2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid - CNET Reviews
The 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid gave us a strong sense of deja vu. We read the accolades accorded to the gas-only version, the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, after its launch late last year, which reminded us of the good press received by the Saturn... And the Malibu Hybrid, with its belt alternator starter (BAS) hybrid system, reminded us of the mild hybrid system of the Saturn Aura Green Line. It seems that GM pioneered a good car launch story with the Aura and chose to repeat it with the Malibu this year. From a tech standpoint, the Malibu Hybrid doesn't stand out. The Malibu Hybrid works primarily as a value proposition, giving you a lot of car for relatively little money. We spent our first few days with the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid driving it around the traffic-choked streets of San Francisco. On the highway, the Malibu Hybrid is supposed to get 32 mpg. Strong hybrid systems, such as that found in the Toyota Highlander Hybrid , get better fuel economy in the city than on the highway, but the BAS system in the Malibu Hybrid doesn't produce that type of efficiency. To try and get the Malibu Hybrid into its EPA fuel economy range, we took it on a road trip. Source: www.cnet.com
