Base Chevrolet Malibu’s Engine Stop-Start System Spells End for eAssist Hybrid, But It Could Return

Goodbye, pre-refresh Malibu eAssist hybrid.

Sharp-eyed Chevrolet Malibu fans out there might have noticed that our coverage of the refreshed 2014 model distinctly lacked significant info on the eAssist mild-hybrid powertrain. Well, it turns out that’s because the Malibu eAssist has been dropped from the lineup for 2014, thanks to the much more efficient base engine—but it could be back sometime in the future. The hybrid is survived by a 2.5-liter four and a turbocharged 2.0-liter four, both paired with a six-speed automatic.

When the 2013 Malibu debuted last year, Chevy made minor waves by introducing the mid-size sedan only in eAssisted mild-hybrid Eco form, rolling non-hybrid versions (with either of the aforementioned gas four-cylinders) onto dealer lots months later. This strategy, while bold, didn’t exactly set sales on a path to the moon, and combined with a litany of other shortcomings, forced Chevrolet’s hand in whipping up the Malibu’s quick year-over-year update for 2014. Part of the refresh focuses on a host of modifications to the base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that include intake valve lift technology, a stop-start system, and giving the outgoing eAssist’s “Eco” name to the base 2.5 model. The changes push that car’s fuel economy from 22 mpg city and 34 highway to 25/36, figures nearly identical to last year’s eAssisted mild hybrid, which was EPA-rated for 25/37 mpg.

At this point, we expect several of you rabid Malibu fans noticed that our pricing story for the 2014 Malibu includes fuel economy and cost info for the eAssist, indicating it was a part of the 2014 lineup. Chevy says these facts and figures are out there because the hybrid originally was a part of the 2014 lineup, before being pulled at the last minute when EPA figures revealed the stop-start–equipped base 2.5-liter Malibu’s efficiency parity. We’re told Chevy will fill the few orders it received for the ’14 eAssist before it was canned, but won’t build any more.

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On the other hand, there are plenty of indications that the eAssist could return; Chevy is working on a next-generation eAssist hybrid powertrain that one must assume would be capable of beating the base Malibu’s efficiency. We’re told that conceptually, eAssist will remain the same, which we take to mean it will continue to be a “mild” hybrid—cheaper and simpler than the more complex hybrid setups from Ford, Honda, and Toyota. When asked whether the new eAssist model would be more strongly differentiated from the regular ‘Bu and marketed more heavily as a hybrid, and whether it would arrive with this Malibu generation, Chevrolet reps replied with a solid “no comment.” Our best guess is that the eAssist will return when the Malibu goes through a proper midcycle refresh in two or three years’ time.

Source: CarAndDriver