Spied: 2013 Chevrolet Malibu

Chevrolet’s current Malibu was a huge success when the company needed it, winning a place on our 2008 10Best list and proving that the bow-tie brand could build more than monster SUVs and pickup trucks. Now that the compact Cruze, even smaller Aveo, and minute Spark are all in or on their way to production, the Malibu is up for a little refresh.

The current car is sleek enough, but the overall design isn’t particularly elaborate. The 2012 model will change that with a bit more rake to the beltline, echoed by a faint crease in the body side. The nose and tail will see a great deal of change, with huge front-lighting arrays marking a more-chiseled nose. The hood appears to sit on a taller terrace, bearing a stronger resemblance to that of the Buick LaCrosse than to the current car’s. In the tail, we see additional ornamentation around the trunk, which is recessed deeper into the surrounding sheetmetal and plastic. The top of the decklid appears to taper into a sort of flat, ducktail shape, reminiscent of the more-controversial BMW designs of the last decade.

While it won’t look worlds different, the new Malibu will be comprehensively altered beneath the skin. It will join the Buick Regal and LaCrosse on GM’s new Epsilon II platform, an evolution of the current car’s Epsilon I bones. It will be slightly wider and a little taller, alleviating our primary concerns about the interior. Materials used inside the car supposedly will be vastly improved, although we hope the money to do so didn’t come out of the design budget—the stylish cockpit is one of our favorite things about the current car. We expect Chevy will offer a Malibu with the pseudo-hybrid eAssist powertrain to boost the sedan’s fuel economy ratings. And expect to see the HiPer strut system unveiled on the 2010 Buick LaCrosse find its way into top Malibu trim levels.

No doubt there is plenty more for the spies to catch as they stalk the Malibu, and they have plenty of time left to do so: The car’s introduction probably won’t happen until the 2012 Detroit auto show. Stay tuned for more info.

Thanks to: Car and Driver