The EPA has just launched its fuel-economy estimates for the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu hybrid, and the gas-electric mid-size sedan stomps all comers. We wait for the Honda Accord hybrid’s come back to the lineup for 2017, at this moment, the Chevrolet’s 47-mpg city/46-mpg highway scores (46 mpg integrated), positions it above the hybrid versions of the Ford Fusion, Kia Optima, Toyota Camry, as well as the smaller sized Volkswagen Jetta hybrid.
So exactly what about that Honda Accord hybrid? The Honda, which is on hiatus for the 2016 model year, was rated for 50 mpg in the city, 45 mpg on the highway, and 47 mpg combined for the 2015 car year; we don’t anticipate those numbers to change much, if at all, when the Accord hybrid go back to the lineup next year with a brand-new powertrain. That said, arguing the subtleties between the Malibu hybrid’s 46 mpg integrated score and the 2015 Accord hybrid’s 47 mpg combined rating proves how far hybrid tech has come.
Chevrolet had the ability to draw out those mpg thanks to both the newest Malibu’s diet– the sedan is stated to weigh roughly 300 pounds less than the previous-generation design– and a hybrid powertrain originated from the Volt’s. A direct-injected 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine deals with 2 electric motors and a 1.5-kWh lithium-ion battery pack to drive the Malibu hybrid’s front wheels. Overall system horsepower stands at 182, and the hybrid can motor as much as 53 miles per hour on electrical power alone. When it goes on sale, the ’16 Malibu hybrid will start at $28,645.
