2004 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
by Gary S. Vasilash
General Motors is working its cross-Atlantic Epsilon platform hard. It started with the Opel Vectra and has since been used for vehicles including the Signum, Saab 9-3 sedan and convertible, Chevrolet Malibu, and in the latest incarnation that debuted this week at the New York Auto Show, the Malibu Maxx. The Epsilon has proven itself to be rather flexible, as in the case of the Maxx, the wheelbase is six-inches longer than the Malibu sedan (wheelbase: 112.3 inches), yet the overall length is 0.5 inch shorter (overall length: 187.8 inches).
The Maxx is being called a "five-door extended sedan." Unlike traditional sedans, however, it has a hatch-like lift gate (that's made with aluminum for purposes of enhanced ergonomics). One of the primary design differentiators between the Signum and the Maxx is that whereas the rear of the Signum is rounded, there is a lip, or a hint of a trunk for the Maxx: apparently, the rounded end didn't clinic well in the U.S. market. From the B-pillar forward, the Maxx is a Malibu. The big difference, and it is a big one, is that the rear seat, which has a 60/40 split, has almost seven inches of travel front to rear; when at the maximum aft position, there's 41 inches of legroom. There's a fixed glass sunroof over the rear seat that's equipped with a retractable shade.
If there's a desire to use the vehicle for cargo rather than passengers, then the rear seats and the front passenger seat can be folded flat, thereby providing 22.8-cubic feet of cargo volume. The rear cargo area has a multifunctional panel that can be used for everything from facilitating loading to serving as a picnic table.
