Chevy steps deeper into the land of the affordable mainstream hybrid

What’s Under the Hood

The 2008 Malibu Hybrid is built sans the two-mode system found in GM’s new hybrid trucks and SUVs. It’s 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine shuts down and takes advantage of regenerative braking upon deceleration and it remains off while the vehicle is stopped; the Malibu will not crawl back up to speed on electric power alone like many of its competitors – the gas engine kicks back on as soon as the brake pedal is released. The result is mileage that’s only marginally better than you’d find with the regular four-cylinder Malibu. The setup is good for 164 horsepower and includes the use of a four-speed automatic transmission.

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