With shifts away from traditional sedans and internal-combustion for electric power, the Chevrolet Malibu's days have long been numbered. On Wednesday, General Motors announced Malibu production would end in November. The Detroit News reports that the next-generation Bolt will eventually take the Malibu's place at GM's Fairfax Assembly in Kansas.
"To facilitate the installation of tooling and other plant modifications, after nine-generations and over 10 million global sales, GM will end production of the Chevrolet Malibu in November 2024 and pause production of the Cadillac XT4 after January 2025," a GM spokesperson told the Detroit News in a statement.
As a result of the Malibu's demise, there will be layoffs at the plant until it starts building cars again in late 2025. The plant will build both the new Bolt and XT4 side-by-side. When the XT4 reenters production, it will be in its current form. Cadillac has no plans to electrify the model despite being produced alongside the next Bolt.
When Malibu production ends, the only traditional car in Chevrolet's lineup will be the Corvette. Chevy will be an all crossover/SUV/truck brand, as is already the case with Buick and GMC. The only GM sedans available in America will be the Cadillac CT4 and CT5, and the upcoming, ultra-luxurious Celestiq.
The Malibu is one of Chevy's oldest nameplates. From 1964 to 1978, it was a top-of-the-line Chevelle trim, and then until 1983, it was its own model. It came back in 1997, and it's remained in the Chevy lineup until now.
The car was also the last traditional sedan from a mainstream American brand. Ford killed off all its sedans years ago, and the Chrysler 300 died last year. Despite being a dead man walking, Chevy managed 130,000 Malibu sales last year. May it rest in peace.
Update 5/8/24 3:12 PM: Cadillac confirmed to Motor1 that the XT4 will remain the same when it resumes production late next year. The story has been updated accordingly.
