End of an Era, Again, for This Iconic GM Sedan

The first discontinuation of the Chevy Malibu took place in 1983, after nearly 20 years in production. The iconic General Motors sedan was brought back to life in 1997, but now, the company is phasing it out yet again—and this time, it looks like it's for good. "To facilitate the installation of tooling and other plant modifications, after nine generations and over 10 million global sales, GM will end production of the Chevrolet Malibu in November 2024," a GM spokesperson told the Detroit News, via Edmunds. The rep adds that production will also cease in January on the Cadillac XT4 luxury SUV.

Edmunds reports that GM is clearing out the Malibus to make way for more production of electric vehicles, like the next-gen Chevy Bolt, at its plant in Kansas City, Kansas. Per the New York Times, the Malibu is the last sedan sold by Chevy in the US. It was also Chevy's last gas-powered car, other than the Corvette; GM's Cadillac brand still makes two gas-powered sedans. The Times notes that the dumping of the Malibu reflects a wider trend of consumers backing away from sedans, hatchbacks, and compact cars, opting instead for larger vehicles like SUVs and pickup trucks. Overseas companies like Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota are the ones continuing to sell hundreds of thousands of those smaller cars annually.

The Malibu debuted in 1964 and was marketed as a higher-end family sedan. When GM downsized in 1983, the Malibu ended up on the chopping block, but it was brought back in 1997. The Wall Street Journal notes that GM hoped the revived Malibu would rule the midsize market roost, but it earned "tepid" reviews and never quite caught on as well as its Honda Accord and Toyota Camry competitors. Last year, GM sold 130,000 Malibus; for context, 200,000 Malibus had flown out of factories and into consumer driveways a decade earlier. GM isn't the only major car company to start ditching its sedan lineup: Ford no longer makes sedans, and Stellantis has been focusing on churning out trucks, SUVs, and minivans. (More General Motors stories.)