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Featuring a new design that sets it up to go head to head with the Toyota Camry (which was retooled for the 2007 model year) and the recently introduced Ford Fusion, the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu comes to us with look that's a little bit more aggressive than previous versions of the car.

All versions of the Chevy Malibu, at your new car dealer, come with all-disc antilock brakes, side curtain airbags, and side-impact bags for the front seats. As well, the LT and LTZ come with GM's StabiliTrak electronic stability system, and brake assist, as standard features.

Chevrolet Malibu: Powertrain
Chevrolet Malibu: Exterior
Chevrolet Malibu: Interior

Powertrain

Available in three trims levels, the Malibu opens with the base LS, moves through the LT, and reaches ultimate “tricked out” status with the LTZ. (Wheel options range from 16 to 18 inches.) There are currently two conventional powertrains available, but the company has promised to roll out a hybrid model later in 2008.

The smaller engine choice on the LS and LT trims is a 2.4-liter, 169 horsepower, double-overhead Ecotec four cylinder with a four-speed automatic transmission (160 lb-ft of torque). In the LTZ, this engine is paired with a six-speed automatic. The more powerful engine is a 3.6-liter, 252 horsepower, all-aluminum V6 mated to a six-speed automatic.

Both engines with six-speed transmissions allow for manual gear changes with paddle-shifters mounted on the steering column. Overall, expect to do zero to 60 in the Malibu in six to seven seconds. (Just as a note, the V6 is the same engine used in the Saturn Aura XR and the Pontiac G6, both of which share a platform with the Malibu.) The Malibu’s drivetrain has a five-year, 100,000-mile warranty with the whole vehicle covered for three years or 36,000 miles. (This is GM’s standard guarantee level.)

The hybrid version will use the 4-cylinder engine that will work alongside a nickel metal hydride battery pack. The system will feature regenerative braking and will be equipped with engine shutoff technology (like that used in the Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid). The fuel economy achieved by the set up is frankly not that impressive. At 24 city and 32 highway, drivers are getting just a couple of miles per gallon better than the standard 4-cylinder gas-only model but paying $1,800 more on the sticker price. Essentially owners will have the green cachet of being behind the wheel of a hybrid, but sadly, they won’t really be accomplishing much.

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Exterior

At first glance sitting on a new car dealer lot, the Malibu’s exterior styling and profile are clean, with a smoothness that just wasn’t there in the past. This one mimics more expensive rides and in the process commands more attention. There’s a subtle hint of purpose in the vehicle’s wider stance even if that is achieved by a gain of just under one inch. It’s the difference inherent in saying you’re 6 feet tall over being 5'11". (The 2008 also picks up three inches in length and the wheelbase is six-inches longer for a total 112.3 inches, longer than all the significant contenders in this class—the Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, and the Honda Accord.)

You can’t miss the new front grille, split on the horizontal with a color bar to match the body and emblazoned with the distinctive brand logo. (They borrowed this look from the Chevy Avalanche and did a nice job of scaling it down to the lines of a family sedan. Expect to see the company using that grille on other models in the future.) The headlights are over-sized and there’s a bit of a bulge to the hood (a sports-car-inspired touch) that gives the Malibu a kinship to the new Camrys that’s not at all unappealing.

The A-pillar is sleek and raked, but some reviewers find the C-pillar to be awkwardly angled. That’s probably a matter of individual perception because there’s really nothing on the 2008 Malibu to break the train of the eye in an unpleasant way. Even when you add fog lights and LED tail lights on the LTZ or dual chrome tailpipes on the V6 models, everything looks like it fits and is supposed to be there.

Viewed from the side, the roof has a Nissan-esque arch out of character with previous offerings from General Motors, but nice all the same. (Sun lovers can opt for a glass sunroof with four movable panes.) Just under the doors there’s an elegant little strip of chrome the goes nicely with the aluminum wheels and says "performance" rather than "car pool." Really, there is no reason why a family car has to look like it’s pre-loaded with a Cub Scout troop, is there?

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Interior

Open the door and you know without a doubt that Chevrolet spent both time and attention on the Malibu’s interior, making it one of the best currently available in a mid-sized sedan. Perhaps the most welcome news lies in the two-tone color schemes and premium quality materials. Early on when Chevy started talking about this redesign, they promised to move the cockpit up a notch in standards and the company kept its word. Even the names of the color options are more appealing than in years past. Who doesn’t like Cocoa and Cashmere?

From a functional standpoint, the steering wheel is well-placed, offering an unobstructed top view as well as a good line of sight to the cowled gauge cluster. The placement keeps the driver’s attention where it belongs—on the road—with only a glance required to monitor the readouts. Both the driver and the passenger, sitting in twin cockpit, bucket seat comfort, are afforded easy access to the center stack where all controls are logically positioned. The standard audio option is an AM/FM/CD combo unit with satellite radio and an input jack playing over six speakers. At the LT level, drivers gain steering-wheel mounted audio controls. A premium eight-speaker system available and is standard on the LTZ. (One slight disappointment is that dual-zone climate control isn’t available and there’s no navigation system.)

The scalloped or dual-pod dash holds an instrument panel that is now backlit in blue and compliments the dual cockpit environment. In fact, with the hooded readouts, buckets, and bolder color schemes, Chevrolet was going for a whiff of the sports car—particularly the 1960s era Corvettes. Many early reviewers, supplied with nothing but a description of the company’s design goals, saw this as a risky proposition, but Chevy pulled it off. The end result is a spacious and comfortable cockpit with more energy than previous models and an upscale feel.

Aesthetically, a successful interior is a blend of colors and tactile surfaces. In the 2008 Malibu, the exposed plastic has been textured for enhanced appearance, the storage holes are outfitted with convenient rubber linings, and the trim line that runs across the doors and dash is either faux wood or aluminum. This single design detail beautifully pulls together the contrasting colors like a pinstripe on a fine suit. It would have been an easy element to forget; kudos to Chevy for not doing so.

Amenities and options abound. Look for a 110-volt power outlet to the rear, the OnStar system (one year of service with crash notification), cruise control, and power windows, door locks, and mirrors. Earth-tone cloth seats as the standard option, but one look at the cockpit and an upgrade to leather will seem more a necessity than a matter of choice. (The rear bench seat folds on the usual 60/40 split. Put it all together, there’s room for five with nice leg space in the back.) Commuters will be especially appreciative of the Malibu’s sound isolation provided via dual-paned glass with a layer of laminate to deaden noise. (The trunk is also upholstered, which further cuts down on road racket seeping into the cockpit.)

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While there's no denying that the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu is stylish - even handsome - reviewers report that the steering is a little stiff, a bit slow, and that the car seems heavier than it really is.

The 2008 Chevy Malibu has estimated EPA fuel economy of 17-22 mpg on city streets and 26-30 on the highway, and the starting MSRP ranges from $19,345 – $26,795 depending on the trim level chosen.