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FireFlyz | 67
the suspension, Chevrolet managed to get
that sweet spot which gives the Malibu a
calm and collected ride much like baby
bear’s bed – neither too soft nor too firm,
making Goldilocks happy. And ironically
that’s what makes it unexceptional; there’s
not much to whine about.
INTERIOR
Pry open any part you can and you’ll see
that Chevrolet has used its fair share of
noise insulating materials, and a little
bit more. This results in a quiet cabin
that sounds premium. Rear legroom
however, isn’t at a premium though it’s
still comfortable for most adults. And
headroom is the opposite of legroom,
with plenty to spare unlike some of its
competitors. The front bucket-like seats
are supportive and electrically adjusted,
with lumbar support.
The dashboard is a blend of sportiness
and ordinariness. The meters sit within
Camaro-inspired square binnacles and the
horizontal grooves ride along the curvy
dashboard onto the door cards, stretching
the dashboard. In the dark, the horizontal
chrome strip on the dashboard emits a soft
blue glow for a cool ambience.
The centre stack is where ordinariness
is centered, largely due to the regular-
looking centre air vents. However, all the
buttons on the stack are huge and so is
the print, making them perfectly usable
for drivers with poor eyesight and clumsy
digits. Personally, I would’ve moved the
gearshift a fewmilimeters aft and switched
the electric parking brake button to the
driver’s side.
Pushing the latch under the 7”
touchscreen flips the display up to reveal
a nook for storage; a practical feature
I wish more cars had. And for this car,
I wished there was built-in navigation
but I understand that’s in the works and
could be introduced soon. Keep the screen
down and you have your audio and phone
functions as well as reverse camera view.
VERDICT
In this segment sits aggressive looking
players as well as mild ones. The Malibu
seems to take middle ground perhaps to
capture the fencesitters and undecided.
In terms of drivability and ride quality,
the Malibu brings you sunshine. At
RM154,000, it’s one of themost affordable
D-segments and with a 5-year/200,000km
warranty, it makes up for not having the
snazzy toys of its rivals.
Specif ications
ENGINE
2,384cc inline-4DOHC Ecotec
with intake valve lift control
OUTPUT
165hp@5,800rpm; 225Nm@
4,600rpm
TRANSMISSION
6-speed autowith Driver Shift
Control
BRAKESANDSUSPENSION
Solid discs (front & rear);
MacPherson struts (front);
multi-link (rear); StabiliTrak ESC;
BA; 4-wheel ABS
TYRE SIZE
245/45 R18
WHEELBASE (mm)
2,737
DIMENSIONS (mm)
4,865 (L) x 1,855 (W) x 1,465 (H)
KERBWEIGHT (kg)
1,539
FUEL TANK (l)
73
PRICE
RM 153,888
replacing the +/- buttons with paddle
shifters. Acceleration is smooth and the
engine hardly complains when made to
work hard.
Though not exceptional, the ride and
handling is one of the best in this segment.
For its size, the car feels composed
and well behaved in corners and fast
switchbacks. There is some shifting of
weight but the car instils in you the
confidence that it won’t lose it, thanks to
the StabiliTrak stability control system.
The variable effort electric power steering
is responsive and not overly weighted
though it could use with a tiny bit more
feedback and more girth.
The ride is well dampened even
on bumpy roads so you won’t hear
passengers complain much. In tuning