CNN
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The Chevrolet Malibu, the final sedan nonetheless bought by Normal Motors’ greatest promoting model, will finish manufacturing this 12 months, the corporate introduced.
Malibu manufacturing will finish in November because the manufacturing facility that builds it, the Fairfax Meeting Plant in Kansas Metropolis, Kansas, is reconfigured to construct a brand new era of the Chevrolet Bolt EV.
With the Malibu’s demise, Normal Motors’ mainstream Chevrolet model will promote solely vans, SUVs, and the Corvette, a two-seat sports activities automobile, in the US.
Chevy’s shut competitor, Ford, made an analogous transfer years in the past when it stopped selling the Taurus and Fusion sedans, leaving the two-door Mustang as the one conventional automobile in its line-up. Chevrolet stopped making its Mustang competitor, the Camaro, final 12 months.
Conventional automobiles – autos that aren’t SUVs, vans or vans – make up lower than 20% of US auto gross sales, in response to Cox Automotive. The final era of the Malibu was first launched in 2016, making it a lot older than opponents such because the comparatively in style Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. A new version of the Camry, now out there solely as a hybrid, simply went into manufacturing. Nonetheless, GM bought greater than 130,000 Malibus final 12 months, a 13% improve from the 12 months earlier than.
The Malibu was launched again within the Sixties as a extra luxurious model of the Chevrolet Chevelle, known as the Chevelle Malibu. By the Seventies, it had turn out to be its personal distinct mannequin. The Malibu mannequin line ended manufacturing in 1983 however was introduced again once more in 1997, and has been in manufacturing since then.