Chevrolet Malibu Makes Vehicle Entry Easier

Malibu offers passive entry technology on all four door

The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu sedan equipped with four-door passive entry makes life a little easier for those frantically searching for keys in the bottom of a deep purse or fumbling to find them when carrying a child or bags of groceries.

Chevrolet placed small buttons on all four doors allowing the driver to unlock the door with one press and all four doors and the trunk with two presses.

An option on the Malibu LTZ, four-door passive entry is a common feature on luxury vehicles, but scarce on cars in the midsize segment. Using Malibu’s closed-loop wireless communication system, the car verifies that the proper key fob is within acceptable range – about three feet – and allows the driver to unlock the vehicle. Each key fob is uniquely mated to its vehicle, so there is practically no chance of false unlocks.

“Available passive entry on all of the doors was a feature we wanted to offer our Malibu customers,” said Phil Carlisle, Chevrolet Malibu product manager. “It’s small things like this that can go a long way in making everyday use of your vehicle easier.”

Pressing a button on the door handle – as opposed to automatically unlocking the door upon approaching the car – offered better functionality, according to General Motors’ engineers.

“This system truly keeps the driver in full control of the car,” said Ron Asmar, lead engineer for vehicle access. “We investigated fully passive systems where the key fob would automatically unlock the door when a person was within a certain distance, and decided against it. We wanted to make sure that the system prevented the car from unlocking just because the person and fob were close to it, such as when walking through the garage to take the garbage out.”

The 2013 Malibu is Chevrolet’s first global midsize sedan and is sold in nearly 100 countries on six continents. It is the first 2013 midsize car to earn a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score from NHTSA and a 2012 Top Safety Pick by the IIHS.

In North America, the Malibu has three powertrains, including the Malibu Eco, which uses fuel-saving eAssist™ technology to enable EPA-estimated fuel economy of 25 city / 37 highway.  Malibu also offers a fuel-efficient and powerful Ecotec 2.5L four-cylinder engine and an Ecotec 2.0L turbo that makes 259 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque.

Courtesy of: Chevrolet 

Chevy Spark EV rated at 119 mpg with 82-mile range

General Motors says its Chevrolet Spark EV will get the equivalent of 119 mpg in combined city and highway driving, the best efficiency of any U.S. car sold to retail buyers.

The 2014 Spark EV, which will be launched this summer in California and Oregon, will have an EPA-rated range of 82 miles when fully charged, GM said in a statement.

Other EVs sold or slated for introduction in the United States include the Nissan Leaf, Fiat 500e, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Scion iQ EV, Honda Fit EV and the Focus Electric.

The Scion iQ EV is EPA rated at the equivalent of 121 mpg but is used only in car-sharing demonstration programs and not sold at retailers, a Scion spokesman said. The EPA created the mpg equivalency rating to help consumers compare the efficiency of gasoline-powered and electric vehicles.

The Fiat 500e, which Chrysler Group is launching this month in California, has a longer range than the Spark EV, at 87 miles. The Leaf, the top-selling pure EV, has a 73-mile range.

Expected pricing

GM has said the Spark EV will be priced less than $25,000 with tax incentives. Spark EV buyers will qualify for a $7,500 federal tax credit, which signals a sticker in the low $30,000s.

GM also is launching Spark EV in Canada, South Korea and Europe. The company will consider selling the car in other U.S. regions, a spokeswoman says.

GM says the Spark EV will be the first with an optional combination charger to handle DC Fast Charging, a soon-to-be-introduced technology that can recharge as much as 80 percent of the car's battery capacity in 20 minutes.

A full charge using a 240-volt charging station takes seven hours. Charging the car with the standard 120-volt outlet takes about twice as long.

Zippy urban car

Chevrolet will market the Spark EV as a zippy urban commuter car. It will cover 0 to 60 mph in less than 8 seconds and include as standard a Chevy MyLink infotainment system with several smartphone-based applications.

GM says the Spark EV can save as much as $9,000 in operating costs over five years vs. an average gasoline-powered vehicle.

The car is powered by a GM-built electric motor combined with a 560-pound lithium ion battery pack. It will deliver 130 hp and 400 pounds-feet of torque.

Pam Fletcher, GM executive chief engineer for electrified vehicles, said in a statement: "We're poised to deliver to the market an EV that's not just efficient, but also thrilling to drive thanks to the 400 lb.-ft. torque output of its electric motor."

Courtesy of: Automotive News

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