GM is Killing Chevy Malibu as Production Ends This Fall

After 60 years, the Chevrolet Malibu says goodbye. The move reflects the evolving automotive industry landscape, with manufacturers increasingly prioritizing SUVs and electric vehicles over traditional sedans. This will allow GM to dedicate resources to the all-electric, second-generation Bolt, which plays a key role in the future.

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Production of the Chevrolet Malibu will not stop immediately. The car will continue to be manufactured alongside the Cadillac XT4 at GM’s Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City through November 4th. Then production at the plant will stop so the automaker can retool and modify the facility for future vehicles, a Chevy spokesperson confirmed to Carscoops.

Read: All-new Chevy Bolt EV coming in 2025

“When production resumes in late 2025, Fairfax will produce both the Bolt EV and XT4 on the same assembly line, giving GM the flexibility to respond to changes in customer demand,” said Kevin Kelly of Chevrolet.

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The Fairfax assembly plant benefits from $390 million in investments from GM, allowing it to build the second-generation Chevrolet Bolt. Unlike the first-generation model, which was discontinued in December 2023, the new electric vehicle will be based on the Ultium platform and will be “one of the most affordable pure electric vehicles” on the market.

While production at the Fairfax Assembly Plant is paused, GM will lay off workers until production resumes. Employees affected by this temporary closure will be supported in accordance with the UAW-GM Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The Chevrolet Malibu started in 1964 as the top sub-series of the Chevelle and didn’t become a full-fledged model until its fourth generation in 1978. However, this is not the first time that the car has been discontinued. In 1983, original production of the Malibu ended and production was paused until the car returned in 1997 as a front-wheel drive model. The now ninth generation of the sedan went into production in 2015.

Although the Malibu’s production line will be taken over by the second-generation Bolt, GM tells us the car is being discontinued in response to changing consumer tastes. Like the Subaru Legacy, it was ultimately the popularity of SUVs that put the final nail in the Chevy sedan’s coffin.

Unfortunately for sedan fans, there won’t be a direct replacement for the Malibu in Chevrolet’s lineup.

“The Malibu has been a loyal offering for nine generations and several decades,” Kelly told us. “However, as consumer choice continues to shift toward compact SUVs, now the largest segment in the U.S., Malibu customers will find a home in other vehicles in our lineup, providing them with numerous options in terms of size, price and powertrain be available.”

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