ALL-NEW 2004 MALIBU MAXX: COMFORT, REFINEMENT AND VERSATILITY
Delivering the comfort of first class for the price of a coach-class ticket, the 2004 Chevy Malibu Maxx offers a spacious new alternative in the mid-size car segment.
"The Malibu Maxx is a unique package that provides the maximum passenger comfort for everyone, front and back, along with a roomy cargo area that has a great deal of flexibility," said Brent Dewar, Chevrolet marketing general manager.
The five-door Malibu Maxx rides on a wheelbase that is 6 inches (152 mm) longer than the 2004 Malibu sedan, yet its overall length is a half-inch (12.7 mm) shorter. The result is an interior that is cavernous for a car its size.
The Malibu Maxx has the ride and handling of a sedan and the interior versatility of a sport utility. Chevrolet calls it a five-door extended sedan. This new category of car is reflected in the design of the Malibu Maxx's rear profile. The angle of the rear window in the liftgate - which is made of lightweight aluminum for easy operation - is more like a sedan than a station wagon.
For Ed Schoener, Malibu Maxx marketing director, the car's unique character begins with its accommodations for rear passengers.
"When we considered what car buyers might want in the future and what this car can capture, their choices in airplane travel was one thing we looked at," Schoener said. "Virtually all mid-size car buyers would like to fly first class, but nine out of 10 go coach. So, in designing and equipping the Malibu Maxx, we tried to go beyond what a sedan or wagon can offer."
First-class comfort
The rear seat slides nearly 7 inches (178 mm) fore and aft - unlike the stationary rear seats of most conventional mid-size sedans - and is split 60/40 not just in the seat back, but also the seat cushion, to further increase comfort. The seat backs recline - distinguishing them from the seat backs in most sedans - allowing different-size rear passengers to tailor their seating position in a similar way front-seat passengers can. The Malibu Maxx has a generous 106 cubic feet (3,002L) of passenger space and a luxurious 41 inches (1041 mm) of legroom with the seats pushed all the way back.
The Malibu Maxx also features a standard fixed rear glass skylight that provides a spacious, open atmosphere over the rear seats, and reduces the feeling of occupants being cut off from the outside that some backseats create. Both driver- and passenger-side rear occupants have the option of opening or closing a standard split/retractable shade to control the amount of light coming through the skylight.
Comfort for rear-seat passengers is enhanced with a heating/air conditioning system designed for their needs. In addition to airflow to the feet, two vents on the center of the dash - dubbed "turbo blasters" by the car's engineers - are designed to pour generous amounts of heated or cooled air directly into the back seat.
Four levels of radio offerings are available on the Malibu Maxx including an uplevel radio with an in-dash, six-CD changer, six speakers (including two tweeters on the A-pillar), automatic volume and tone controls, and XM Satellite Radio (continental U.S. only) compatibility. An optional rear DVD entertainment system complements the spacious accommodations. The system is mounted into the rear of the center console and includes a 7-inch (178-mm) flip-up LCD screen, two sets of infrared headphones, video game jacks, remote control and independent audio selection.
Cargo room, flexibility to spare
The cargo area (the area behind the back seats when they are in normal position) of the Malibu Maxx is officially calculated at 22.8 cubic feet (646L) - nearly 50 percent larger than the trunks of other mid-size sedans. But the design of the Malibu Maxx's cabin and seats offer even greater flexibility.
Rear seats and the front passenger seat fold forward flat, creating a space that can accommodate longer items. The rear seats also are split 60/40, providing flexibility for passengers and cargo.
The Malibu Maxx's rear cargo area features a standard power outlet and a multi-functional cargo panel with four positions for two-tier loading. The cargo panel also can be positioned as a table for picnics or tailgate parties. Hooks on the cargo panel help secure smaller items, and cargo nets on each side of the cargo area help keep items from sliding around.
All-new body structure
Of course, the Malibu Maxx is a 2004 Malibu sedan at heart - all new from the ground up. The Malibu Maxx and the Malibu sedan are the first North American applications of General Motors' Epsilon global architecture, which also provides the foundation for the new Opel Vectra and Saab 9-3.
The main characteristics of the Epsilon architecture were developed with GM's Opel subsidiary in Germany, which accounts, in part, for the European flair in Malibu's ride and handling. However, each Epsilon vehicle is adapted regionally to meet local conditions and tastes.
"A lot of customers may not care that we call this the 'Epsilon architecture,' but if they have driven a previous version of the Malibu, they will immediately notice a firmer, quieter, more linear feel in the ride and handling of the '04 version," said Gene Stefanyshyn, vehicle line executive of the Malibu sedan and Malibu Maxx.
In addition to the vibration-reducing properties of the Epsilon architecture itself, the car has a host of noise-elimination features, including a cast foam-rubber barrier covering the dash panel; a modular noise-dampening plate in the dash panel; a compression-molded fiberglass-composite hood insulator; and front and rear "glove-fit" carpet floor modules.
The Epsilon body structure gives the Malibu Maxx a high degree of structural stiffness, greatly enhancing both vehicle handling and interior acoustics. A fully isolated powertrain cradle with tuned bushings - also found on many high-end luxury vehicles - further contributes to Malibu Maxx's quiet ride. Rounding out the package is an independent front suspension with MacPherson struts and a four-link independent rear suspension.
In terms of design, clean, crisp lines outline a car that features a space-efficient and aerodynamic exterior. Crystalline-like headlamp lenses and a chrome front bar with a gold Chevy bowtie highlight these contemporary lines.
"The buyers of mid-size cars tend to keep them for a long time, so they're looking for an appealing design that won't go out of style when the next fad comes along," said Schoener. "Timeless styling is contemporary, yet enduring. I think we've nailed that pretty well with the Malibu Maxx."
Remote start feature
The Malibu sedan and Malibu Maxx will be the first cars in their class to offer an optional factory-installed remote vehicle starter system, allowing the driver while inside the house to start the car outside on cold winter mornings or sweltering summer afternoons. The system is designed to work from approximately 200 feet (61 m).
Safety and strength
Engineers made extensive use of high-strength steel in strategic areas of the body, and developed energy-absorbing front and rear crush zones to help obtain impressive structural performance for safety.
Other safety features in the Malibu include:
- Dual-stage frontal air bags for the driver and front passenger
- Three-point safety belts for all occupants
- Standard safety belt pretensioners for front-seat passengers
- Optional head curtain side-impact air bags to help protect front and rear outboard passengers
- Standard four-wheel anti-lock brakes with traction control on LS and LT models, available on base sedan
- LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) child-seat attachment system in all rear seating positions
Tailored driving experience, rock solid powertrain
Operating with the idea that a comfortable driver is a better driver, engineers also equipped the Malibu Maxx to fit the driver like a tailored suit. Power adjustable brake and accelerator pedals and a tilt/telescopic steering column are standard. Also standard is a power seat height adjuster.
The standard engine in the Malibu Maxx is GM's new 200-horsepower (149-kw), 3.5L 3500 V-6, which is mated to a Hydra-Matic 4T45-E four-speed electronic-shift automatic transmission. The 3500, based off of GM's 3.4L V-6, features many performance, fuel efficiency, and noise, vibration and harshness improvements.
All Malibu models will be equipped with electric power steering (EPS) with variable assist for low and high speed steering maneuvers and power brakes. Other standard features include a driver information center integrated into the radio display that enables personalization of electrical features, and provides more than 15 warning messages including low key-fob battery life, the possibility of ice forming on the road and an oil life monitor. Options include heated front seats, OnStar in-vehicle communications and assistance service and XM Satellite Radio.
The all-new 2004 Malibu Maxx extended sedan will be manufactured at GM's Kansas City, Kan., assembly plant. Start of production is targeted for the fourth quarter of 2003.
