Chevrolet has confirmed that the new 2.0L direct-injected turbo Ecotec petrol unit will be offered on the Malibu in the US this fall.

Producing a maximum of 259 bhp with a peak torque of 353Nm between 1,700rpm to 5,500 rpm, the Malibu goes from 0 to 96km/h in a very respectable timing of 6.3 seconds. A quick search on the internet shows that the Golf GTI Edition 30 does so in 6.4 seconds and this really tells how quick the new turbocharged Malibu is.

In addition to the US, the Detroit automaker also mentioned that this exciting power plant will be offered in a variety of markets including Canada and Israel.

Measuring 4,859mm in length, 1,854mm in width and 1,462mm in height, General Motors indicated at launch that the latest Malibu will be offered in nearly 100 countries across the world. The Malibu rides on GM's Epsilon II platform, which is found on a variety of vehicles including the Opel Insignia. Sporting a Cruze-inspired face, the Malibu was also developed to replace the unloved Epica outside the US market.