Although the all-new 2013 Chevy Malibu has yet to travel its first mile with a retail customer behind the wheel, the car already has racked up more than a million of them at the hands of Chevrolet engineers from around the world. It’s part of an extensive program of on-road development aimed at ensuring a top-notch driving experience for everyone.
“You learn a lot about a car when you spend so much time in it—and that’s exactly the point,” said Mark Moussa, global chief engineer for the vehicle. “In the last year and a half, during every minute of the day, a 2013 Malibu has been driving somewhere around the world—all to make it the best car it can be.”
The million miles of driving—equivalent to two trips to the moon and back—included:
- Air-conditioning tests during the peak of the Death Valley summer
- High-altitude evaluations atop the Rocky Mountains
- Long-distance driving through the hills of North Carolina
- Hundreds of miles of rush-hour traffic in busy metropolises like Chicago
And because the completely redesigned Malibu will be Chevy’s flagship in markets around the world, plenty of testing also was done internationally. For example, to prepare the Malibu for extensive driving during the monsoon season in southeast Asia—where deep grooves are often carved into road surfaces to channel away water—Chevy engineers put 11 different tire designs through their paces before finding the one that best reduced road noise without sacrificing performance.
“We’ve got to test not only the big things,” said Moussa, “but the seemingly small ones, to make sure we are building a quality product that meets the needs of all these different markets and uses.
“You never know about those fine details until you get the vehicle on the road. Our million miles in testing should inspire confidence for anyone who considers buying a 2013 Malibu.”
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