Input from GM’s “Malibu Moms” helped finely tune several parts of the car to make it an extremely family friendly vehicle.
“People spend a lot of time in their vehicles,” said Kara Gordon, the Malibu’s lead acoustic noise engineer and mother of two boys. “It’s really important for me to spend that time with my kids in a positive way. If your car isn’t quiet, you can’t hear your kids talking to you in the background, and you can’t hear how their day went.” Kara Gordon’s comments helped make the Malibu Chevy’s quietest vehicle yet, in terms of interior cabin noise.
Chevrolet’s team of moms also helped make the vehicle more fuel-friendly. “Every dollar I spend on gasoline is a dollar I’m not investing in my boys’ futures,” said Suzanne Cody, the Malibu’s aerodynamics engineer. “So this is personal to me.” GM claims that the Malibu’s 2.5 mpg improvement on the highway is due to reducing aerodynamic drag.
Additionally thanks to Julie Kleinert, Chevrolet’s child safety technical lead, the Malibu features an interior which is designed for easier installation of child seats. “Knowing that the work I do helps protect other people’s children is very rewarding,” said Kleinert, a mother of four and grandmother of two. “I love to be able to tell people what I do, and how much work goes into the safety of every GM vehicle.”
Finally, Tracy Mack-Askew, Chevrolet vehicle line manager and mother of two also provided her thoughts on the Malibu,
“The Malibu is a vehicle that is very kid-friendly, that’s easy for you to use to transport your kids to their activities – whether it is soccer or swimming – and that makes you look good and stylish while doing it,” said Mack-Askew. “So not only are you a mother, but you are mother with pizzazz.”
The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu has been out for a while (read our review here) but for those who have a family, let us know what’s in the perfect family vehicle for you. Whether it’s interior noise, safety or price, we’d love to find out.
