2018 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Review
2018 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Review Malibu is Chevrolet’s second largest and most expensive saloon, located over Cruze but under an impasse. Malibu is the only other electrified Chevrolet saloon. Automaker also offers a Volt plug and hatchback Bolt EV. If you are looking for the fuel economy of a compact car, but need the space and energy that only a medium sized sedan can offer, the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu hybrid has it covered. The Malibu Hybrid shares the same sleek styling and feature-rich interior as the traditional Malibu, only with a sophisticated hybrid powertrain that makes it more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly.
The competition in the field is fierce, but with rivals such as the Ford Fusion Hybrid, the Kia Optima Hybrid and the brand-new Toyota Camry Hybrid and Honda Accord hybrid all vying for a piece of eco-friendly pie. With better fuel economy numbers than the Kia or Ford, the Malibu has a right to brag, though both the Ford and Kia cost less than the Chevy.
Hybrid Malibu 2018: Malibu’s hybrid trimmer is well equipped with Chevrolet MyLink on a 7.0-inch Bluetooth touchscreen, SiriusXM, OnStar 4g LTE with Wi-Fi hotspot, as well as Apple CarPlay and an Android car. Malibu is equipped as standard with an eight-way driver’s seat, a 3.5-inch dashboard display, a set of instruments for hybrid use, two-zone automatic air conditioning, 17-inch aluminium wheels, automatic headlights, OnStar Guide, OnStar Basic and a rear camera.
A six-way power passenger seat, leather upholstery, heated front seats, and a Bose premium audio system can be added with the leather package. The convenience and technology package adds remote engine startup, auto-dimming rear-view mirrors, a 8.0-inch touchscreen display and wireless charging.
The 2018 Chevrolet Malibu’s hybrid powertrain consists of a 122-HP, 130-lb-ft of torque 1.8-liter I-4 paired with two electric motors that have a total combined power of 182 hp and 277 lb-ft. A CVT transmission directs the power supply of the front wheels. The EPA prices of the Malibu hybrid at 49/43 mpg city/highway with an impressive 598-mile driving range. In Motor trend tests, the 2017 Malibu hybrid hit 60 mph in 7.5 seconds and stopped by 60 mph in 121 meters.
NHTSA awarded the highest overall safety rating of five stars to the Malibu 2018 hybrid. The IIHS Chevrolet Malibu 2018, which is not hybrid, is considered to be the best safety choice in 2017, as it has the highest scores in five crash tests and the highest scores in terms of frontal collision prevention, thanks to the automatic emergency braking system included in the Confidence Pack II driver confidence package.
This package is available on a non-hybrid trimmer, but not on Malibu Hybrid, which provides an automatic low speed emergency braking system in the driver confidence package. Thanks to the Driver Confidence Package alone, Malibu 2018 has achieved its second highest level of advancement in order to avoid a 12 mile collision per hour and reduce its 25 mile collision by 9 miles per hour.
The Malibu did not receive the 2018 Top Safety Pick designation because the sedan received the second lowest rating of the marginal in the new passenger side small overlap before crash test. The aforementioned driver confidence package also includes front pedestrian brakes, automatic high beams, front and rear park sensors, lane change alarm with blind point monitoring, lanes keep assist, following distance display, forward collision alarm, and Rear cross-traffic alert.
2018 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Review
Malibu Hybrid offers 11.6 cubic feet of loading space in a truck (the non-hybrid model has 15.8 cubic feet) and 42 inches of legroom for passengers and 38.1 inches for rear passengers. The Ford Fusion Hybrid wins in each category with 12.0 cubic feet of cargo space in the truck and 44.3 inches of front seat legroom and 38.8 inches of rear seat legroom.
The 2018 Malibu Hybrid comes standard with a lot of technology, including a 7.0-inch touchscreen with the Chevrolet MyLink system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM, Bluetooth, and a USB port (dual USBs are available). OnStar leadership, OnStar 4g LTE with a Wi-Fi hotspot, and OnStar basic are also standard. A larger 8.0-inch touchscreen with navigation and a Bose premium audio system with nine loudspeakers are optional. Additional feature include remote engine launch, a wireless smartphone charger, and a package of drivers supporting security features.
MSRP $27,920 EPA mpg 49 city/43 Highway PS 124HP
