New Malibu to be Offered in Australia as a Holden, will Sit Between the Cruze and the Commodore

Last week, GM released the first teaser photo of its upcoming Chevrolet Malibu ahead of its global debut on Monday, April 18. The next generation of the Malibu is the first Chevy mid-sized model designed for the global market and will be sold in up to 100 countries around the world including Australia where it will be launched under the Holden brand.

The Holden Malibu will arrive in Australia for the first time in 2012 with a range of four cylinder engines, effectively replacing the unpopular Epica, a badge-engineered version of the South Korean Daewoo Tosca, which itself had taken the place of the Vectra.

“The Malibu will play an important role within the Holden line-up, providing a spacious and efficient four-cylinder alternative for Australian customers,” said Holden Chairman and Managing Director Mike Devereux.

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Patent Designs of Chevrolet Sedan with Camaro-esque Read End: Is it the New Malibu, Impala or Something Else?

Fact: these official drawings of an unnamed Chevrolet sedan were filed with the U.S. patent office by General Motors. And well, that's where the facts end and the speculations start. Looking at the photos, we assume that this mystery Chevrolet four-door saloon with the Camaro-inspired rear-end design is either a mid- or full-size sedan.

And while we know for sure that General Motors is readying a redesign for its Camry-fighting Chevrolet Malibu, we're not at all certain that this is the car depicted here.

For all we know, it could be a replacement for the Impala or (less probably) maybe for the European market and Daewoo-based, Chevy Epica sedan.

Hit the jump to check out the rest of the drawings and tell us what you think in the comments section.

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2009 Holden Epica Sedan Gets Mild Facelift and New Diesel Engine

GM’s Aussie brand has unveiled the 2009 Epica Sedan which is also known as the Chevrolet Epica in Europe and as the Daewoo Tosca in Korea. Styling changes are subtle as they are reduced to a new front grille, rear fascia and alloy wheels. Holden also upgraded the Epica’s safety equipment which now includes ESP and six airbags as standard across the range. -Continued

The most important changes are under the hood as Holden eliminated the 2.0-liter V6 petrol engine and replaced it with a new 2.0-liter turbo diesel unit that produces 148 Hp (110 kW). The new diesel model that gets a 6T40 six-speed automatic transmission with Active Select as standard, achieves an average fuel consumption of 7.6lt /100km or 31mpg U.S. Finally, the 2.5-litre V6 petrol model is also upgraded to a six-speed automatic transmission.

MY09 Epica model line-up and pricing is as follows (RRP excludes Dealer delivery and government charges):

Epica CDX 2.5-litre petrol (6 speed auto) from $27,990

Epica CDX 2.0-litre diesel (6 speed auto) from $29,990

Epica CDXi 2.5-litre petrol (6 speed auto) from $30,990

Epica CDXi 2.0-litre diesel (6 speed auto) from $32,990

Epica CDXi Optional Leather Pack $2,000

Chevy Releases Sport Package for its Euro Market Epica Sedan

The Euro market Epica isn’t exactly what we’d call a sport sedan, but at least with Chevy’s newly launched sport package the medium-size saloon gains a bit of character. The sport pack consists of a bespoke body styling kit that includes front and rear lower skirts and side sills along with a suspension lowering kit that reduces the car’s height by 30mm for a more aggressive stance.

The exterior transformation of the Epica is completed with a set of 18-inch satin silver five-spoke alloy wheels and a chrome exhaust tailpipe trim. Moreover, buyers can also add brushed alloy-effect door sills with ‘EPICA’ lettering, which also help to protect paintwork against scuffs and scrapes.