It was recently revealed that a Chinese-made Chevy sedan is being developed and will run on electricity. Royce said that the new electric car is based on Ultium and is at the beginning of development. For the first time, the Chinese concept Chevy FNR-XE sedan (shown here), could be a preview of the Malibu EV.
Is the demand for four-wheel drive cars increased, sedans decreased
With SUVs and crossovers in high demand over the past decade, Chevrolet's once good-looking sedans have fallen back to include one, the Malibu. The midsize sedan is growing a little long in the tooth, having been on sale since 2016 with a light refresh in 2019. However, there is now hope for the Malibu's future, GM President Mark Reuss said during a recent presentation for Investor Day in China that Chevy is working on a "low-roof" electric car that would feature sedan-like proportions, according to a report from the General Motors Corporation.
The upcoming electric vehicle will be in the early stages of development, but Royce called the design "very dramatic" and said the Ultium-based EV sedan will occupy the same midsize segment as the current Malibu. This potential replacement has already been confirmed for the Chinese market, where sedans are still in high demand, but Chevy may eventually offer the electric vehicle in the United States. Royce appeared to leave the door open for US availability, saying at the event, "...we'll see the desirability of that as we test this."
Chevy recently launched an Ultium-based EV sedan concept in China called the FNR-XE. Its design could give a preview of the electric vehicle Reuss referred to, and the concept is based on the Ultium battery platform. The overall shape is similar to the Honda e:N2 concept unveiled for China in November, and Honda and GM are already collaborating on electric crossovers, with the Chevy Blazer EV and Honda Prologue sharing the same platform.
The potential all-electric Malibu replacement will debut in the Chinese market at the end of 2024, so US sales — if GM decides to bring it here — likely won't begin until at least 2025.
Although many customers have gravitated towards SUVs in recent years, Malibu still makes up a decent portion of Chevy's sales. After a massive decline in 2021, dropping from 102,651 units sold in 2020 to just 39,376 units, Malibu has rebounded in 2022, with nearly 80,000 units sold during the third quarter.
There's still a market for sedans in America, so an electric Malibu could end up on our shores as the company moves away from gas-powered cars. An EV sedan based on the Ultium.
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