ll shortly be putting a diesel Holden Malibu through our standard week-long test procedure).
First things first – that 123kW/225Nm 2.4-litre petrol engine is nicely matched to the six-speed automatic transmission with handy, refined acceleration in city traffic and sufficient mid-range urge for freeway overtaking.
The flooded roads weren’t ideal for ride/handling evaluation, but the rough going on some of the high-speed stuff did highlight the attributes of Holden Malibu’s local calibration of the McPherson strut front/ independent multi-link rear suspension. There was nice isolation from even severe mid-corners bumps (we hit one at speed) and a degree of firmness in rebound which enthusiast drivers will like.
We reckoned the extra grip from the 18-inch rubber of the CDX was noticeable, but both models provided nice feedback and assistance levels through the steering wheel. Petrol-powered models as tested by Car Showroom run electric power steering while the diesel models use hydraulic power-steering (there is no right-hand-drive electric system for diesels).
Holden Malibu Challenges
Curiously Holden didn’t get the Malibu’s satellite navigation done in-time for launch – it’s coming at a later update. And while we understand there isn’t a Malibu wagon anywhere in the world, its exclusion will cost sales in Australia, particularly with fleet buyers.
Holden Malibu Verdict
After reading American reports on the Chevrolet Malibu our expectations were high for the Holden versions and we weren’t disappointed. In one all-new model, Holden has joined the front-runners in the mid-size sedan pack with a newcomer which looks great, drives well and is handily priced.
The Malibu is a global car for General Motors, but for us a large part of its appeal is the contribution of Holden’s talented design duo and the local suspension/steering tune. Australian conditions are unique and those countless hours of testing at the Lang Lang Proving Group and on hundreds of Australian urban and rural roads have paid dividends with a set-up optimized just for Oz.
As we anticipated, the Malibu is a winner for Holden - refined, well-equipped and nicely packaged.
Holden Malibu The Competition
Just like the VF Commodore, Holden has been smart in equipping the all-new Malibu comprehensively - so in making comparisons, ensure you cross-check the inclusions against rivals.
Toyota Camry has been the dominant player in this segment since forever really, but against the Malibu, Toyota’s finest is looking a tad staid and overpriced, starting from $30,490. Of course the locally-made Camry is Toyota at its best with legendary quality and reliability plus the proven 2.5-litre petrol engine (no diesel).
The Mazda6 is brilliant, a Car Showroom favourite, and unlike Holden Malibu or Toyota Camry, comes in sedan or wagon models. Engines include SkyActive petrol or diesel but, again, the Holden Malibu comes-up trumps for currency with the ‘6’ starting at $33,460.
Ford’s German Mondeo is also on Car Showroom’s ‘favourites’ list and as per the Mazda6, beats the Malibu in Camry for range with sedan or wagon, diesel or petrol. $31,490 gets you into the entry-grade Mondeo.
However, you’d be silly to exclude the Hyundai i40 and Kia Optima from your shopping list. Optima is sedan only and i40 offers wagon or sedan…they’re all excellent.
Thumbs-up: Looks great; smart packaging; handy price; local suspension development is spot-on
Thumbs-down: Satellite navigation not available at launch; no wagon
BRAD LEACH
