SHANGHAI (AP) — General Motors has set out to refine the current Chevrolet Malibu midsize car with the 2013 version to be unveiled Tuesday.
The new car, GM's first midsize sedan to be sold globally, is designed to have better aerodynamics than the current version, and its all-new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine is designed to perform better than the current version yet be fuel efficient.
No price was announced, but it likely will be more than the current Malibu base price of $21,975 excluding shipping. The automaker was to unveil the new car on Tuesday at Auto Shanghai, China's biggest auto show of the year, as well as on the Facebook social media sites and for iPad users.
Here's what's new:
POWER: New 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with efficient direct fuel injection into the cylinders. GM says it has about 190 horsepower and performs like a V-6. The current four has 169 horsepower.
MILEAGE: Not released. GM says the four-cylinder will get more than 30 mpg on the highway, and a version of the Mailbu will get more than 35 mpg. The current Malibu gets an EPA estimated 22 miles per gallon in the city and 33 on the highway.
HANDLING: The old version was just OK, but GM says the new one will have precise ride and handling, on par with more expensive sports sedans.
IN SHOWROOMS: Expected in late January or early February, pulled forward several months because the current Malibu is looking old.
CHEERS: For a family hauler, the machine looks nice. GM appears to have lowered its profile and sculpted its lines so it looks more like the current Buick Regal than the old Malibu, which is now kind of frumpy looking.
JEERS: GM won't say if gas mileage for the mainstream models will be better than the current Malibu. There likely will be an Eco version that gets 35 mpg on the freeway, but GM won't commit to anything other than "north of 30 mpg" for non-eco versions with the beefed-up four-cylinder engine.