There are basically four different trims available on the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu but the focus of this article is the RS trim which has a sporty exterior. For this sporty look, Chevrolet has given dual exhaust outlets, rear spoiler, black front grille, and Chevrolet emblems, Body-colored outside mirrors, and 18-inch aluminum wheels. Inside, manual tilt and telescopic steering wheel, keyless entry, premium cloth seats, air conditioning, 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and SiriusXM have been given. In the safety section, the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu is blessed with standard features such as cruise control, buckle to drive, and a backup camera.

The convenience Package 2 ($525) adds a remote start kit, a cargo net, and All-weather floor mats. For $285, the floor liner package will provide Front and rear all-weather floor liners and cargo mats. The driver confidence I cloth package for $545 adds features such as rear cross-traffic alert, rear park assist, and lane change alert with side blind zone alert.

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Since there are no sub-trims to the RS trim. It is better to go with the Driver Confidence I & II Package with the base Malibu RS which adds a lot more safety features compared to the driver confidence I cloth package. 

2022 Chevrolet Malibu Sedan RS Release Date

The 2022 Chevrolet Malibu Sedan is on for the latest booking. After reading the entire article, you can decide whether to get in contact with the nearest dealer or not. 

The 2022 Chevrolet Malibu houses a 1.5-liter inline-4 turbocharged engine under the hood. It is connected with continuous variable transmission and churns out 160 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. Power is transferred to the front wheel as standard since FWD is the only drivetrain available in Malibu. With this configuration, Chevrolet Malibu sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds which is the slowest in the competition. Even though the Chevrolet Malibu requires slightly more throttle to get up as compared to the rivals, it does offer a refined and smooth ride. 

CVT is in good sync with the engine and does a good job of providing a decent fuel economy. Brakes are responsive and pedals are consistent irrespective and have a nice feeling to them. The steering wheel has good feedback and the cabin is not very noisy. That said, the Chevrolet Malibu takes nearly 16.1 seconds to cover a quarter-mile distance while the Hyundai Sonata can cover the same distance 0.2 seconds quicker. Furthermore, the Honda Accord requires 15.5 seconds to cross the quarter-mile distance. 

The Chevrolet Malibu might not have performed as per your expectation but its rival from the Kia certainly has. The Kia K5 has a slightly bigger engine as compared to the Malibu but its output is higher and it crosses 60 mph from the state of rest 0.8 seconds earlier than the Chevrolet Malibu. At the same time, the Honda Accord’s 1.5-liter turbo inline-4 which churns out 192 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque helps it in reaching 60 mph from a standstill in 7.2 seconds. On the other hand, the 2.5-liter inline-4 engine of the Hyundai Sonata churns out 180 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque and takes it from 0-60 mph in 0.1 seconds later than the Honda Accord. 

As per the EPA estimation, the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu returns a fuel economy of 29 MPG in the city, 36 MPG on the highway, and 32 MPG combined. These figures when combined with a fuel capacity of 15.8 gallons translates into 458 miles in the city, 569 miles on the highway, and 506 miles combined. That said, the 2022 Malibu is the least fuel-efficient car in the competition. 

With 30/38/33 MPG in the City/Highway/Combined respectively, the Honda Accord claims the first spot because of its low fuel consumption. Other sedans are not very behind, as the Kia K5 and Hyundai Sonata give just one and two MPG less in the city respectively. However, on the highway, the Kia K5, Honda Accord, and Hyundai Sonata come with an equal amount of fuel. All these three sedans also have similar fuel storage capacities. 

The cabin of the 2022 Malibu has decent quality materials. However, the overall interior design is dated and in urgent need of either a full redesign or at least a few serious updates. Seats are covered in premium cloth upholstery which can be upgraded to Jet Black premium cloth upholstery. A silver trim can be found inside the cabin which circles around the ac outlets and runs on the top side of the dash. The steering wheel and gear shifter handle are wrapped in leather. That said, there is a decent amount of headroom in the second row and five adults can sit comfortably. But 

8-way power adjustability is given to the driver seat whereas the front passenger seat can be adjusted manually in 6-ways. Meanwhile, the rear seats can be split-folded in a 40/60 fashion, unlike the 40/20/40 pattern. Manual tilt and telescopic steering wheel, air conditioning, a 12-volt power outlet, keyless entry, keyless ignition, and manual day and night rear-view mirror are some of the standard interior amenities offered on the Chevrolet Malibu RS. However, there are no heated front seats, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and memory function for seats given by the Chevrolet on this Malibu RS. 

The new Malibu does have a leading shoulder room in both rows but it has the least overall passenger in the competition. The opponent from the Kia has the most generous headroom in the front and rear row. Moreover, the Hyundai Sonata has the best legroom in the front row but both rivals from the Kia and Hyundai are stingy when it comes to rear legroom. Additionally, the Honda Accord and the Kia k5 have nearly the same total passenger volume. As for the Hyundai Sonata’s passenger volume fits in between the Chevrolet Malibu and the Kia K5. That said, the biggest cargo/trunk capacity is offered on the Honda Accord whereas the smallest is given on the Chevrolet Malibu. Highlights of the interior features are:

• Premium cloth front bucket seats
• Air conditioning 
• Remote panic alarm
• Optional garage door opener
• Keyless entry and ignition
• Optional All-weather floor mats
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• 8-way power driver seat

How intuitive is the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu’s infotainment unit?

Chevrolet has kept the same 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen in the 2022 Malibu as the last year. The touchscreen is intuitive but there is no rotary knob given for convenience. That said, the navigation system is also not given. You also get a 6-speaker sound system, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto with wireless connectivity, USB port, SiriusXM, voice command, Wifi, and Bluetooth as standard features. Highlights of the infotainment features are:

• 6-speaker sound system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 8-inch touchscreen
• SiriusXM
• Wifi hot-spot 

The exterior design of the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu can be described as a combination of buttery curves with sharp knife-like body lines. At the front, you are greeted with a black grille with a chrome surround. The badging given on the RS trim is black and color-keyed power side mirrors are standard. On the side profile, you won’t help but notice that there is no flat black on the wheel arches. Fierce body lines are rampant and the doors are indented to increase its sporty charm. On the backside, dual-exhaust outlets and rear spoiler are complimenting the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu RS’s athletic appeal. Acoustic laminated windshield, 18-inch aluminum wheels, halogen headlights, and daytime running lights are some standard features on the 2022 Malibu.

If we consider the curb weight, width, and height, the Chevrolet Malibu and fellow opponents are in a similar ballpark. But if things are put under the microscope, the Chevrolet Malibu is the heaviest and the tallest among the bunch but the Honda Accord is the widest in the competition. Furthermore, the Chevrolet Malibu is the longest vehicle but the Hyundai Sonata has the largest wheelbase in the competition. The Chevrolet Malibu and Honda Accord share the same wheelbase but Honda Accord has a more spacious cabin. That said, the Kia K5 has the shortest wheelbase in the competition. Highlights of the exterior features are:

• 18-inch aluminum wheels
• Rear spoiler
• Dual exhaust pipes
• Daytime Running Lamps
• Halogen headlamps
• Optional wheel locks 
• Optional IntelliBeam auto high beams
• Optional front and rear splash guards

There are no safety ratings available for the 2022 Malibu but the 2022 model and 2021 have no changes or upgrades, therefore, the previous year’s ratings can be taken for reference. The federal agency National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has assigned an overall 4-star safety rating to the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. It performed well in the frontal crash tests but in the Rollover Resistance and side crash test, the results are not very satisfactory. On the other hand, the independent agency, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded Malibu with ‘Good’ ratings in all crashworthiness tests except one where it received ‘Marginal’ ratings. 

In the safety department, the 2022 Malibu has standard features such as teen driver, cruise control, 10 airbags, tire pressure monitoring, backup camera, and OnStar & Chevrolet connected services. Meanwhile, The optional Driver Confidence I & II Package worth $1,095 adds automatic emergency braking, lane keeps assist with lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane change alert with side blind zone alert, following distance indicator, front pedestrian braking, and rear park assist. Highlights of the safety features are:

• Cruise control
• Lane keep assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert,
• Lane departure warning
• Front pedestrian braking
• Teen driver

2022 Chevrolet Malibu RS vs 2021 Honda Accord LX

Take fuel economy or interior space. Acceleration or trunk capacity, nearly in every area, the Honda Accord has performed much better as compared to the Chevrolet Malibu. Despite having the same engine setup under the hood, the engine output of the Honda Accord is still higher than the Chevrolet Malibu. In safety as well, where the Honda Accord was crowned with the ‘top safety pick+’ award and 5-star safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA respectively, the Chevrolet Malibu could not even secure the ‘top safety pick’ award or full 5-stars. 

2022 Chevrolet Malibu RS vs 2021 Kia K5 LX

Just like the Honda Accord, the Kia k5 was also honored with the ‘top safety pick+ award and 5-star safety ratings. That aside, in terms of performance, the Kia K5 is ahead of the Chevrolet Malibu. It also consumes less than Malibu but has a smaller fuel tank. To balance this disadvantage, Kia has given the K5 a bigger trunk in contrast to Chevrolet. From a price perspective, the Kia K5 is less costly. Therefore, in the end, the song of victory gets played in the yards of Kia. 

2022 Chevrolet Malibu vs 2021 Hyundai Sonata SE

The only rival of the Chevrolet Malibu which has a naturally aspirated engine is slightly slower in comparison. However, if we look at the fuel consumption, the Chevrolet Malibu is still more thirsty than the Hyundai Sonata. The cargo capacity of the Chevrolet Malibu is also slightly less compared to this opponent. As for the safety ratings and award, the 2021 Sonata has been given an overall 5-star safety rating and a ‘top safety pick award. 

Overall, the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu is a decent package. However, rivals outperform it in nearly every aspect, especially when it comes to the safety ratings. Advanced safety features that rivals are offering as standard, Chevrolet is proving the same under optional packages that deduct serious points from its final report card. Therefore, if you are a fan of a particular brand and your love for the Chevrolet is unmatched then the 2022 Malibu is not a bad deal. But if you want a car that is really outshining others in the mid-size sedan segment then Honda Accord and Kia K5 are the best alternatives you can go for.