Chevrolet will stop production of its Malibu sedan after November, the company announced. General Motors will also pause, but not end, production of the Cadillac XT4 luxury SUV, which is built on the same platform at the same plant in Kansas City.
Have SUVs or electric vehicles displaced the market? Both.
The media disagrees about what the move means. According to Car and Driver, the move comes “as the company continues to transition to a more electric vehicle-focused product lineup.” But the New York Times notes that Americans “have been switching from cars to roomier SUVs and pickup trucks” and automakers “have supported this trend by offering more of these larger vehicles, which generate higher profits than sedans and compact cars.”
Both motivations can be true.
General Motors will retool the plant that makes the Malibu to build the next version of the Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle (EV) instead. Despite its sales success, Chevy stopped building the Bolt last year and planned to relaunch the vehicle on a new platform shared with other GM electric vehicles.
GM sees a predominantly electric future for itself sometime in the 2030s as electric vehicle infrastructure improves and prices fall.
But for now, it’s SUVs and pickup trucks that are driving GM’s profits. That leaves little room for the traditional Detroit sedan.
Eight generations of Malibu
The Malibu proved to be one of the most successful marques in history. Chevrolet built Malibu models from 1964 to 1983 and again from 1997 to 2024. It lasted eight generations and, at least for now, holds the title of “the last Chevrolet sedan.”
It’s almost Detroit’s last sedan.
The Detroit sedan is (temporarily) at risk
Ford exited the sedan business entirely in 2020. Chrysler recently stopped production of its 300 sedan, leaving just a minivan. Dodge built its last Charger sedan last year. The company launched a two-door replacement but is planning a four-door version soon.
With Chevrolet exiting the sedan business, Cadillac’s CT4 and CT5 are the last gasoline-powered four-doors built by the Detroit Three. However, the sedan must not die if the combustion engine dies.
Automakers are building electric vehicles on “skateboard platforms” — nearly flat combinations of batteries, electric motors, suspension and steering components that can be easily converted into different types of vehicles at relatively low cost. Since Chevrolet now has a line of electric SUVs based on its Ultium skateboard platform, introducing an electric sedan wouldn’t be particularly costly for the company.
GM has already introduced an EV sedan – the high-priced Cadillac Celestiq. A revival of the electric Malibu would be a logical future step in the fight against electric vehicles like the Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 6.
Still on dealer lots, perhaps more affordable
The Malibu will remain on dealer lots until the final models go on sale, probably in early 2025. These could be great buying opportunities.
Kelley Blue Book test driver Russ Heaps says the Malibu “still offers reliable transportation options in an attractive package. Passenger comfort is high on the list of reasons to buy, as is trunk space.”
Dealers are often willing to accept lower offers on a car once its expiration has been confirmed to make room on the sales lot for something that is still being advertised.