Sedan showdown: GM is latest to up ante in hot segment

Sedan showdown: GM is latest to up ante in hot segment

Sharon Terlep / The Detroit News


GM

2008 Chevrolet Malibu



GM

Malibu shoppers can pick a dual-color cockpit in a variety of hues. See full image



MILFORD -- Picking a family sedan used to be relatively straightforward.

Four cylinders or six. Leather upholstery or cloth.

Those days are over as automakers scramble to gain a new competitive edge by offering a growing array of variants in a segment once defined by dull.

General Motors Corp. is the latest to the game with the upcoming launch of its redesigned mainstay Malibu sedan.

The carmaker on Thursday said that by next spring the Malibu will be available with a four-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed transmission -- an unusual fuel-saving combination not currently offered in GM's lineup.

That powertrain option will join an already substantial list of configurations. When the 2008 Malibu hits showrooms in November, it will be available with a four- or six-cylinder engine, a four- or six-speed transmission, and as a gasoline-electric hybrid.

In addition to cloth, suede and leather inside, consumers will be able to choose a dual-color cockpit available in a number of hues.

If that seems like a lot, consider Honda Motor Co.'s Accord, the Japanese automaker's chief entry in the crowded midsize-car market. The Accord comes in nine variants, from a $19,425 value edition to a $27,400 six-cylinder version powered by a 244-horsepower, 3.0-liter engine.

Toyota Motor Corp., meanwhile, offers five versions of its best-selling Camry, including a hybrid. Prices range from $18,570 for basic four-cylinder engine power to $25,200 for the hybrid.

With the exception of the hybrid, the options stayed basically the same over the past decade, Toyota spokesman John McCandless said. The automaker eliminated manual transmissions because there was little demand, he said.

Interest in sedans has picked up as consumers fret over rising gas prices. Midsize cars comprise 3.5 million, or more than 20 percent, of U.S. car sales.

GM hasn't historically offered the variety of engine choices that Honda and Toyota have given consumers, Edmunds' Inside Line Executive Editor Michael Jordan said. But as consumers become more watchful over fuel economy, carmakers are going to have to do more to cater to what buyers want.

"You have to compete with the Camry and Accord, and those cars come in all different flavors," Jordan said.

The Malibu is GM's chief competition to those perennial powerhouses. GM has sold 68,410 Malibus this year, compared with Toyota's 249,645 Camrys, excluding hybrid versions, and Honda's 217,184 Accords, also excluding hybrids.

"You're not going to get people to just switch brands for no reason," GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said Thursday. "It's a highly competitive market. You need to create a value equation that is so compelling people have to come over to your vehicle.

"When developing a vehicle like this, it doesn't do any good to match the competition; you have to go beyond the competition."

The four-cylinder, six-speed Malibu will be available near the end of next year's first quarter.

A six-speed transmission is typically mated with a more powerful six-cylinder engine.

Mating a four-cylinder engine with a transmission with more gears allows carmakers to squeeze out improvements in fuel efficiency while boasting a sportier performance. In a six-speed, the low gears pack more power to launch the vehicle from a stop, while higher gears require less power at highway speeds.

Multiple gears also can help reduce engine noise because they allow the engine to run at lower revolutions per minute on the highway