2013 Chevrolet Malibu is No Drag in Aerodynamics

 

As gas prices fluctuate and consumers demand roomier, fuel-efficient passenger cars, aerodynamic design is an important contributor to saving money at the pump. Preproduction models of the all-new 2013 Malibu are achieving a drag coefficient comparable to a Corvette and nearly as efficient as the Volt electric car.

In fact, aerodynamics help the new Malibu Eco achieve the best-ever fuel economy of a Chevy midsize car. The Malibu ECO with fuel-saving eAssist technology is expected to achieve an estimated 26 mpg city and 38 mpg highway based on GM testing, while an all-new 2.5L Ecotec engine debuting on the Malibu next summer is expected to achieve more than 30 mpg on the highway, based on GM testing.

Aerodynamic design efficiencies and a new body style helped engineers shave 60 counts of fuel economy-robbing wind drag from the model it replaces, the equivalent of adding up to 2.5 mpg more highway driving range.

The new Malibu’s C_d rating of .29 – the number used to indicate the aerodynamic drag force on a vehicle – is down from the current model’s .35 C_d. The higher the number, the greater the drag force a vehicle’s engine must overcome at any road speed. The Volt has a .28 C_{d. [Continue reading...]}