2022 Chevrolet Malibu Interiors

The sedan domination is fading rapidly and buyers are turning towards SUVs. Yes, for sure sedans are great in a way that no crossover or SUV can be. Sedans aren’t massive, or bulky and could be a perfect companion to a family, If you are looking for a midsize family sedan, the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu might just be it. Being one of the last of the “front-wheel-drive midsize sedan from Detroit” species, the Malibu is an impressive sedan in terms of looks, comfort, practicality, and efficiency.

The 2022 Chevrolet Malibu carries over for the new year with the same enthusiastic vibes but L base trim has been axed from the lineup. When it comes to the interior space and dimensions, the 2022 Malibu is surprisingly well-decorated for the price tag. The interior design might seem dated but offers good features. The Chevy Malibu rivals the likes of Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata, and Kia K5. Let's find out how it fares against it's rivals in out interior review. 

2022 Chevrolet Malibu Interior Design, Dimensions, and Comfort

The 2022 Chevrolet Malibu makes sure to serve its target audience with an impressive cabin with decent ergonomics. The cabin isn’t fancy or opulent but feels modern and minimalist, just in the right way. The symmetrical dashboard design and eye-catchy lines make the cabin feel upscale. You get ample room in both rows without the need to extend the size of the sedan.

Chevrolet offers four different trim configurations, including LS, RS, LT, and Premier, now excluding the eliminated L base trim. The LS, the new base trim, feels bare bones in terms of appeal, but still, the surfaces and layout aren’t a big complaint. The RS brings a sporty flair to the midsize sedan. It also adds an 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

The LT is the most popular trim in the lineup, bringing a small list of creature comforts like heated front seats and more. But the Malibu doesn’t upgrade over the cloth seating. To get leather treatment, you need to get Leather package in LT trim or upgrade to Premier. The LS trim can be had with Jet Black or Medium Ash Gray premium cloth upholstery. The RS trim comes with only Jet Black premium cloth upholstery. The LT trim offers same options like LS trim and adds Jet Black and White Wheat leather upholstery.

The Premier trim gets Jet Black and White Wheat perforated leather upholstery. The front seats have a wide base, supportive side bolsters, and great back support. However, the rear seats have narrower back cushions. But still, there’s ample headroom and legroom in both rows. The outward visibility can be considered as decent. However, Malibu lacks the best outward visibility if you are comparing it with the likes of the Honda Accord.

Models	2022 Chevrolet Malibu	2022 Kia K5	2022 Hyundai Sonata	2022 Toyota Camry
Seating Capacity	5	5	5	5
Interior Passenger Volume (ft³)	NA	105.3	104.4	100.4
Front Row (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (in)	39.1/58.5/41.5	40.2/58/46.1	40.0/57.9/46.1	38.3/57.7/42.1
Rear Row (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (in)	37.5/57.1/38.1	37.8/56.1/35.2	37.4/56.1/34.8	38.0/55.7/38.0

The Chevrolet Malibu, despite being on a budget, gets a spacious cabin, courtesy of interior dimensions. Chevrolet has offered soft-touch surfaces where the hands and elbows would frequently rest, but then there’s also lots of plastic as well. The Malibu does feel modern and upscale, but the rivals have done a better job. The best rear seat legroom is offered by Chevy Malibu, followed by Toyota Camry, Kia K5 and Hyundai Sonata. 

2022 Chevrolet Malibu Infotainment

The 2022 Malibu comes standard with an 8-inch touchscreen display with curved borders, slightly tilted towards the driver. The display is sharp and the graphics are crisp and clear. The interface is intuitive, well-laid out, and has various standard features to offer. Overall, Malibu’s infotainment setup is brilliant; below the touchscreen, there are buttons too. The HVAC system can be accessed via buttons and dials, which feel on point. However, it would have been more apt to have a secondary rotary knob to interact with the interface. 

Apart from that, it comes with Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard along with a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot. The base trim comes with a 6-speaker setup, whereas the top-trim Premier gets a nine-speaker premium Bose Stereo. Also, you get an 8-inch digital gauge cluster, SiriusXM satellite radio, wireless charging and navigation. For media, one USB Type-A and one Type-C port are offered in the front center stack storage area.

Some of the key infotainment features of the 2022 Malibu are: 

• 8” touch screen infotainment display
• Wi-Fi Hotspot
• Wireless charging
• 8-inch digital gauge cluster
• SiriusXM satellite radio
• Navigation
• 9-speaker Bose premium sound system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

2022 Chevrolet Malibu Cargo Capacity

The 2022 Chevrolet Malibu offers an adequate 15.7 cu-ft of trunk space. It isn’t the biggest or segment-leading, but quite generous for the exterior dimensions and segment. The cargo mouth is wide and gives access to the space in a very easy manner.

However, you have to lift high, as the cargo loading bay is slightly higher. The rear seats do fold, but the uneven cargo floor makes it tricky to load cargo of different shapes and sizes.  The trunk space also offers cargo anchors for enhanced convenience. 

Models	2022 Chevrolet Malibu	2022 Kia K5	2022 Hyundai Sonata	2022 Toyota Camry
Standard Cargo Capacity (ft³)	15.7	16.8	16	15.1
Maximum Cargo Capacity (ft³)	NA	NA	NA	NA

The 2022 Kia K5 leads with the best trunk space in the comparison. The big cargo mouth offers easy access and the facility to fit bigger luggage. It is foloowed by Hyundai Sonata and Chevrolet Malibu. The Toyota Camry offers the least cargo space but its not as bad as one might expect. 

Additional Interior Storage Spaces

The 2022 Chevy Malibu can hold a variety of accessories inside the cabin. The biggest cubby space is the large opening beneath the center stack. The sizable door bins, glove boxes, and cup holders keep adding more room to smaller items.

2022 Chevrolet Malibu Creature Comforts

The LS trim is pretty barebones in terms of luxury features; you get cloth upholstery and manually adjustable seats. But you do get an excellent infotainment unit for the price. The fact that it offers wireless smartphone integration at a lower trim is jaw-dropping. The RS offers a power-adjustable driver’s seat and a leather-wrapped steering wheel beside a more aggressive cabin appeal. 

The LT adds heated front seats, rear passenger air vents, and dual-zone automatic climate control. The range-topping Premier is what we’d advise since it features a plethora of bells and whistles like ambient interior lighting, a dual-pane sunroof, heated steering wheel, leather upholstery, driver's seat memory settings, power-adjustable front passenger seat, ventilated front seats, and heated outboard rear seats.

Verdict

The 2022 Chevrolet Malibu can be concluded as an attractive deal for people looking for a bargain in the midsize sedan segment. The sleek exterior styling is balanced by a sophisticated and ergonomically friendly cabin. The LS trim feels barebones, hence we’d advise aiming for the higher trim. The interior features, specifications and infotainment feels apt for the asking price and we would recommend the LT or the Premier trim.