The End of an Era: The Iconic Chevrolet Malibu Bids Farewell to the US Market

The iconic Chevrolet Malibu, a staple in the automotive industry for decades, will be discontinued this year. This marks the end of an era for General Motors as production of the last sedan sold by its biggest brand comes to a halt. The Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Kansas, where the Malibu has been built since 1997, will now be reconfigured to produce the new Chevrolet Bolt EV.

With the discontinuation of the Malibu, GM’s mainstream Chevrolet brand in the US will only sell trucks, SUVs, and the Corvette sports car. Ford made a similar move by discontinuing the Taurus and Fusion sedans, leaving only the Mustang as its traditional car. Traditional cars account for less than 20% of US auto sales according to Cox Automotive.

The Malibu was first introduced in 1960 as the Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu and has since seen various iterations over the years. Last year, GM sold over 130,000 Malibus, signaling a 13% increase in sales. However, despite its long history and popularity, production of this iconic model has officially come to an end. The final generation of the Malibu was introduced in 2016, making it older than competitors like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.