Beating a dead horse - redesigning the 6th-gen Malibu

"and 100 more" (nth256) 08/19/2018 at 02:26 • Filed to: None

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Malibu MAXX —> Malibu Hatchback

Chevy Malibu Maxx SS (Original image: )

Proposed Malibu Hatchback

Shortened the rear about 3 inches, basically just to remove the notch behind the rear glass. Turns it from a pseudo-wagon into a proper hatchback. A vast improvement, in my opinion.

Another view:

(Original image: )

(Please excuse the horrible photochoppery in the back.)

Malibu Sedan —> Malibu Wagon

(Original image: )

(Same car, except a wagon, that maybe also partially melted in a fire?)

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > and 100 more 08/19/2018 at 02:37

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I just don’t get how these cars get put into production. They have a slide show or a big clay model, oh yes yes we need to build THAT! Do it, build mediocrity incarnate ! It is possible to build an interesting cheap car, we know because it has happened. 

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > and 100 more 08/19/2018 at 02:47

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MAXX’s are super cheap. Probably because you have to live with one of the worst interiors... ever.

Oh, pre-bailout GM.

Blunion05 drives a pink S2000 (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST) > and 100 more 08/19/2018 at 03:32

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If this was debadged, I’d  have mistaken it for a Aztek.

Svend > and 100 more 08/19/2018 at 03:33

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It doesn’t seem fair that you guys got that thing, while we got the Vauxhall Vectra.

Hatchback

Interior still wasn’t great though.

Estate

There was a saloon version but not many bought

The Vectra isn’t a great looking car but the Malibu looks like it was designed late in the afternoon on a Friday. 

boxrocket > and 100 more 08/19/2018 at 04:34

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The problem with that Meh-li-booooo was everything EXCEPT the rear. Awful schnozz, craptastic interior, frustrating powertrain, and shoddy worksmanship.

If anything, they should have taken the bolder step and borrowed from Saturn’s playbook: make an actual wagon! Borrow the Maxx’s (ugh, two Xs?) surprising multi-adjustable rear seats, which were the best part about the damn thing, reshape the rear, and voila, instantly less awful.

Seriously, the front was unforgivable. The interior was at least period-correct for gm, but front looked like someone sneezed while messing with the CAD model and moved the headlights and grille to vastly-different horizontal planes. Then, in this theoretical but seemingly -plausible scenario, n o one ccaught the accident until tooling was done and paid for, and by then it was too late.

boxrocket > Svend 08/19/2018 at 04:38

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In honesty, and not being a fan of gm in the slightest, I’ll give Opel/vauxhall/saturn the benefit if the doubt and admit that - at least from the front - the Vectra/Insignia/Aura and Astra had some pretty decent looking fronts and sides. The rears were hit or miss (that Vectra wagon/estate, eek, looks like a Chinese version of a VW wagon that’s been engorged a bit) bit overall not a bad exterior design.

Then again, they also look like blatant rip-offs of Ford’s “New Edge” styling. The Astra looks like it’s part of the Puma and Cougar family, and the Vectra et al look like they would have been the Mondeo/Contour’s bigger sibling.

Svend > boxrocket 08/19/2018 at 05:14

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Vauxhall has some okay looking rears on it’s modern cars .

Adam

Astra

hatchback

Astra GTC

Cascada

Corsa

Meriva

Zafira

Back in 2003-8

Astra three door hatch was okay

Astra convertible

The early 2005 Astra convertible had a regular old Astra rear

Tigra was okay

2008 Corsa

Frontera was awful , awful car too

Signum rear was awful too

404 - User No Longer Available > and 100 more 08/19/2018 at 08:56

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Hot take: I actually like the Maxx. It was the perfect car for me when I had to move every 4 months back then.

404 - User No Longer Available > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/19/2018 at 08:58

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Just changing out that steering wheel helped.

I didn’t know what they were thinking with that original one. Very early G6s had it too but was gone by 2006.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/19/2018 at 09:03

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What’s the interior like? ... it has one... I think.

First time I sat in a Cobalt I was overwhelmed by how cheap, bland, grey, and broken it was. Maybe I’ve just been spoiled my a lifetime of 90s  Honda’s but I can not fathom how anyone bought those things new. 

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Blunion05 drives a pink S2000 (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST) 08/19/2018 at 10:07

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Aztec Sport!

fhrblig > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/19/2018 at 10:45

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Still better than a Cerberus-era Mopar interior, but only just slightly .

and 100 more > boxrocket 08/19/2018 at 12:19

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You are correct on all counts, sir, especially about the front end. 

Blunion05 drives a pink S2000 (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST) > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 08/19/2018 at 14:06

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SS for Super Sport! hahaha

Pich, with Z32 now featuring Civic [Si] / No > and 100 more 08/20/2018 at 17:32

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all i see are new Civics