Classic Chevrolet Commercial (Aired 1956)

2013 Chevrolet Malibu: Now a Winner

The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu is faith rewarded. It is the belief that excellence in automotive engineering and design can be found in any car company, including General Motors.

It is a simple faith, the genesis of this holiday season: Most of us, given a chance, can step up after we’ve messed up.

General Motors, maker of all things Chevrolet, has stepped up. The proof is in the product — amply represented by the 2013 Chevrolet LTZ front-wheel-drive sedan driven for this column.

This is the eighth generation of the Malibu, a car whose name is derived from the swanky California beach-front town. But since its inception as a model line in 1978, the Malibu has been anything but swanky or otherwise emotionally appealing.

It’s been an also-ran, a “renter car,” a “this’ll do.” It’s been clobbered in the marketplace by other mid-size sedan favorites: the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord and, lately, the Ford Fusion.

The Malibu mostly has been reliable. But reliability alone is not an adequate customer draw. A motorized celebration of the ordinary, the Malibu did not have the swagger to compete.

Consider that history . . . history.

In exterior sculpture and interior appeal, the 2013 Malibu looks better than the Toyota Camry and the new Honda Accord. It has a more aggressive stance. That’s not “aggressive” as in “bully.” The new Malibu simply seems more likable, more confident, and very proud of what it is — an affordable, attractive family sedan. It is more concerned about safety, overall quality, comfort and fuel economy than it is about moving from zero to 60 miles per hour in record times.

That means that not everyone will like it. Equipped with its standard 2.5-liter, inline four-cylinder gasoline engine (197 horsepower, 191 foot-pounds of torque), the new Malibu can feel like a slug if you are trying to blitz from a stoplight in nanoseconds. (My average zero-to-60 time was nine seconds. Maybe that’s just me.)

None of that really matters in real-world driving, anyway. Traffic in the Washington area, where I spent most of my time with the Malibu LTZ, seemed forever congested. By the time I consistently moved at 60 miles per hour in any direction, the car was humming along.

That is, I was humming. The Malibu LTZ is super-quiet, I wonder if GM/Chevrolet got carried away with sound-deadening engineering. I could barely hear any outside noises — and absolutely no vehicular squeaks or rattles — sitting in the Malibu LTZ’s tufted cabin.

The Malibu truly honors its geographical namesake. It’s pretty. It’s swank: two-tone leather seat coverings with piping and contrast stitching; subtle blue mood lighting encircling the car’s interior at night; one of the mid-size car segment’s most appealing instrument panels, this one highlighted by a seven-inch touch screen using Chevrolet’s trademarked MyLink communications technology.

Through voice commands or touch-screen controls, you can use MyLink to tune into Stitcher Smart Radio or Pandora, listen to commercial-free radio on Sirius XM (the Malibu comes with a three-month trial subscription) or install your own music via a flash drive or MP3 player in an available USB port.

This, finally, is a no-excuses Chevrolet Malibu, easily competitive with anything in its size segment or price category.

Courtesy of AutoBlog

2014 Corvette Trailer: Craft

Cruze Debuts Industry-First Flexible Venting Driver Air Bag

The 2013 Chevrolet Cruze introduces an industry-first driver-side air bag that uses a flexible venting technology designed to deploy more efficiently while providing equivalent crash protection to more expensive and complex air bag systems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently tested the 2013 Cruze with the new air bag technology under its New Car Assessment Program. The Cruze received NHTSA’s maximum 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score, the same rating it received in 2011 and 2012 when the small car used a dual-stage air bag system.

Unlike more complex dual-stage air bags that use one inflator for low-speed crashes and another for high-speed crashes, the Cruze’s new single-stage “smart air bag” uses one lower output inflator to manage both low-speed and high-speed crash forces. The more compact, lighter weight system’s flexible vent reduces the risk of inflation-induced injury by allowing the driver’s forward momentum to effectively push the air out and away.

GM testing shows the single-stage driver air bag provides excellent cushioning for drivers of varied sizes in both low-speed and high-speed crash events.

“This new air bag technology is a smart way to manage crash forces, and is an integral part of Cruze’s continued success in safety testing,” said Gay Kent, GM general director of vehicle safety and crashworthiness. “The latest safety rating reflects the confidence we have in its new and carry-over safety technologies and overall crashworthiness.”

Cruze’s flexible venting driver air bag is the second new air bag technology General Motors has announced for 2013. The new Chevrolet Traverse crossover helped introduce the industry’s first front center air bag, an inflatable restraint designed to help protect drivers and front passengers in far-side impact crashes where the affected occupant is on the opposite, non-struck side of the vehicle.

GM and safety restraint supplier Takata co-developed the flexible venting driver-side air bag and the front center air bag.

The 2013 Cruze continues to offer more standard safety features than many vehicles in its class and represents Chevrolet’s commitment to continuous safety – before, during and after a crash. Standard features include StabiliTrak electronic stability control, Panic Brake Assist and Enhanced Smart Pedal / Brake Override. When it was introduced, the Cruze was the first car in its class with 10 standard air bags, including front knee air bags – a segment first. OnStar safety and security is standard for six months as part of the Directions and Connections package. 

The 2013 Cruze also maintains the highest-possible ratings of “Good” in front, side, rear and rollover crash protection tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which recognized Cruze as a 2011 and 2012 Top Safety Pick.

Courtesy of GM Media

Maintenance Monday! The Truth About Antifreeze

Antifreeze: this is many people’s first thought when it comes to winter car care. "Flush and fill" promotional signs abound at service stations as the weather cools.

But chances are good your engine coolant (a better name for it) is just fine for the winter ahead. If you've followed your car's service schedule regularly, give this pitch a pass. Most newer cars have been fitted with coolants that can last as long as five years or 150,000 miles. Read your owner's manual.

If you’ve missed a service interval or have another reason to doubt your coolant, go ahead and have it "flushed and filled." Just make sure your mechanic uses a compatible coolant to refill your car. Some coolants, such as Prestone's Extended Life, work for any car.

If your car has moved to a much colder climate and you’re concerned that your coolant might not be up to the deep freeze, you can check its effectiveness with a simple, under-$10 tester from the car-parts store.

Courtesy of KipLinger

All-New 2014 Silverado Testing!

All-New 2014 Silverado Testing!