Chevrolet is very proud of their new Malibu, especially the way it looks. They say the car’s expressive design has inspired fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi to create the Chevy Malibu Collection of apparel and other branded merchandise. You have to grant them that, compared to the old Malibu models, the new one with its bold grille and Camaro-inspired taillights does look good. But put it next to its European, even Korean, rivals and you will find it hard to be inspired in any way by the Malibu.

It’s a good-looking car, but not as stylish as Chevy wants us to believe. And certainly not stylish enough to have its own collection. It’s a mid-size sedan after all, and a fairly cheap one.

In North America, the Malibu comes in LS, LT and LTZ trim levels, along with the Malibu Eco, which uses fuel-saving eAssist ™ technology to enable EPA-estimated fuel economy of 25 city / 37 highway, for the best fuel economy of any non-hybrid midsize sedan.

An all-new, fuel-efficient and powerful Ecotec 2.5L four-cylinder engine and next-generation six-speed transmission combination leads Malibu’s powertrain lineup. It’s rated at 197 horsepower (147 kW) and 191 lb.-ft. of torque (259 Nm). A new Ecotec 2.0L turbo, rated at 259 horsepower (193 kW) and 260 lb.-ft. of torque (353 Nm), debuts this fall.