GM Looking to Boost Malibu Sales With “Groundbreaking Design”

2015 Chevrolet Malibu (Credit: Chevrolet )

There are two things that automakers rarely do: comment on future products and critique a car that is currently available on dealer lots. Well, apparently GM doesn’t live by those rules, as it is doing both in regards to the current and next-gen Malibu, according to a report from Automotive News.

The report claims that because of sliding Malibu sales, GM is hard at work on developing an all-new version of the midsize sedan and its design, according to GM’s product development chief Mark Reuss, will be “groundbreaking.” The specifics behind the design are still unknown, but there are some reports that design cues from the Corvette Stingray will trickle down the Chevy lineup and that could spread to the midsize Malibu. This redesigned Malibu is expected to hit dealers in about a year.

According to GM CFO Chuck Stevens, this new design would also help fill the coffers with profits as a faster pace, as it’ll be a less expensive car to build but will command a higher starting price. This higher profit margin combined with the extra cash flow from the upcoming redesigned Cruze could put as much as $800 million more in profit into GM coffers by 2016.

What strikes me as odd about the report from Automotive News is how GM executives knew that the Malibu was set up to fail from the beginning. Insiders told AN that they knew it had shortcomings in 2012 that needed addressed quickly. Also impacting sales was the staggered release of the model, which saw the Eco model — a mild hybrid — come to market first while the volume drivetrain came a half-year later. According to AN, plenty of executives regretted this misstep and former CEO Dan Akerson went so far as to say I don’t know if I want to wash my laundry in public” when asked about the strange launch schedule.

I can only hope that GM actually learned a lesson from its many screw ups with the Malibu and releases a model that stands out from the pack.  As it stands now, the Malibu is sixth in midsize sedan sales, trailing the Camry, Accord, Altima, Fusion and Sonata. Additionally, it is the only one in the top-eight-selling midsize sedans with a with a decrease in sales versus last year at -7 percent. That is certainly not a good number considering the upward swing in overall automobile sales as of late.