The Chevrolet Malibu Isn’t Dead … Yet
The reports of the Chevrolet Malibu’s death have been exaggerated, but not greatly.
Chevrolet announced in May that production of the midsize sedan would end in November in order to retool the Fairfax, Kan., factory that builds it and the Cadillac XT4 to begin manufacturing a new Chevrolet Bolt electric SUV next year.
A specific date was not confirmed, but insider website GM Authority reported in October that the last Malibu would come off the line on Nov. 15. It didn’t, and Malibu production has continued into this week.
A GM spokesperson told American Cars And Racing that “we’re still wrapping up production and expect to be completed before the end of the year.”
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The Malibu remains one of Chevrolet’s top-selling models, but it hasn’t been fully redesigned since 2016 and is essentially being replaced in the lineup by the latest Trax SUV, while some customers will migrate to the larger Equinox. Retail Malibus currently have a starting price of $26,995, but a lower specification fleet model is also available for $1,100 less. When production of the Malibu ends, the Corvette will be the only car model left in Chevy’s lineup, which will otherwise be all trucks and SUVs.
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The XT4 is also slated to go out of production in January and will also not be directly replaced as Cadillac continues to transition its lineup to new electric models.
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Bolt production is scheduled to begin in late 2025. It will be Chevy’s lowest-priced EV and should start around $30,000. Chevrolet originally expected it to be eligible for the $7,500 federal clean vehicle tax credit, but the incoming Trump administration has indicated that it will try to cut or eliminate the program, so it remains unclear what its status will be when the Bolt goes on sale.