Posted by the FastLane Team

There may only be room on the red carpet for performers of the human variety, but from the golden age of Hollywood, automotive icons have made a splash on the silver screen. No one can forget classics like Tim Burton’s Chevy-based Batmobiles, but plenty of other Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC models have had their own moments in the spotlight.

“American Graffiti” debuted in 1973, and became a coming-of-age classic that helped launch the Hollywood careers of Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard and Harrison Ford. It couldn’t have hurt that their co-stars were a 1955 Chevrolet One-Fifty and 1958 Chevrolet Impala. Continue reading →

The first 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco sold in the U.S. went to Jeneise and Talfred Hunt of Romeoville, IL. Chevrolet's most fuel-efficient Malibu ever was purchased on the spot by the Hunts as their 2009 Malibu Hybrid was getting an oil change at Advantage Chevrolet of Bolingbrook, IL.

Recently GM’s Fairfax Assembly team in Kansas City, Kan. helped Chevrolet continue its global rollout of the all-new 2013 Malibu midsize sedan with the first shipment of the most fuel-efficient Malibu ever – the Malibu Eco – to dealers across the United States.

As part of our great relationship with local Chevrolet dealers in the Kansas City area, the plant recently hosted an event for 17 local dealers to see first-hand this new Chevy midsize sedan. We shared an in-depth overview of the newest technology, such as fuel-saving eAssist™ and safety features that the Malibu Eco offers. The cool part was when the dealers got to go right out and feel and touch what had just covered in the presentation, as they drove the new Malibu Eco. The dealers were very impressed and couldn’t wait to get the all-new 2013 Malibu into their stores. Here are some captured comments:

“I am very impressed. The fit and finish work is the best I have seen. The road noise is 10 times less than the current Malibu.”

“I had one of my sales consultants accompany me to the drive and he was more impressed with the features. He stated that the customers find the controls on the current Malibu to be awkward and misplaced. He likes the simplicity, with greater technology, and more user-friendly. All positive feedback that spread throughout the dealership upon his return.Good stuff.”

“I’d seen the car before but hadn’t driven it. I think it drives great, I like the way it shuts off at the stops, you can’t notice it starting back up, and it seems to be priced reasonably.”

The Malibu Eco is the first model of the all-new 2013 Malibu lineup to reach dealer showrooms in North America. In fact, we just sold our first Malibu Eco in this country to a customer in Bolingbrook, Ill., who traded in their 2009 Malibu Hybrid on the spot as the vehicle was getting an oil change at Advantage Chevrolet.

We’re really excited – just as this first customer was – about the new Malibu Eco and its segment-exclusive, fuel-saving eAssist™ technology, which helps to give customers an estimated 25 mpg city and 37 mpg highway fuel economy. It combines start-stop technology with regenerative braking and a lightweight lithium-ion battery to provide an electric boost in certain conditions, improving fuel economy by 12 percent over today’s four-cylinder engine – and delivering better fuel economy than any non-hybrid midsize sedan currently available.

We have been building Malibus for a long time now. In fact, the Fairfax assembly plant opened in 1987 and has built more than 1.4 million of them since 2003. We are the largest employer in the Kansas City Metro area, with more than 4,000 employees.

And we are just beginning the launch of the new Malibu. An all-new Ecotec 2.5L engine debuts later this summer, followed by a new Ecotec 2.0L turbo engine. We can’t wait to bring you the full family lineup later this year.

Until then, thanks for listening.