2021 Chevrolet Malibu

The 2021 Chevrolet Malibu is available in five trim levels: L, LS, RS, LT, and Premier. The lower two trims come with 16-inch steel wheels, the mid-range RS adds 18-inch alloy wheels, and the top-rated Premier trim has 19-inch alloy wheels. With the LT trim, you can opt for the Malibu Redline Edition, which gives you a black grille and badges along with black wheels and mirror caps. You can also choose among seven exterior colors for this trim, including Mosaic Black Metallic, Silver Ice Metallic, and Summit White.

There are two engine options for most 2021 Malibus. All trims except the Premier have a 1.5-liter engine that produces 160 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. It's paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission with automatic stop/start and hill-start assist. The Premier trim level comes with a 2.0-liter turbo-four engine that supplies 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. This engine is mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission.

The vehicle also comes standard with front-wheel drive.

The 2021 Malibu attains some of the best fuel economy numbers compared to other vehicles in its class. The base engine gets an EPA-estimated 29 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. In contrast, the turbocharged engine achieves an estimated 22 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway.

The Malibu's attractive and modern interior has numerous soft-touch materials, giving it a high-quality appearance. Its cabin includes the Infotainment 3 system featuring an 8-inch touch-screen display. Further, the sedan has Bluetooth audio streaming as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The LS trim adds a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hot spot, while the LT offers satellite radio. The top-of-the-line Premium trim sports a Bose premium stereo and wireless charging.

The 2021 Malibu comes standard with a rearview camera and General Motor's Buckle to Drive. This feature locks your sedan in Park and only releases the transmission when the driver's seatbelt is secured. What's more, the Teen Driver Technology is standard on the LS trim and above. This system lets you monitor secondary drivers' driving decisions, including speed and safety habits.

There are several safety packages available as well, starting with the popular Driver Confidence I Cloth package. This package includes many features such as blind-spot monitoring, rear parking sensors, lane-change alert, and rear cross-traffic alert. Opt for the Driver Confidence II Cloth package for additional features such as forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Premier trim has an Enhanced Driver Confidence package, which bundles features of both packages and adds adaptive cruise control and parallel park assist.