The Chevrolet Malibu has been unexpectedly popular for General Motors this year and the automaker has increased production of the humble mid-size sedan to accommodate. As reported by GM Authority, the automaker is producing more cars at its Fairfax, Kansas facility to replenish dealers’ stock.
According to the report, GM processed 20,000 additional Malibu orders in May after dealers’ dwindled supplies and constrained production left the Malibu with an eight-day supply as recently as March. Typically, dealerships like to have around 60 days of stock on hand in normal trading conditions.
It comes off the back of a bad year for Chevrolet’s sedan. Last year, the Malibu was out of production from February until November as crucial parts were in short supply. The stoppage was largely due to GM focusing on producing high-margin SUVs and pickups as the chip shortage raged at its peak. Roughly 116,000 units were cut from production over the nine-month halt.
Despite sedans slowly falling out of favor relative to SUVs, the Malibu has nonetheless held up in the market. From January to March, Chevrolet sold 25,682 Malibus, down just 5 percent from 2021. The Chevrolet Malibu held a 13 percent market share among competitors, coming in fourth place behind the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and Nissan Altima.
For what it is, Chevrolet Malibu is unlikely to ever set the world on fire. Sporting a 1.5-liter four-cylinder with 160 horsepower, or a 2.0-liter turbo-four with 250 horsepower, it’s by no means a sporting weapon, nor a luxury cruiser. Regardless, when The Drive reviewed the ninth-generation model in 2016, it proved itself to be a capable and comfortable ride.
When it comes to those looking for a simple sedan for getting from point A to points B through Z, the Malibu clearly still offers what some people are looking for. Given it went out of production for nine months and has rebounded to sell tens of thousands of units, the Malibu clearly still has customers keen across the United States. It may have a few years left before the great electrification comes for the Malibu, too.
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