Malibu

Make
Chevrolet
Segment
Sedan

First it was the Chevrolet Cruze and Impala. Will the Malibu be the next sedan to be dropped? It's possible and some of the latest sales figures paint a not so rosy picture. GM Authority examined the numbers more closely and discovered that Malibu sales dropped in the fourth quarter of 2018 not only in the US, but also in the following countries: Canada, Mexico, and South Korea.

The US market, in particular, is showing signs of Malibu fever, so to speak. A total of 34,084 units were sold in the final quarter of 2018, which is a 17 percent drop from the same period in 2017 when a total of 44,695 units left dealership lots.

For all of 2018, Malibu sales dropped by nearly 22 percent in the US alone with a total of 144,542 units sold. In 2017 that figure was 185,857. Canada is not a very big market for the mid-size sedan, but even there its popularity is dwindling with a four percent drop in sales in quarter four of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.

Meanwhile, in Mexico, sales dipped by 70 percent in Q4 2018 compared to Q4 2017. For all of 2018, Mexico's Malibu sales experienced a 34 percent drop to only 1,540 units. As for South Korea, Q4 2018 saw an 18 percent drop to 5,409 units compared to the 6,616 units sold in Q4 2017.

If you're wondering if 2018, or at least the final three months of the year, were nothing more than a fluke and Malibu sales will recover, think again. Compared to its mid-size sedan competitors, the Malibu experienced a disturbing 22.23 percent drop in sales in 2018 compared to 2017, the highest percentage decrease for the entire segment. Heck, the soon to be discontinued Ford Fusion saw a 17.18 percent sales drop in 2017.

Then again, the entire mid-size sedan segment as a whole experienced decreased sales last year and the trend will more than likely continue. In the meantime, Chevrolet will have to make a decision regarding the Malibu's future fairly soon. Will a complete redesign be happening? Don't bet on it.