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| Both the Chevrolet Malibu and Subaru Legacy will be driving into the sunset soon. Both vehicles are two of the longer running nameplates in the midsize sedan class - Malibu being one of the originals. |
The sedan battle is still cooling off, and as a result we’re losing two more. Subaru has announced that the Legacy will come to an end after the 2025 model year while Chevrolet has also announced that the Malibu will end production in November 2024. The Legacy will not be replaced. I’m surprised that the Malibu will be discontinued, however, as its sales figures actually INCREASED vs. last year. Currently, Malibu is actually the third best selling Chevrolet model behind the Silverado and Equinox, respectively – moving over 130,000 units per year.
Legacy's Story
The Subaru Legacy’s… well, ‘legacy’… Dates back to 1989 in the United States. It was largely responsible for putting Subaru on the map vs. competing brands back in the 90s. However, nowadays the Legacy appears to be more of an afterthought in the minds of buyers, as only just over 25,000 units were moved last year. These days, Subaru is committing themselves to SUVs and electric vehicles, meaning that low sellers such as the Legacy cannot stick around. The Impreza compact sedan and WRX seem to be safe right now. The Legacy’s primary selling point, being the only non-rally/outdoorsy themed vehicle in Subaru’s lineup besides the Impreza, is the fact that it came with standard AWD vs. other vehicles. However, we see now that even standard AWD can’t save you from the “sedanapocolypse”… In the past, you were able to get some pretty sporty versions of the Legacy, however. Modern Legacy play the role of a traditional sedan more than anything else.
Malibu's Story
Malibu has a much longer history. The nameplate was first introduced back in the 1960s as an upscale version of the Chevelle, then became its own standalone model later. After being originally discontinued in 1983, the Malibu name returned in 1997 as a replacement for the Corsica and was sold alongside the Lumina until the 2001 model year, shortly after the Impala was reborn to replace the Lumina for the 2000 model year. Most recently, the Malibu was redesigned for the ninth-generation in 2016 and received a refresh in 2019. An often forgotten about hybrid Malibu was sold until the 2019 model year. You could also get a pretty potent 2.0T engine up until 2022, but now the Malibu only gets a 1.5T engine with 163 HP and a CVT vs. a 6-speed automatic transmission. The Malibu has been produced at the Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas City, alongside the Cadillac XT4. However, the plant will be retooled to build the Ultium-platform based Chevrolet Bolt in 2025.
I’m not terribly surprised the Legacy is going away, given Subrau’s brand focus and its sales numbers. Its also not a particulary interesting car vs. even many SUVs, if we’re being honest. The Malibu, is a surprise and I’m finding myself rather sad actually. I used to dislike the Malibu when I was a kid, growing up in the 90s and 2000s. It just always looked so “basic” to me… My first car before my Aura was actually a 2005 Malibu Classic, that was actually pretty quick. But to think that the Malibu is the last mainstream American sedan standing and now it’s going away is sad. I suspect it’s because manufacturers make bigger profits on SUVs and trucks, so it of course makes more sense to invest in something that’s going to turn a profit vs. something that will take longer to pay off the development costs. I think a “Gen. 10” Malibu SS with AWD and the GM 2.7 Turbo Max engine would’ve been interesting.
Nonetheless, will you miss the Legacy or Malibu? The sedanapocolypse rolls on…
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