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Goodbye to the Chevrolet Malibu? The iconic Chevrolet model, which conquered generations over more than six decades, is about to leave dealerships in a country. Find out the reasons behind the end of production of this classic that marked history in the automotive market.
End of the Chevrolet Malibu? Chevrolet is undoubtedly one of the largest car brands in the world. However, the company surprised everyone when it decided to say goodbye to a popular car with over 60 years of history. This is the Chevrolet Malibu, a sedan that had its last unit produced on November 4, going out of production in the United States.
Who Will Replace the Popular Chevrolet Car in the USA?
The end of the Chevrolet Malibu is a significant move by General Motors, as it will end the production of a traditional sedan due to a lack of consumer interest. Drivers in the country have been opting for SUVs and moving away from compact sedans and hatchbacks for years. The brand’s two rivals in Detroit, Stellantis and Ford Motor, have also significantly reduced their list of cars in the United States.
The Chevrolet Malibu has not changed generations since 2015, and its last visual update was in 2019. The popular Chevrolet car will not have a direct replacement, and the 1,700 factory employees will be laid off.
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In fact, the Fairfax plant in Kansas will receive an upgrade to manufacture the second generation of the Chevrolet Bolt. This time, the model will be based on the Ultium platform and promises to become one of the cheapest electric cars in the United States.
The factory will receive an investment of $390 million and will allow the new Bolt to be produced on the same line that manufactures the Cadillac XT4, the smallest SUV from Cadillac. However, the unit will be on hold until early 2025 to receive new machinery.
Understand the Brand Strategy with the End of the Chevrolet Malibu
With the end of the popular Chevrolet car, GM is now following the same path chosen by Ford, where sedans are no longer offered to the public, which is growing its interest in SUVs and pickups, for example.
The Chevrolet Malibu is one of Chevrolet’s longest-running models, famous since the last century, and even had a brief stint in Brazil, however.
Currently, few brands continue to sell sedans to the American public, such as the Japanese Nissan, Toyota, and Honda, for example. Not even service vehicles like taxis and police cars use sedans there. A trend that continues to grow, further reducing the space and availability of this type of body style.
It is worth mentioning that brands still sell hundreds of thousands of sedans and compacts every year, but far less than in previous decades, when the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord were among the most popular in the USA.
Either way, regarding the Chevrolet Malibu factory, layoffs in Fairfax will happen gradually until January 12 of next year, when the plant will be closed until mid-2025.
A Little Bit of the History of the Popular Chevrolet Car
The Chevrolet Malibu was launched in 1964 to be a luxury family sedan. Four years later, GM added a sporty and high-performance version, the Malibu SS.
GM stopped producing the Malibu in 1983 when it was forced to downsize due to growing foreign competition. It reintroduced the model in 1997, but it has consistently lagged behind the Camry and Accord in sales.
Since its introduction, GM has sold over 10 million Malibus. But sales have declined in recent years. In 2023, the brand sold 130,000 of them, and deliveries fell 47% in the last three months of the year. A decade earlier, the brand typically sold about 200,000 Malibu units per year.
Chevrolet tem que dar adeus é a correia banhada a óleo.