General Motors has had a great sale going on for the 2012 Chevy Malibu sedans and while that’s great news, it’s not so great news for the 2013 Chevy Malibu Eco models that are waiting for drivers to drive them home, but when there is $6,000 on the table, who can blame anyone? The 2012 model is still a kickin’ car so the next version just might have to wait awhile longer.
The owner of Jim Stutzman Chevrolet-Cadillac in Winchester, Va said “I can’t really say a whole lot about how well the Eco has taken off because all of the focus has been on pushing the ’12s. There’s cash on the hood.”
No one at General Motors is concerned though. They released the Malibu Eco in March which was about six months ahead of time for the official national launch of the 2.5-liter four-cylinder base engine version. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament was the chosen venue for this launch and was ahead of the competition including the Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion and Honda Accord. 7,000 models were sold within the first three months of the launch, while there are currently over 100,000 of the 2012 versions that have been driven away by happy drivers.
A 2013 Malibu with a new base engine is on schedule to come out this month and a 2.0 liter turbocharged engine will show up later this fall. It makes sense to want to clear room for these by offering great deals on last year’s models.
Russ Clark, Chevrolet’s Director of marketing for performance and mid-sized cars and crossovers, said, “So far it’s been well received and well supported by the dealers. The car’s performing about where we thought it would. It’s an extremely competitive segment. Somebody is always going to win on fuel economy. The customer looks at the total package of style, comfort, features, efficiency and confidence while driving the car.”
With that in mind, the Malibu models should remain a top seller.
Source Automotive News