Malibu previews next Holden Commodore

The Chevy Malibu revealed in New York last week is of vital importance to the fortunes of GM's bread-and-butter brand in America.

"The new Malibu is longer, its lighter and its more fuel efficient," said Alan Batey, Global Chevrolet Brand Chief, while introducing the new model.

"This is a very, very important car for Chevrolet. Why? Because the mid-sized car segment is the biggest in the US and accounts for 14 percent of the total US industry."

Malibu is also an important car in Australia, principally for what it tells us about the car that will succeed Holden's VF Commodore after production of the local design ends in 2017.

Sharing its Epsilon II platform with the next Opel Insignia as it does, the new Malibu is a template of sorts for the successor to the VF Commodore.

According to the Chevrolet press material, the new model is 58mm longer than the current Malibu, and the wheelbase has been stretched 91mm. That has freed up 33mm more (much needed) rear-seat legroom in the new Malibu. Assuming the VF Commodore replacement measures roughly the same dimensions as the 2016 Malibu, the VF Commodore thus retains an advantage of 86mm in the wheelbase and 33mm in rear-seat legroom over its replacement.

Given Malibu's front-wheel drive layout and shorter wheelbase in a longer overall package, we speculate the Insignia will provide boot space the VF Commodore can't match. Look out for Holden sales staff highlighting the luggage capacity of the new car, while quickly brushing over the reduced rear-seat accommodation – which should still rival Mondeo's nonetheless. The new Ford is 52mm shorter in overall length, but the wheelbase is 21mm longer than Malibu's. That could turn the tables to the Mondeo's advantage in the showroom.

Malibu weighs 135kg less than the current car, Chevrolet claims, which would place it around 1550kg, measured against even the heaviest diesel CDX variant in the current model range.

Compared with even the lightest VF Commodore variant – the petrol Evoke sedan – that's still a weight saving of 70kg. For most V6 sedan variants in the current VF range, the Malibu's weight saving is more like at least 100kg – roughly 140kg less than SV6 and over 150kg less than the Calais. That, of course, is based on a worst case scenario for Malibu/Insignia, which should hit the road in base or mid-range form under the 1550kg kerb weight estimated.

With a combination of downsized engines – 1.5-litre 119kW and 2.0-litre 186kW four-cylinder powerplants, both turbocharged – and a hybrid variant, which may not make it here, the Malibu/Insignia promises to deliver fuel consumption as low as 5.0L/100km (for the hybrid), which would be a marked advantage over even the most frugal VF Commodore variant, the Evoke petrol sedan. The engines will drive to the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic. These drivetrain components are expected to be shared between Malibu and Insignia.

Despite the Malibu's striking looks and what seems likely to be sensible mechanicals and packaging, the smart money is on the Insignia replacing the locally-built VF Commodore, post-2017. Opel has already announced the Insignia will be larger, lighter and more efficient in its next generation, just like the Malibu.

Its close engineering relationship with the Malibu hints that the Insignia won't be pitted against Malibu in global markets. The new Malibu is reportedly not (yet) being built in right-hand drive form anyway, which strongly suggests Holden will retire the Malibu nameplate after production of the current car concludes.

It's all speculation at this point, but the Malibu's dimensions are a convincing argument for those who have said in the past that the Zeta platform of the VE/VF Commodore was larger than Australians needed. That didn't stop the Commodore selling in respectable numbers of course, so such an argument is definitely theoretical until the VF replacement actually goes on sale.