It seems that all good things must come to an end. And one of those things, Chevy’s Malibu sedan, is nearing the end of its life cycle. The model was first launched in 1964 and was marketed as the Chevy Chevelle, before eventually becoming the Chevy Malibu in 1978. Over the years, Malibu sold 10 million cars and was the choice for a family sedan.
But now this car model is entering its twilight time as GM announced it would end production later this year. Taking its place, GM is preparing to launch new electric vehicles (EV) including the new Chevy Bolt EV. The Malibu was the last car/sedan sold by Chevy in the U.S. Only the Corvette remains – and that’s definitely not a sedan.
GM isn’t alone; Ford and Stellantis have also stopped making sedans as consumers’ taste has moved on to SUVs and trucks in the U.S. Last year, only 8% of new car sales in the U.S. were mid-sized, down from 22% in 2007.
Bye, bye, Malibu. We’ll miss you.
Group Activities and Discussion Questions:
- Discuss the stages in the product life cycle. What are the marketing objectives in each stage?
- Show Chevy Malibu website: https://www.chevrolet.com/cars/malibu
- What stage of the PLC is the Chevy Malibu now entering?
- Divide students into teams. Have each team draw a product life cycle and place various products and services into each stage.
- Next, have students brainstorm on how to reposition or revise products/services to that they can move into an earlier stage of the life cycle.
Source: Associated Press. After 60 years, Chevrolet Malibu rides off into the sunset (10 May 2024).; Boudette, N. (8 May 2024). G.M. will retire the Chevrolet Malibu to make more electric cars. New York Times; Windolf, J. (9 May 2024). The Chevy Malibu was so uncool it was cool. New York Times.
