Chevrolet Releases Specs for 2013 Malibu’s Naturally Aspirated 2.5-Liter and Turbo 2.0-Liter Fours

Chevrolet Releases Specs for 2013 Malibu’s Naturally Aspirated 2.5-Liter and Turbo 2.0-Liter Fours:

You may recall that when Chevrolet announced its new 2013 Malibu sedan, it specified that the Eco mild hybrid version would launch first, followed later by two gas-only models. The Malibu Eco is at dealerships now, and Chevrolet has finally announced a few details surrounding the non-hybrid Malibu’s base, naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four, and available turbocharged 2.0-liter four—including power figures.
Turbocharged, Direct-Injection 2.0-liter Four-Cylinder
This engine pumps out a prodigious 259 hp and 260 lb-ft of twist. The bulk of the engine’s torque is available from 1700 to 5500 rpm. Not only does the 2.0-liter four pack more power than the outgoing 252-hp V-6-powered Malibu, but it should be even quicker than that car, too. Chevy claims the turbocharged Malibu can launch from 0-to-60 mph in 6.3 seconds; the last Malibu V-6 we tested did the deed in 6.5. The turbo will power the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.
Chevrolet is calling the 2.0-liter turbo an all-new engine separate from the turbocharged four-pot that powers the Buick Regal Turbo and higher-output Regal GS. The company isn’t offering further details at this time, but we think it is likely a detuned version of the 2013 Cadillac ATS’s 270-hp turbocharged four. That engine is essentially a version of the Regal’s with the intake and exhaust positions flipped, plus a different turbocharger. The ‘Bu’s 2.5-liter four will pull duty as the base engine for the ATS, so it wouldn’t be outrageous to assume that the turbo four is a shared piece as well.
Naturally Aspirated, Direct-Injection 2.5-liter Four-Cylinder
The 2.5-liter four makes a healthy 197 hp and 191 lb-ft of torque, which places it among the strongest naturally aspirated four-cylinder engines in the mid-size segment. (The 2.5′s torque number leads the pack by a few lb-ft, but the Hyundai Sonata’s four-cylinder makes as much as 200 hp.) The engine produces 28 more hp than the last four-cylinder Malibu, and just three fewer ponies than it will in the Cadillac ATS. Like the turbo, the naturally aspirated four also will spin a six-speed automatic.
Chevy didn’t offer any fuel-economy predictions or pricing for either engine, but expect those to be available soon—the 2.5-liter Malibu goes on sale this summer, the turbo model in the fall.


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