Whoops, you weren't supposed to see that.
It’s been said that there are few secrets in Detroit, a town that has, historically, leaked like the proverbial sieve. And General Motors certainly proved that point when it inadvertently let a sneak peek of the next-generation Chevrolet Malibu appear on its media website today.
Ironically, the maker had intended to run the classic teaser campaign, first showing off a shot of the rear taillights and, for this morning, sending out a release with an image of the midsize sedan’s new radio face – which, it revealed, articulates up or down to reveal hidden, illuminated 6-inch storage compartment.
But the above image, which we first spotted on Autoblog.com, tells a much more complete story.
The look should be familiar to fans of the Malibu, which took honors as North American Car of the Year in 2008. There’s a somewhat update version of the bowtie grille, accented by new multi-element headlamps that wrap into the fenders.
The Malibu adopts a new interior design, using an audio face plate that hides the technical bits elsewhere in the car, providing space for a big storage bin.
There’s a more distinct coke bottle shape to the design, though Chevy has avoided the latest design trend, which calls for an array of deeply sculpted accent lines running the length of the fenders and doors.
One trend the maker does seem to have adopted is the move to a more coupe-like body, which raises questions about the usability of the interior, especially the rear seat.
(Chevy speeding up launch of 2013 Malibu by four months. Click Here for that story.)
Chevy is taking the unusual approach of launching the 2013 Malibu at next week’s Shanghai Motor Show, following up with a second introduction at the New York Auto Show, both of which overlap this year.
If you can’t be in either city, however, the maker intends to present a real-time introduction online, both in standard and high-definition. We’ll be back with links before the big event.