April 18, 2003

2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx has bigger, flexible interior

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New York, New York - The 2004 Chevy Malibu Maxx offers a spacious new alternative in the mid-size car segment, says GM.

"The Malibu Maxx is a unique package that provides the maximum passenger comfort for everyone, front and back, along with a roomy cargo area that has a great deal of flexibility," said Brent Dewar, Chevrolet marketing general manager.

The five-door Malibu Maxx rides on a wheelbase that is 6 inches longer than the 2004 Malibu sedan, yet its overall length is a half-inch shorter. The result is an interior that is cavernous for a car its size.

The rear seat slides nearly 7 inches fore and aft and is split 60/40 not just in the seat back, but also the seat cushion, to further increase comfort. The seat backs recline allowing different sized rear passengers to tailor their seating position in a similar way a front-seat passenger can. The Malibu Maxx has a generous 106 cubic feet of passenger space and a luxurious 41 inches of legroom with the seats pushed all the way back.

The cargo area of the Malibu Maxx is officially calculated at 22.8 cubic feet - nearly 50 percent larger than other mid-size sedans. But the design of the Malibu Maxx's cabin and seats offer even greater flexibility.

Rear seats and the front passenger seat fold forward flat, creating a space that can accommodate longer items. The rear seats also are split 60/40, providing flexibility for passengers and cargo.

The Malibu Maxx's rear cargo area features a standard power outlet and a multi-functional cargo panel with four-positions for two-tier loading. The cargo panel also can be positioned as a table for picnics or tailgate parties. Hooks on the cargo panel help secure smaller items, and cargo nets on each side of the cargo area help keep items from sliding around.

The Malibu Maxx also features a standard glass fixed rear skylight that provides a spacious, open atmosphere over the rear seats and reduces the feeling of occupants being cut off from the outside that some backseats create. The fixed rear skylight comes with a retractable shade.

Comfort for rear-seat passengers is enhanced with a heating/air conditioning system designed for their needs. In addition to providing airflow to the feet, two vents on the center of the dash - dubbed "turbo blasters" by the car's engineers - are designed to pour generous amounts of heated or cooled air directly into the back seat.

Four levels of radio offerings will be available on the Malibu Maxx including an uplevel ICDX radio with an in-dash, six-CD changer, six speakers (including two tweeters on the A pillar), automatic volume and tone controls, and XM Satellite Radio compatibility. An optional rear DVD entertainment system completes the spacious accommodations. The system is mounted into the rear of the center console and includes a 7-inch flip-up LCD screen, two sets of infrared headphones, video game jacks, remote control and independent audio selection.

The Malibu Maxx and the Malibu sedan are the first North American applications of General Motors' "Epsilon" global architecture, which also provides the foundation for the new Opel Vectra and Saab 9-3.

The Malibu sedan and Malibu Maxx will be the first cars in their class to offer an optional factory-installed remote vehicle starter system, allowing the driver while inside the house to start the car outside on cold winter mornings or sweltering summer afternoons. The system is designed to work from approximately 200 feet.

The standard engine in the Malibu Maxx is GM's 200-hp 3500, a 3.5-litre V6 mated to a four-speed electronic-shift automatic transmission.

The all-new 2004 Malibu Maxx sedan will be manufactured at GM's Kansas City, Kan., assembly plant. Start of production is targeted for the fourth quarter of 2003.

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