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The Chevrolet Malibu got lucky when GM decided to kill off nearly all of its sedans around five years ago, but now fate has caught up with the midsize sedan as it will officially exit production this November. It will be ending a run that lasted for 60 years, and replacing it at the plant will be the relaunched Chevrolet Bolt. Cadillac will also halt production of the XT4 at the same facility this fall, though that model will resume sales in late 2025 following some retooling.
The Malibu is saying goodbye because––you guessed it––American buyers largely prefer SUVs and electric vehicles as opposed to good old fashioned sedans. Chevrolet thinks its second-generation Bolt, which will continue the tradition of its predecessor as an affordable entry point into EV ownership, will be a better bet for the future.
After the final Malibu leaves GM's Fairfax Assembly Plant on November 4th, production of all vehicles there will be stopped to allow for improvements to be made in anticipation of future vehicles. While that happens, GM says some employees will be laid off, though they will be protected by the UAW-GM collective agreement. The modifications are expected to finish in late 2025, which is when production of the new Bolt will begin alongside the existing Cadillac XT4. Production of both of these vehicles will allow GM to skew production in the direction of demand––the XT4 will fill in for combustion, while the Bolt will serve as an option for EV buyers.
GM has invested a whopping $390 million into production of the second-generation Chevrolet Bolt at Fairfax. It will improve on its predecessor with new Ultium underpinnings and is touted as "one of the most affordable all-electric vehicles." We expect to see the new EV sometime around the end of the year or in early 2025 before production kicks off.
The Malibu's story goes as far back as 1964, when it debuted as a high-end variant of the Chevelle. The nameplate transformed into a fully separate model when its fourth generation came out in 1978. Production originally ended in 1983, but the sedan was rebooted in 1997 with a new front-wheel drive layout. The latest ninth-generation Malibu was revealed in 2015, and it received its last refresh for the 2019 model year.
Unfortunately, there is no direct replacement planned for the midsize sedan. Chevrolet hopes its popular lineup of crossovers, namely the $21,495 Trax, will appeal to Malibu customers instead. If you really insist on getting a brand new sedan from GM, you'll have to pay up for Cadillac's CT4 and CT5.
Image Credits: Chevrolet
Discontinued
May 26, 2024
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Chevy Malibu Gets The Axe This Fall, No Replacement Planned
The Malibu was the last holdout in Chevy's sedan lineup, with a history spanning 60 years.
The Chevrolet Malibu got lucky when GM decided to kill off nearly all of its sedans around five years ago, but now fate has caught up with the midsize sedan as it will officially exit production this November. It will be ending a run that lasted for 60 years, and replacing it at the plant will be the relaunched Chevrolet Bolt. Cadillac will also halt production of the XT4 at the same facility this fall, though that model will resume sales in late 2025 following some retooling.
The Malibu is saying goodbye because––you guessed it––American buyers largely prefer SUVs and electric vehicles as opposed to good old fashioned sedans. Chevrolet thinks its second-generation Bolt, which will continue the tradition of its predecessor as an affordable entry point into EV ownership, will be a better bet for the future.
After the final Malibu leaves GM's Fairfax Assembly Plant on November 4th, production of all vehicles there will be stopped to allow for improvements to be made in anticipation of future vehicles. While that happens, GM says some employees will be laid off, though they will be protected by the UAW-GM collective agreement. The modifications are expected to finish in late 2025, which is when production of the new Bolt will begin alongside the existing Cadillac XT4. Production of both of these vehicles will allow GM to skew production in the direction of demand––the XT4 will fill in for combustion, while the Bolt will serve as an option for EV buyers.
GM has invested a whopping $390 million into production of the second-generation Chevrolet Bolt at Fairfax. It will improve on its predecessor with new Ultium underpinnings and is touted as "one of the most affordable all-electric vehicles." We expect to see the new EV sometime around the end of the year or in early 2025 before production kicks off.
The Malibu's story goes as far back as 1964, when it debuted as a high-end variant of the Chevelle. The nameplate transformed into a fully separate model when its fourth generation came out in 1978. Production originally ended in 1983, but the sedan was rebooted in 1997 with a new front-wheel drive layout. The latest ninth-generation Malibu was revealed in 2015, and it received its last refresh for the 2019 model year.
Unfortunately, there is no direct replacement planned for the midsize sedan. Chevrolet hopes its popular lineup of crossovers, namely the $21,495 Trax, will appeal to Malibu customers instead. If you really insist on getting a brand new sedan from GM, you'll have to pay up for Cadillac's CT4 and CT5.
Image Credits: Chevrolet
