The End of the Road for the Chevrolet Malibu: GM Shifts Focus to EVs and SUVs

In a major announcement, General Motors has revealed that it will cease production of the Chevrolet Malibu this year. The decision was made as the Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Kansas, where the Malibu is built, is being reconfigured to produce a new generation of the Chevrolet Bolt EV. This means that GM’s mainstream Chevrolet brand will now only sell trucks, SUVs, and the Corvette sports car in the United States.

Ford made a similar decision years ago when it stopped selling sedans like the Taurus and Fusion, leaving the Mustang as its only traditional car in its lineup. Last year, Chevrolet also stopped producing its Camaro competitor. According to Cox Automotive, traditional cars make up less than 20% of US auto sales.

The last generation of the Malibu was introduced in 2016 and is now older than popular competitors like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. A new version of the Camry is currently available as a hybrid, but it hasn’t been able to replace the popularity of traditional cars like the Malibu. Despite its age, GM sold over 130,000 units of the Malibu last year, which was a 13% increase from the previous year.

First introduced in 1969 as a more luxurious version of the Chevy Chevelle known as the Chevelle Malibu, this model became distinct by itself in 1970s before being discontinued in 1983. It was then reintroduced in 1997 and has remained in production ever since with several updates and refreshments over time.