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2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid: 48 mpg for $28,645

With the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, General Motors wants to show it's as serious about mainstream hybrids as it is about mainstream midsize sedans. Keeping with the theme, Chevy announced the Malibu Hybrid will have a serious price tag of $28,645. Chevy said Thursday the 2016 Malibu Hybrid will go on sale in the spring, with that price also including an $875 destination charge. That's about $3,000 more than where the Ford Fusion Hybrid kicks off, and about $2,000 more than a Toyota Camry Hybrid LE. The big news being pushed with the Malibu Hybrid, however, is the fuel economy. GM says it's capable of 48 miles per gallon city and 45 highway, for a combined rating of 47 mpg. That's better than any other 2016 midsize hybrid sedan. Power comes from a 1.8-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor with a 1.5-kWh lithium-ion battery, producing 182 combined horsepower. That's competitive with both the Camry and Fusion. Chevy also likes to say it's roughly the same system as the one installed in the 2016 Volt – although with a smaller battery, larger gas engine, and without the plug – so the Malibu Hybrid has that halo effect going for it. With both this Malibu and 2016 Toyota Prius, there's a lot of activity around gas-electric hybrids amid lowering fuel prices and a raft of plug-ins and full-electrics. The gas-only 2016 Malibu was found to be, "at least good again," so the 2016 Malibu Hybrid should be able to attract those who want a competent midsize sedan with excellent fuel economy that awaits EPA verification. We'll go with that thought until we get to drive it. Related Video: NEXT-GEN CHEVROLET MALIBU HYBRID LT STARTS AT $28,645 Projected to offer 48 MPG city using technologies borrowed from Volt DETROIT – The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid LT, which achieves a General Motors'-estimated 48 mpg city, will be available this spring with a starting price of $28,645. "The Malibu leverages knowledge and technology directly from the second-generation Chevrolet Volt," said Steve Majoros, marketing director of Chevrolet Cars and Crossovers. "By leveraging technology, we are broadening our level of expertise and lessons learned to bring consumers a world-class hybrid." With an all-new, hybrid powertrain that uses a slightly modified drive unit and electric motors used in the 2016 Chevrolet Volt, the Malibu Hybrid offers a GM-estimated 48 mpg city, 45 mpg highway – and 47 mpg combined, unsurpassed in the midsize car segment. Official EPA estimates are pending.

GM CEO Mary Barra predicts mass electrification will take decades

General Motors is allocating a substantial amount of money to the development of electric technology, but Mary Barra, the firm's CEO, conceded that battery-powered cars won't fully replace their gasoline-burning counterparts for several decades. She stressed the shift is ongoing, but she hinted it will be slower than many assume. "We believe the transition will happen over time," affirmed Barra on "Leadership Live with David Rubenstein," a talk show aired by Bloomberg Television. She added that not every car will be electric in 2040. "It will happen in a little bit longer period, but it will happen," she told the host. She was presumably talking about the United States market; the situation is markedly different in Europe and in China, where strict government regulations (and even stricter ones on the horizon) are accelerating the shift towards electric cars. On the surface, it doesn't look like General Motors has much invested in electrification; the only battery-powered model it sells in America in 2020 is the Chevrolet Bolt (pictured), which undeniably remains a niche vehicle. Sales totaled 16,418 units in 2019, meaning the Corvette beat it by about 1,500 sales. In comparison, Cadillac sold 35,424 examples of the aging last-generation Escalade during the same time period. And yet, the company isn't giving up. It has numerous electric models in the pipeline including a slightly larger version of the aforementioned Bolt, the much-hyped GMC Hummer pickup, and an electric crossover assigned to the Cadillac brand. These models (and others) will use the Ultium battery technology that General Motors is currently developing. Its engineers are also working on a modular platform capable of underpinning a wide variety of cars. Bringing these innovations to the market is a Herculean task. EVs may not take over for decades, but Barra and her team must believe their 2% market share will increase significantly in the coming years if they're approving these programs. Autonomous technology is even costlier, more complicated, and more time-consuming to develop. Barra nonetheless expects to see the first General Motors-built driverless vehicles on the road by 2025. "I definitely think it will happen within the next five years. Our Cruise team is continuing to develop technology so it's safer than a human driver. I think you'll see it clearly within five years," she said on the same talk show. Her statement is vague but realistic.

GM recalls Cadillac ATS and Chevy Impala for separate issues

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration added two recalls from General Motors in the government organization's daily update of safety campaigns. Both were for failing to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards but for completely separate reasons. The larger recall covers 58,698 units of the 2013-2015 Cadillac ATS, but it doesn't really carry huge safety concerns. In vehicles produced between April 25, 2012, and February 9, 2015, the controls for the tilt and slide of the moonroof are not recessed enough, as required by federal law. According to NHTSA, it's possible that someone could inadvertently activate the auto-close for the roof panel, which the agency claims increases "the risk of personal injury." Dealers will install a new trim plate that will add the necessary clearance. The other campaign covers 1,177 examples of the 2014 Chevrolet Impala from between November 15, 2012, and May 27, 2014. However, this is actually a repeat of a previous recall on the Chevy and the Cadillac XTS from 2014. The affected Impalas here "were remedied incorrectly" under the earlier campaign, according to NHTSA. On these sedans, it's possible the electronic parking brake might not fully disengage and still remain in some contact with the rotor, which is in violation of federal rules. The fault can cause excessive heat from the brakes that could potentially lead to a fire, according to NHTSA. To fix the problem, dealers will reprogram the electronic parking brake control module. Show full PR text RECALL Subject : Inadvertent Press of Roof Panel Switch/FMVSS 118 Report Receipt Date: FEB 24, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V106000 Component(s): VISIBILITY Potential Number of Units Affected: 58,698 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) CADILLAC ATS 2013-2015 Details Manufacturer: General Motors LLC SUMMARY: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Cadillac ATS vehicles manufactured April 25, 2012, to February 9, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the power-operated roof panels auto-close when the non-recessed "Slide" or "Tilt" switches are pressed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) No.