The envelope please . . . and the winner is . . . the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu!
Like a blast from the past, as the oldies radio stations like to say, a Chevrolet bearing the name of California's toniest beach has once again surfaced just in time to be named Motor Trend magazine's "Car of the Year" for '97 in its Dec. 3 issue, now on newsstands.The new Malibu replaces the Corsica in Chevrolet's lineup.
It's been 14 years since a Chevy named Malibu has rolled off a Detroit assembly line, but the name has a powerful pull for a generation of kids - now with kids of their own - who took their first trip to Yellowstone or Disneyland in the back seat of Dad's '64 Malibu - the first year the model name was used.
Malibu, says MT in its announcement awarding its annual "Golden Calipers" trophy to the marque, "is a golden name that resonates powerfully in the memories of not only Motor Trend staff members but millions of people nationwide."
That's probably no exaggeration. Names do have power. Just ask the folks at Nissan how important it was that they rebadged their "Fair Lady" as the 240Z.
The Chevy Malibu, say the editors of Motor Trend, was chosen for its "impressive driveability, comfortable interior, overall quality, high fun-to-drive factor and outstanding value."
Sounds pretty wonderful, all right. I haven't gotten to drive one yet - although I saw one at the auto show a few weeks ago - but I'll be reviewing it soon.
MT's "Car of the Year" is selected only from domestic nameplates. Import cars, including such "imports" as Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Subaru Legacy, all built in the United States, must compete in Motor Trend's "Import Car of the Year" competition, still to come.
It should be further noted that MT's competitors, particularly Car & Driver, scoff at MT's annual awards as nothing more than a gimmick to generate advertising - the company that buys the most ads wins. Perhaps, but I suspect both C&D and Road & Track wish they had an annual promotion that generates as much press coverage and public interest as MT's "Car of the Year."
"Chevrolet's Malibu establishes a new benchmark within the domestic midsize market based on its comfort, quietness, handling, balanced power, attention to quality and safety, and its tremendous value," say the MT editors.
"From nose to tail, inside and out, the new Chevy family sedan looks, feels and drives like a more expensive car. . . . This sedan is engineered to provide the solidity, ride and quietness of a full-size car, while maintaining the crisp handling and parking-lot maneuverability of a compact."
That's a lot for a car with a starting price of $15,995.
Earlier, Motor Trend named the 1996 Chevy Tahoe sport utility its "Truck of the Year" and the Chevy Blazer won the same award in 1995. Clearly, the folks at the bow-tie branch of General Motors are on a roll.
Noting that the Malibu is aimed at one of the largest motoring segments in the entire auto market, Chevrolet general manager John G. Middlebrook said the award is a great way to launch an all-new car model. How new? Chevy began shipping Malibus to dealers only last week. Chevy says dealers nationwide have so far ordered about 50,000 Malibus.
Because the competition in the mid-size segment is so fierce, buyers tend to demand more than what might otherwise be expected of a car in this price segment. They read, research, analyze and do a lot of comparison shopping. Jim Heckbert, Malibu brand manager, said they were well aware of this while designing the new model.
The story, he says, begins under the skin with a full frame front chassis cradle - a "U" shaped backbone of tubular steel that supports the engine and suspension components. The stiff structure, he says, improves overall fit and finish and reduces squeaks and rattles.
In addition, acoustical foam baffles are built into strategic spots such as door frames, rocker panels and the roof, also insulating noise and vibration and a one-piece carpet shell provides more soundproofing from noises outside the car and a thick acoustical mat is used on the engine side of the dash to muffle engine noises.
On the safety front, a full metal cage surrounds occupants with what Heckbert terms a "cocoon of steel" with crush zones helping to absorb energy in the event of a collision. Dual air bags and anti-lock brakes are standard.
Maintenance is intended to be held to a minimum. Owners may drive up to 100,000 miles between tuneups; transmission coolant fluid is filled for life; engine coolant needs to be replaced only after five years or 150,000 miles and many of the bulbs on the instrument panel have been replaced with LEDs, which never need replacement.
Innovations include a left-handed cup-holder that can double as a storage compartment; a dash-mounted ignition switch to eliminate blind searching for the keyhole and keys banging against the steering column; backlighting of major switches and controls to make them easier to find in the dark; a really big glovebox, but the door doesn't bank into your knees; radio controls placed above the heating and air conditioning controls because they're used more often.
Standard engine is a 2.4 liter twin-cam four cylinder that produces 150 horsepower; LS models feature a standard 3.1 liter V6. Standard transmission is a four-speed automatic.