2016 Chevrolet Malibu: With Great Weight Comes Great Performance

2016 Chevrolet Malibu midsize sedan was put on a special test and training program in order to become even more efficient, powerful and more comfortable. And the team behind the project achieved some interesting results. Now, the 2016 Malibu vehicle is lighter with about 136 kg (300 pounds) and achieves some excellent purity: only 48 mpg in city and about 37 mpg on the highway, thanks to the redesigned 1.5-liter turbo engine. And of course, the lighter weight means improved ride and handling.  So, let's see what the Chevy team has achieved.

The five most noteworthy achievements in 2016 Chevrolet Malibu

1. Stronger body construction

The 2016 Malibu's greatly reduced weight means that the engineers used only light, but high-strength steel, that ensures thinner, but extremely well-built components, that improve the handling and the overall safety of the vehicle. Furthermore, the stronger body construction means and one more thing. The suspension system can be fine-tuned even more precisely, which means even smoother and comfortable ride.

2. Wonderful use of aluminum

Light and extremely strong, the use of aluminum  components in the 2016 Malibu machine is one of the main reasons of the great weight reduction. The overall reduction, thanks only to the aluminum components reduced the car's weight with 3 kg, which is quite impressive. Furthermore, aluminum components in the suspension system improve the handling and the overall responsiveness of the Malibu.

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3. Streamlined instrument panel and light power accessories

For example, the redesigned window regulators save up to 4.2 pounds, while additional 2.2 pounds are reduced by the complex order inside the instrument panel. But complexity also means more integrated parts and components, which bring additional features for no additional weight or energy cost. In fact, even the center console was greatly improved and now it weights with 1.75 pounds less.

4. Lighter seats and other soft materials

Chevrolet 2016 Malibu now comes with special leather seats, that save up to 40 pounds of the overall vehicle weight. Furthermore, there were a total of 2.6 pounds reduced by redesigning the trunk and the changed interior carpet. It is interesting how Chevrolet team manages to reduce the weight in such interesting ways.

5. Lighter engine components

And the last, but not least, the powerplant. The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu now offers customers a special 1.5-liter turbo engine, that is 86 pounds lighter than its predecessor, the standard 2.5-liter engine. And along with the wonderful features, that a lightweight engine brings, one is especially important: the lightweight system bring better front-to-rear weight balance, which contributes the vehicle's wonderful responsiveness.

With great weight improvements the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu goes on sale in the fourth quarter of 2015. Furthermore, the vehicle will be offered in 4 trims: L, LS, LT and Premier. Furthermore there is also a special Hybrid model, that will demonstrate some stunning performance and efficiency features.

Chevrolet Malibu (2016)

Source: Chevrolet