Common Motors mentioned on Wednesday that it could cease making the Chevrolet Malibu, the final inexpensive sedan in its U.S. mannequin lineup and a venerable nameplate that was launched within the Sixties when the corporate was a dominant pressure within the U.S. economic system.
For years, American drivers have been gravitating towards sport utility autos and away from sedans, compacts and hatchbacks. G.M.’s two Detroit rivals, Stellantis and Ford Motor, have additionally largely wiped their slates clear of automobiles in america.
International automakers resembling Toyota, Honda and Hyundai nonetheless promote a whole bunch of hundreds of sedans and compacts every year, however far fewer than in earlier a long time when the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord ranked among the many hottest autos on American roads. Final month, Subaru, a Japanese automaker, mentioned it could cease making its Legacy sedan subsequent yr.
G.M. produces the Malibu at a plant in Fairfax, Kan., and can proceed to fabricate the automotive till later this yr, when it plans to retool the manufacturing unit to make a brand new model of the Chevrolet Bolt, an electrical automotive, and the Cadillac XT4, a luxurious S.U.V.
Shoppers have moved away from automobiles to roomier S.U.V.s and pickup vehicles to haul youngsters and leisure gear like bikes and kayaks. Automakers have helped that pattern by providing extra of these bigger autos, which yield larger income than sedans and compacts.
The Malibu was launched in 1964 as an upscale household sedan. 4 years later, G.M. added a sporty, muscle-car model — the Malibu SS. G.M. stopped making the Malibu in 1983 as the corporate was compelled to downsize by rising international competitors. It reintroduced the Malibu in 1997, however the mannequin has nearly at all times trailed the Camry and Accord in gross sales.
Since its introduction, G.M. has offered greater than 10 million Malibus. However gross sales have slumped in recent times. In 2023, G.M. offered 130,000 Malibus, and deliveries fell 47 p.c within the remaining three months of the yr. A decade earlier, G.M. usually offered about 200,000 Malibus a yr.
In 2023, G.M. introduced that it could cease manufacturing of the Chevrolet Camaro, a sports activities automotive. It continues to make the Chevrolet Corvette. Its Cadillac model makes two gasoline-powered sedans and has plans to begin promoting a high-end electrical automotive this yr. All different fashions that G.M. makes for the U.S. market at the moment are vehicles or S.U.V.s.
A number of years in the past, Ford eradicated sedans from its lineup. The Mustang is the one automotive that Ford makes for the U.S. market. Stellantis, the proprietor of Chrysler, now focuses primarily on vehicles, S.U.V.s and minivans, although the corporate has mentioned it’s going to begin making an electrical model of its Dodge Challenger muscle automotive in 2025.
The Malibu might, after all, return sometime, maybe as an electrical car. Automakers have typically resurrected and repurposed previous mannequin names, particularly people who consumers keep in mind fondly.
