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2013 Chevrolet Malibu production brought forward: report

Production of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu (2012 Holden Malibu for the Australian market) has reportedly been brought forward four months to speed up the replacement of the current model.


Bloomberg reports that General Motors will bring production of the all-new global mid-sized sedan forward from May 2012 to January.

Holden confirmed earlier this year that the Malibu would be launched in Australia in 2012, filling a hole in its product range between the locally manufactured Cruze and Commodore.

Holden spokesman Jonathan Rose could not confirm the advancement of Malibu production, but insisted that Holden currently had no plans to change its launch timetable.

“It’s still our plan to introduce the Malibu towards the latter end of 2012,” Mr Rose said.

Asked whether an advance in global production could lead to an early arrival of our Malibu, Mr Rose said: “Not at this stage”.

The Holden Malibu will be powered by a range of four-cylinder engines, including a 2.5-litre unit with 141kW of power and 245Nm of torque. The engine will be teamed with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Engineers from Holden’s Powertrain Engineering team are currently calibrating the Malibu for General Motors’ global markets, as well as for Australia’s unique conditions.

The Malibu has been undergoing testing at Holden’s Lang Lang Proving Ground, and this image shows Malibu engineers stretching its legs on public roads in Phillip Island, Victoria.

Read more about the upcoming 2012 Holden Malibu.

(Renderings by Theophilus Chin)

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