Chevrolet Trucks Blog

Looks like Malibu is starting to make waves. No, I’m not talking about the city of Malibu (although the waves there can be pretty sweet). I’m talking about the Chevrolet Malibu.

According to Ed Pepper, head of GM’s Chevrolet brand, the demand for the Chevrolet Malibu soared up to 200% this January alone. We have to admit, if the figures are correct, that is quite an impressive feat. But an increase in sales automatically means an increase in production. And that’s the one thing that’s working against Chevrolet right now since they can only produce the cars within 15 or 16 days. But I’m sure they’ll find a way to get through it. Dollar signs are popping guys. Start working on that new wave of Malibus.

Sources: Reuters, Motor Trend

There seems to be no stopping the Chevrolet Malibu from getting an award as it is already its second consecutive year to receive recognition from the North American Car and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) awards.

It was during the opening of the North American International Auto Show that the announcement of the winners was made and General Motors has once again taken top honors. Its Chevrolet Malibu had been chosen to receive the award from among its competitors which are composed of 15 cars and 13 trucks. General Motors was able to get four out of the six spots for the awards. Just last year, two GM models emerged as winners – the Saturn Aura and the Chevrolet Silverado.

The Vice Chairman of General Motors, Bob Lutz, commented on GM’s receipt of the awards saying, “’This award is the result of our intensive efforts to put a renewed emphasis on design, execution and craftsmanship into our cars and trucks.”

He added, “We’re honored that both automotive journalists and consumers are recognizing our efforts. The fact we had four of the six finalist vehicles is more than we could have hoped for.”

Prominent automotive journalists are the ones who observe and evaluate the vehicles on the following factors – innovation, handling, value for the dollar, safety, driver satisfaction, performance, and safety. These NACTOY awards are given to deserving vehicle models every year, ones which earned the highest scores in the factors the journalists are looking at. The jury which evaluated the cars and picked the winners for this year consisted of 45 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada.

The reasons that Chevrolet Malibu was named the 2008 North American Car of the Year are because of its having strong performance, and notable fuel economy and refinement.

Ed Peper, Chevrolet’s General Manager, said, “Our goal with the 2008 Malibu was to give customers a stylish, uncompromising package that can challenge even the most formidable competitors in the midsize segment.”

He added, “Customers are getting that message, because the new Malibus are selling faster than we can put them on dealers’ lots.”