Let’s Bid a Fond Farewell to the Chevy Malibu

First released back in 1964, the Chevy Malibu has been a part of the auto industry in one way or another almost every year since then (it took a break in the late 1980s and early ’90s). Throughout that time, it’s been a sub-model for the Chevy Chevelle, its own model with rear-wheel drive and, more recently, a front-wheel drive midsize sedan. That’s a long and winding road for a car like this, but the 2025 Malibu that you find at a Chevy dealer this year is special for another reason: it’s the last one we’ll see. Chevy has announced that the Malibu is being discontinued and that the 2025 model will bring its modern run to an end. We’re sad to see it go, even sadder that this means Chevy will no longer offer any sedans in their lineup, but today, we’re going to say goodbye as we celebrate what this final model brings to the road.

A Stylish, Bold Design

First off, just looking at the Chevy Malibu is a pleasure—this is a beautifully designed car that’s at once inviting and bold in its looks. This is still a four-door sedan, but it’s been designed and built with an eye toward style and making a car that immediately grabs your eye. We won’t lie; no one is going to confuse the Malibu with a Corvette, but you can still see where Chevy’s designers have used their legendary sense of bold, powerful style in making this car. You have numerous exterior colors available, such as Radiant Red Tintcoat, Summit White, and Mosaic Black Metallic. New for this final year, Night Shade Metallic is absolutely stunning and makes an immediate impression that won’t soon be forgotten.

Excellent Performance and Efficiency

Although this isn’t a sports car, the Malibu is still fun to drive, with performance that enhances your daily commute. You’ll find a 1.5L turbo 4-cylinder engine in the 2025 Chevy Malibu, which provides you with 163 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. For a midsize sedan like this, that’s plenty of power, and it comes paired with a continuously variable transmission for a smooth and responsive ride. Front-wheel drive remains the standard these days, while a MacPherson strut front suspension ensures you are comfortable and in control on the road.

You can see that this is a car that wants to be driven, and it rewards you with a great experience every time you get behind the wheel. Not only that, but you can stay on the road a long time, too, since the Malibu gets an estimated 28 MPG in the city and 36 MPG on the highway, making it an ideal choice for a daily driver and for long road trips. 16-inch wheels are standard on the 2025 Malibu, though the RS model features 18-inch wheels, and the 2LT trim goes even further with 19-inch wheels, which give this car surprisingly bold and aggressive handling.

Beautiful Features Inside

Even though the 2025 Malibu marks the end of its run, you’ll still find a wide range of excellent tech and comfort features inside. The starting LS trim features an eight-inch Infotainment display up front with support for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a standard six-speaker sound system. Premium cloth seating is standard in the Malibu, with front bucket seats that include six-way adjustability. Keyless open and start with remote start and cruise control are all standard, making it easy to get in and get going even on days when everything else seems to be hectic.

Looking at the 2LT, the highest trim of this final Malibu model, we see a number of exciting upgrades and enhancements designed to transform your drive each day. The Infotainment system in this model includes Navigation functionality, plus you get a nine-speaker Bose premium sound system packed into this car. You’ll find perforated, leather-appointed seating inside the 2LT, with heated and ventilated front seats featuring an eight-way power driver’s seat. The 2LT has a heated, wrapped steering wheel along with an eight-inch Driver Information Center display, a wireless charging pad, and dual-zone automatic climate control to keep you and your passengers comfortable every time you’re on the road.

Three Final Special Editions

We’re happy to say that Chevy is sending the Malibu out in style, thanks in part to three impressive special editions that are offered for the 2025 model. You can get these editions with the 1LT or 2LT trims, which both include a number of other great features, giving you the freedom to get what you want and make it look incredible. These three special editions and their features include:

• Midnight Edition – Living up to its name, the Midnight Edition is all about going to the dark side. Along with its Mosaic Black Metallic exterior, this edition features front and rear Black bowtie emblems, Black Malibu badging, and a Blacked-out grille with dark chrome surround. A Jet Black interior rounds out its shadowy appearance to create a stunning overall option.
• Sport Edition – If you like a lot of the badging and features of the Midnight Edition but you don’t want a Mosaic Black Metallic exterior, then the Sport Edition is the way to go. It has front and rear Black bowtie emblems, Black Malibu badging, the Blacked-out grille with dark chrome surround, and Jet Black interior—but you can pair this one with any exterior color.
• Redline Edition – Taking things a step further, this one gives you the front and rear Black bowtie emblems, Blacked-out grille, and Jet Back interior while including a splash of color thanks to a Red outline on the Malibu badge and Red hash marks on the Black wheels. Special Redline graphics on the side mirrors and more details make this a stunning option that you can get with a black, gray, or white exterior.

As much as we love these three special editions, we can’t help but wish Chevy had done something unique to mark this as the final year for the Malibu. The Camaro received great special editions for its final year, which it certainly deserves, and it would’ve been wonderful to see something similar for this iconic sedan. Still, we’re incredibly pleased to be able to offer the 2025 Malibu, and all three of these editions add a stunning touch of sophistication to the already stylish ride.

Terrific Safety Tech to Protect You

We’re happy to say that while this is the last year for the Malibu, it’s also the safest this car has ever been. Every 2025 model comes with Chevy Safety Assist, which includes a Forward Collision Alert to warn you of a potential crash, with Automatic Emergency Braking and Front Pedestrian Braking to help you avoid it. You also get Lane Keep Assist with a Lane Departure Warning to help keep you from drifting out of your lane, plus a Following Distance Indicator and IntelliBeam High Beam Assist to help you avoid blinding other drivers. Plus, if you want even more safety tech, then features like a Side Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are available to take things further. No matter what you choose, you get a safe car that’s designed to protect you and your loved ones.

Driving off Into the Sunset in Style

As we’ve said, we’re sad to see the Chevy Malibu go because it holds a big place in our hearts and ensures that drivers looking for a fantastic midsize sedan still have a great option in the Chevy lineup. There’s no denying that SUVs and trucks are taking over the auto market, so we understand why Chevy is bringing the Malibu’s run to an end. Still, for another year, we get to enjoy everything it offers and celebrate its stunning blend of bold style, excellent drivability, and terrific features inside and out. We would’ve loved to see what Chevy would do with a new generation for this sedan; perhaps one day, it’ll make a return—it was out of production once for more than a decade, so never say never. Until then, we’ll simply have to enjoy it for now and everything else the Chevy lineup has to offer.