X

Chevy unveils new Malibu in China, on Facebook

Chevrolet announces it will show off its new Malibu model on April 18 in Shanghai and on Facebook.

Wayne Cunningham Managing Editor / Roadshow
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
See full bio
Wayne Cunningham
GM
Chevy Malibu
Chevy teases the tail of its new Malibu. GM

Punctuating its move toward global cars, Chevy will unveil the next-generation Malibu simultaneously at the Shanghai auto show and on the marque's Facebook page. The auto show unveil will be shown live on Facebook at 5:30 p.m. PT on April 18.

Prior to the unveil, Chevy released a teaser photo showing a set of LED taillights and the rear fender of the car. The square design of the taillights reveals a retro look, similar to the square gauges in the new Chevy Camaro.

The only other clues Chevy offers about the new Malibu is that it will be powered by "global family of fuel-efficient and powerful four-cylinder engines, along with six-speed transmissions." For U.S. models, we would expect direct injection and possibly turbochargers, but a diesel version would be unlikely.

The Malibu should also benefit from the latest versions of OnStar, which allows integration with smartphone apps, and an updated navigation system.

Chevy boasts that the Malibu was GM's best-selling car in the U.S. in 2010. Chevy's moves into emerging markets and its expansion in Europe led to 4.26 million global sales in 2010.

In the U.S., we will get our first chance to see the new Malibu live at the 2011 New York auto show.