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Redesigned Chevy Malibu proves a solid choice

BURLINGTON, Vt. — Somewhere between cheap, small cars with little wheezing engines and gas-guzzlers, there is the midsize sedan, costing $18,000 to $25,000, and offering fuel efficiency form the mid-20s to low-30s miles per gallon.

It was once a domain dominated by American manufacturers, particularly Ford and Chevrolet. But through the ’90s, the Americans largely forsook this market, turning their attention to the highly profitable truck/SUV/minivan segment and letting many of their sedans go to fleet operations. The Europeans, meanwhile, turned out sedans that tended to be expensive, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi among them.

Into the breach stormed Asian successes. There was Toyota and Honda with combined annual sales of 800,000 for the Camry and Accord, and later came Nissan with its Altima and, more recently, Mazda with the Mazda 6.

Now, the Americans want back in and the Koreans want to join.

Expect new sedans from Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Mitsubishi, and Suzuki, among others. And add to that list, Chevrolet, which recently introduced here the redesigned Malibu in four-door and hatchback (called the Malibu Maxx) renditions.

The tricks for General Motors with this new Chevy will be to deliver a sense of European flair and handling while meeting Asian pricing and reliability.

The Malibu, on the roads of Vermont — dirt and paved — was a fine step in that direction. It proved to be solid, stable, and quiet. The rattles and squeaks often characteristic of American cars were absent. The steering, electrically assisted, was soft at slow speeds in traffic and parking lots and tightened up as speeds got higher.

Legroom was great, front and rear. And the dash — if a bit touched with too much obvious plastic — featured controls that are easy to understand and use.

The Malibu comes with two engine options: a 2.2-liter, 145-horsepower four-cylinder, or a 3.5-liter, 200-horsepower V-6.

Both are mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. Neither was eye-opening in power, but who buys a Camry or Accord off the production line looking to be pushed back in their seats?

The Malibu sedan comes in three models: base starting at 18,995; LS at 20,995; and LT at 23,495. The Maxx, six inches longer and featuring the hatch, has two: LS at $22,225 and LT at $24,725.

Selling safety, the Malibu will feature as standard gear ABS, traction control, dual front air bags, and a stiffened architecture better able to withstand crashes. The LT gets side curtain air bags, which are optional on other models. And following a Toyota tactic, Chevrolet decided to include as standard lots of other features that might otherwise be optional: a rear seat that moves forward and back 7 inches for extra cargo or legroom; power adjustable brake and accelerator pedals on the top two models; a nd power for adjusting the driver’s seat height, windows, door locks, and controlling outside mirrors.

The ride is a bit softer than the Saab 9-3, which shares the Epsilon platform with both the Malibu and the Opel Vectra.

Chevrolet is not alone trying to wedge back into what has become a highly competitive market, but this Malibu should open a fine crack.