Chevrolet Estimates Malibu Hybrid Will Reach 48 MPG in City Driving
GM estimates its new 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid will reach 48 mpg in city driving when the car goes on sale in spring 2016, putting it at the high end of the midsize sedan hybrid class.
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Complete mileage estimates from Chevrolet are 48/45/47 mpg city/highway/combined, and the Malibu Hybrid will compete with such cars as the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Honda Accord Hybrid, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid.
If the estimates from Chevrolet prove true, only the Accord Hybrid — with its EPA-estimated 50 mpg city — would best the Malibu Hybrid. The Accord Hybrid and Malibu Hybrid would be tied at 47 mpg for the combined mileage figure.
The mileage estimates also easily best the upcoming conventional 2016 Malibu that GM estimates will achieve either 27/37/31 or 22/32/26 mpg, depending on the engine.
GM says the Malibu Hybrid’s mileage figures come from a new 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a two-motor drive unit that’s good for 182 horsepower. It is borrowed — and modified — from the 2016 Chevrolet Volt.
According to Chevrolet, the Malibu Hybrid will be able to reach 55 mph on electric power alone.
GM previously offered a Malibu Hybrid, but that car featured a mild-hybrid system with an electric motor that could not propel the car on its own, but could provide additional power when needed.
