With the AIMS(Australian Motor international Show) going on at Sydney, Holden launched its midsizer Malibu. The Malibu which will hit the australian roads will come with option of right-hand-drive.
The Malibu will will be available with both petrol and diesel engines, is built on the GM’s Epsilon II platform, which underpins the likes of the Opel Insignia (coming to Australia this year), the US-market Buick LaCrosse and the dearly-departed Saab 9-5, anyway customers will get a choice of a 2.4-litre petrol four-cylinder and a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine. This engine will be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and no manual will be offered. On an international note the Malibu is powered by a 193kW/353Nm 2.0 litre turbocharged engine, which would help it do the 100km/h run in a 6.3 seconds, along with a 141kW/250Nm 2.5 litre Ecotec engine.
“Our engineers have paid close attention to the vehicle’s driving dynamics, ride and handling, suspension and comfort so Malibu will be sure to meet the discerning needs of drivers in this competitive segment,” Holden Director of Integration and Safety, Ian Butler said.
Holden president Mike Devereux said Holden engineers were involved in the development of the Malibu. “Our team has created a unique suspension tune for Australia and developed Malibu’s transmission calibrations for multiple GM markets like Australia, Europe and North America,” he said.
The Malibu is not that much smaller than the Commodore, but Devereux said there was no concern that it would take sales away from the locally made model. “It is a completely different car to Commodore,” he said. “It is a bigger car and is a front-drive four-cylinder and Commodore is a rear-drive performance sedan so they can live in very different places. They are chalk and cheese.” he added.
More details will be posted soon, so stay tuned for more information, onto SpeedLux.
