General MotorsCompany (NYSE:GM) recently released a picture of its new Chevy Malibu 2016, a sedan which will be revealed at the New York International Auto Show this week.
Now the question on everyone’s minds is will this new car be able to compete with Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), ToyotaMotor Corp (NYSE:TM) and Honda Motor Company (NYSE:HMC)?
The Chevy Malibu 2016 isn’t exactly a bad model, per se, but the market segment General Motors Company’s (NYSE:GM) targeting using this sedan has already been dominated by Ford’s Fusion.
The Fusion (also known as the Mondeo in some countries) has received numerous commendations worldwide for its design and comfy interior. But if you compare the current Malibu with Fusion or any other model, like Camry or Accord, italmost pales a bit in comparison. There’s no denying that it may be a good car, but it isn’t good enough for people to switch over from a FordMotor Company (NYSE:F) or Honda Motor Company (NYSE:HMC) car to the Malibu.
Features of the Chevy Malibu 2016
The Chevy Malibu 2016 has had some improvements over its predecessors. The new model is longer and lighter. The base of the car is also a few inches longer than the previous ones, adding more space in the backseat. The model is also said to 300 pounds lighter, despite its additional length.
Another unique feature of this redesigned model is the Teen Driver feature, which parents will surely love and teenagers will definitely hate. Once the Teen Driver feature is activated, it will log in every detail. A Malibu with Teen Driver can also track: the distance driven, the maximum speed at which the car was driven, the number of speeding warning issued by the car itself if the child decided to speed. The Teen Driver feature will also lower the volume of the music system if it detects that the driver or front seat passenger is not wearing a seatbelt; a crafty way to get teenagers into keeping their seatbelts on inside the car at all times. The Teen Driver feature also limits the volume of music in the car; music played above acceptable volume levels is damaging to the ears and causes noise pollution.
This time around, General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) focused on durability. The track record for resilience regarding General Motors Company’s (NYSE:GM) cars hasn’t been stellar. Durability testing has been going well so far.
More attention should have been paid to the car’s design. It’s not bad, it’s stylish and all, but there’s nothing exactly eye-catching. It’s not the type of car that would immediately catch your attention and hold it. General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) will have to do something to make it stand out like Ford Motor Company(NYSE:F) did with its own models. General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) may have paid attention to the interior and durability and added another feature, but they should have invested more time on the appearance of the Malibu.General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) also promises that the new Malibu will have as much mileage as its challengers Fusion and Camry.
Now with all these features in check, we can assume that this model will perform better than the previous ones. But the competition is tough. For the Malibu to succeed it will have to make huge sales. The market segment will be difficult to penetrate as it has been captured by FordMotor Company (NYSE:F), Toyota Motor Corp.(NYSE:TM) and Honda Motor Company (NYSE:HMC).
A statement from CEO Mary Barra declares that they are done aiming for ‘good enough.’ Is this an indicator that General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) has something special planned? If that is indeed the case, then we will find out about it soon enough.
