In a farewell to the shrinking market for sedans, Chevrolet is stopping production on the Chevy Malibu at the end of this model year.
About 10 million of the model – in its various forms – have been sold since it was introduced in 1964, according to Motor Trend.
The sales figure was achieved despite a long time out that lasted from 1983, when General Motors took it out of production, until 1997, when it returned to showrooms, according to The New York Times.
The demise of the Malibu means the end of sedans for Chevrolet, which will only produce one car that is not an EV – the Corvette. The rest of Chevrolet’s lineup will be gas, electric or hybrid SUVs and trucks, Motor Trend reported.
Time to bid the Chevy Malibu adieu: As of November of this year, the Chevrolet Malibu is officially dead.
GM confirmed that the sedan has been discontinued because Chevy needs to retool the Kansas plant to build the new, Ultium-based Bolt EV.
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The Kansas assembly plant that built Malibus will shift to the next-generation Chevy Bolt, which is forecast to arrive in 2025 or 2026. The previous generation of Bolt models ended in 2023.
Motor Trend said the new Bolt is expected to be either a compact SUV or a crossover hatchback that would be one of Chevy’s most affordable vehicles.
Chevy sold about 130,000 Malibus last year, up 13 percent from the year before, according to CNN.
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Cars now make up less than 20 percent of Chevy’s American vehicle sales, according to Cox Automotive.
The Malibu was a favorite of fleet operators, according to Cox Automotive, with sales going from 50 percent to 75 percent in any month to rental companies and similar businesses.
Cox spokesman Mark Schirmer said Chevy’s decision is a boon for Honda and Toyota.
GM to stop making iconic Chevy Malibu after 60 years pic.twitter.com/Dmmk5FXOuI
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“Honda and Toyota alike must be pleasantly surprised to see their competitors pack up and leave the mid-size sedan business,” Schirmer said.
“The segment remains sizable – over 900,000 mid-size sedans were bought in 2023 – and Honda and Toyota have excellent offerings, and now with little competition,” he said.
Car and Driver reported that the final Malibus will be made in November.
“We’ve been somewhat lukewarm toward the Malibu in recent years, but we’ll certainly lament the passing of such a longstanding nameplate,” Jack Fitzgerald wrote on Car and Driver.
“Who knows? Maybe GM will revive it as an EV in another 15 years,” he wrote.
