2023 Chevrolet Malibu

The 2023 Chevrolet Malibu is expected to come in 4 trims as offered in the previous years, namely the LS, LT, RS, and Premier. The latter is the top-end trim which comes equipped with a 2 Litre turbocharged engine. Rest all trim would be fitted with a 1.5 Litre engine turbocharged inline 4 engine. The base trim LS comes equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels. The RS gets a sportier 18-inch aluminum wheel with black accents and a rear spoiler that complements its sportier look. The LT variant gets 17-inch alloys, daytime running LED headlights, and tail lights. It also comes equipped with dual-zone air conditioning.

Apart from the standard specification list, Chevrolet offers additional packages. Packages on offer vary for each trimand some packages may not be available for all trims. Below is the list of additional packages available for the Malibu in the previous iteration and might be subject to change with the 2023 MY. 

1. Driver Confidence 1 Cloth Package

• Lane change alert
• Side blind zone alert
• Rear cross traffic alert
• Rear park assist

2. Driver Confidence I and II packages

• Automatic Emergency Braking,
• Following Distance Indicator
• Forward Collision Alert
• Front Pedestrian Braking

3. Leather Package

• Leather-appointed seating surfaces
• heated leather-wrapped steering wheel
• leather-wrapped shift knob 

4. Midnight edition

• 19" Black-painted aluminum wheels
• Black Malibu badge
• blacked-out grille with dark chrome surround
• P245/40R19 all-season tires

5. Redline Package

• 19" Black-painted aluminum wheels with Red accents
• Black Malibu badge with Red outline
• blacked-out grille, Black mirror caps with Redline decals
• P245/40R19 all-season tires

6. Sports Package

• 19" Black-painted aluminum wheels
• Black Chevrolet bowtie emblems
• Black Malibu badge
• Blacked-out grille with dark chrome surround

7. Enhanced Driver Confidence Package

• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Automatic Parking Assist
• Enhanced Automatic Emergency Braking

We Recommend

We would recommend the LT trim as it offers numerous features as standard. Further, this can be enhanced by opting for the additional packages available, making it the best value for money proposition.

Release Date

2023 Chevrolet Malibu is expected to be launched in the last quarter of December 2022. As rumors suggest, the 2023 model will be a carryover model with very few changes.

The 2023 Malibu comes equipped with an efficient 1.5 liter turbocharged inline-4 engine across the LS, RS, and LT trims, and a more powerful 2.0 turbocharged inline-4 engine for the top-end Premier trim. The smaller engine produces a horsepower of 160 HP and 184 lb-ft of torque. The Premier trim can churn out 250 horsepower and a torque of 260 lb-ft. It can pull off 0-60 in 5.8 seconds and the quarter-mile mark in 14.3 seconds many seconds less compared to the base trims. The CVT transmission offers a smooth driving experience. The car offers good handling and passenger comfort. The car is offered in only front-wheel drive train across all trims. An all-wheel drivetrain option would have been nicer.

In terms of raw performance, the competition is slightly ahead of the Malibu. The 2022 Honda Accord is the top performer with slightly better power and torque figures. The Malibu does 0-60 in 7.8 seconds whereas the Accord can pull this in 7.2 seconds. The Camry closes in with 7.6 seconds followed by Sonata at 7.7 seconds. In terms of the top speed, the Camry and Sonata tie at 130 MPH followed by the Malibu and Accord.

2023 Chevrolet Malibu Ride and Handling

As the 2023 Malibu would be a carryover model, we expect the ride quality, comfort, and handling to be at par with the previous year's model. The steering response on the Malibu is nimble and offers a gentle ride. The suspensions handle bumps considerably well. As with all sedans, the body roll is also expected to be less on the Malibu. Overall, the car offers a controlled and easy driving experience.

2023 Chevrolet Malibu Braking Performance

The braking performance of the Malibu would not disappoint you. It comes equipped with an 11.8-inch rotor at the front and an 11.3-inch rotor at the rear, which can provide an ample amount of stopping power. The Malibu can also be equipped with safety braking features like automatic emergency braking and enhanced automatic emergency braking which can be equipped for an additional cost.

The braking performance of Malibu is almost at par with its competition. All cars in this segment offer decent stopping power. Malibu could be slightly better on paper given the fact that the curb weight is least among the competition. The Honda Accord has bigger rotors on the front, followed by Sonata and Camry. The Malibu’s rear rotor is bigger compared to others. This could help in better braking performance.

The 2023 Malibu shines in the fuel economy front with its fuel-efficient 1.5-liter engine. The Malibu can deliver a fuel economy of 29 MPG in city driving conditions and 36 MPG on highways, making it a tad better than the competitors. The car is equipped with a 15.8-gallon fuel tank and has an expected range of 458 miles in the city, 569 miles on the highway, and a combined range of 506 miles.

Even though the Chevrolet Malibu has a commendable fuel efficiency, the Honda Accord delivers a better fuel economy in the segment followed by Malibu, Toyota Camry, and Hyundai Sonata. Malibu and Camry have bigger fuel tanks with a gallon more than the Accord and Sonata. This results in an improved range in both Camry and Malibu, which is in excess of 500 miles.

Chevrolet Malibu is a 5-seater sedan that offers an ample amount of space and convenience features. In terms of interior features, the base trim is not as feature-rich as the other trims. The front seat on the base variant is a 6-way manual adjuster whereas the other trims come equipped with 8-way power adjusted seats. With regards to the Air conditioning, the base variant is equipped with a single-zone manual, whereas the LT variant gets an automatic, dual-zone air conditioning.

The interior quality is above average with decent quality plastics used. However, we feel the interior design is outdated and needs to be revamped. The leather package being offered as optional also is a letdown. The rear seat can sit 3 medium-sized adults comfortably. The cargo space on the Malibu is a generous 15.7 cubic feet.

The 2023 Malibu offers a decent amount of interior space though not the spacious as its competitor. It has better shoulder room compared to others. The Hyundai Sonata offers the best headroom and legroom in the front seat. whereas, the second-row space is better on the Honda Accord. The Honda Accord offers the highest cargo capacity at 16.7 Cu-ft followed by Hyundai Sonata, Malibu, and the Camry. The Malibu’s overall interior design, space utilization, and convenience features are not a letdown. 

Some of the key interior features available with the 2023 Chevrolet Malibu are:

• Keyless open and start
• 8-inch infotainment system
• Temperature display
• Manual tilt and telescopic steering column
• Steering wheel controls

How intuitive is the 2023 Chevrolet Malibu’s infotainment system?

The Chevrolet Malibu has an 8-inch touchscreen-enabled infotainment system, which has a list of pre-installed applications like USA Today, New York Times, Spotify, Pandora, Fox Sports, etc. It is Google Assistant and Alexa enabled, helping you to control and navigate via voice commands. The car also is equipped with a WiFI hotspot meaning you will stay connected always. The Malibu comes with a 6-speaker audio system for the LS, RS, and LT variants and a 9-speaker setup on the Premier trim.

Some of the most notable infotainment features available with the 2023 Chevrolet Malibu are:

• Bluetooth Connectivity
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Voice commands
• Type-C USB ports
• Google Assistant and Alexa inbuilt
• Sirius XM with 360

We expect the 2023 Chevrolet Mailbu to come in the exact same design as the 2022 model with minor tweaks. The car has an aesthetically pleasing design with front chrome grills and a bow tie emblem on it. The base trim gets 16-inch alloy wheels. We feel that the RS variant is much sportier and visually appealing with its blacked-out grille, rear spoilers, dual exhaust, and 18-inch alloy wheels.

Malibu is the tallest and the second longest in the segment with a total length of 194.2 inches and 57.9 inches respectively. It weighs a bit less than other competitors at a curb weight of 3,135 lbs and offers a decent ground clearance at 4.6 inches. 

Each of the cars in this segment has a visually pleasing design and there is nothing to complain regarding the designs of all the cars, But we believe the designs have all quite aged very well and a makeover is due soon. The Toyota Camry is the heaviest with a curb weight of 3310 lbs and has the better ground clearance among the four with a height of 5.7 inches. The longest would be the Honda Accord at 196.1 inches. The Malibu is taller compared to its competitors at 57.9 inches of height.

Some standout exterior features include:

• Body-color door handles
• Daytime running lights
• Capless fuel filler
• Body color antennas
• Solar absorbing and acoustic laminated windshields.

The 2023 Malibu has a host of safety features as standard and other enhanced safety features can be added for an additional cost. The 2022 model has performed well in the NHTSA crash test ratings securing an overall score of 4 stars. The frontal crash test overall rating is 5 stars, side impact overall is 4 stars. The only worrisome aspect is the rear passenger side-impact crash tests which have only a rating of 3 stars. We believe that the 2023 variant will follow these crash test ratings and maybe improve in the side impact crash tests. 

Other standout safety features include:

• Automatic emergency braking
• Enhanced automatic emergency braking
• Following distance indicator
• Forward collision alert
• Front pedestrian braking
• Lane change alert with side blind zone alerts
• Rear park assist.

2023 Chevrolet Malibu vs 2022 Honda Accord

The 2022 Honda Accord's performance is the best in this segment. The Japanese engine is aggressive and provides good acceleration and sportier performance. Even on the fuel economy front Honda scores well compared to the Chevrolet. The only upside for Malibu, when compared with the Honda Accord, is the price. The Malibu is the more affordable option among the two.

2023 Chevrolet Malibu vs 2022 Toyota Camry

The story again is similar when it comes to the 2022 Toyota Camry. In terms of performance Malibu again falls short of the Camry. The Toyota Camry has better performance figures and is the most reliable option in this segment. Malibu scores slightly well on the interior and fuel economy aspects and is priced lesser than the Camry and is the affordable option among the two. However, taking into consideration the reliability of Toyota, Camry could be the better option.

2023 Chevrolet Malibu vs 2022 Hyundai Sonata

The competition is neck to neck between the 2022 Hyundai Sonata. The Chevrolet Malibu’s performance is almost on par with the Korean sedan. It also offers similar fuel economy and both the models have the latest technologies. The Chevrolet Malibu again is priced cheaper than the Hyundai Sonata making it the more affordable option out of the two.

Coming to the big questionshould you buy the 2023 Chevrolet Malibu? Our answer would be simply no, we wouldn’t recommend the Chevrolet Malibu over its competition. The competition, even though priced a bit higher, offers better value for money propositions. On the performance front, the Chevrolet Malibu lags behind considerably. Technologically again, it is not up to the competition. The only aspect where it shines is the fuel economy front. The Malibu passing through its 10th generation has aged and is unable to keep up with the competition. The company has plans to bid farewell to Malibu and the sedan is expected to be retired by 2024. We would suggest the 2023 Chevrolet Malibu only if you are tight on your budget and can’t spare any additional dollars.