I know the malibu is set to be redesigned soon, but can't help but wonder what the design team was thinking when they drew the current model.

Bob: I'm out of ideas, what's a good design we can copy?
Mary: How about the 3G TL.
Bob: Great idea, but how do we differentiate it?
Mary: Take away its character line, blacked-out window trim, and slap on our signature round brake lights and oversized grille.
Bob: Brilliant! Those lower crossbars on the newer TL's look cool too, let's add those too.

 

Yes, Acura is ahead of the times.
My neighbor just got a malibu, and I said the same. Chevy is copying the style.

More and more manufactures are going to copy the style.
I can foresee the 4th gen doing the same.

 

so why didn't you buy the Malibu then?

 

I dont know about this. Have you seen the 4g. In some aspects the 4g can look good but the overall look is complete trash

 

5 - 10 years from now, I bet econo boxes will have to play catch up.
meaning they are going to take styling cues from the 4th gen.

 

The 3G TL-often imitated, seldom equaled....

 

I can understand taking cues from successful designs, i.e. the 8G accord aping the E60 5-series, and perhaps the Avalon/3G TL stealing the Phaeton's greenhouse design.

But the Malibu just comes off as a blatant ripoff, like they just took the entire car and replaced some minor parts

 

But its okay, which one is the better car?
which one came out first?

 

Guess I'm just bothered by the fact that Acura can't sue them for outright plagiarism

 

If it's any consolation, I worked on a 2011 GMC Acadia the other day. GM's quality control is still poor, I went to re-attach the lower B-Pillar and the lower pop clips were smashed from the factory and unsecured.

 

I always thought the Malibu looked more like a Camry... But I see what you are saying in the rear pillar area..

 

Not just the pillar, but the overall shape, rear 3/4, trunk with integrated lip, bulging fenders, greenhouse, large grille, crossbars, sweeping interior console, guage pods, etc...the list goes on

 

haha, I didn't notice that... wow~
would still pick the TL over the Malibu though

 

I don't think they're that much similar

 

I am set to lose some sleep over this astonishing discovery!

 

I had one as a rental once. They also have the little ambiant lighting LED's up by the overhead console...

 

the malibu is hideous all around

 

well what about hyundai making that car that looks like a benz?

 

Yep... They're both silver...

And they both have wheels.

And huge c pillars....

I could go on for ages with all the similarities.

Now I can rest easy knowing that Malibu owners will have to deal with the same rediculous blind spots I do.

 

Both cars have sidemarkers...other than that I see no similarities.

 

I have less of a problem with the Sonata since only the greenhouse and bumper intakes look CLS or AMG ish.

 

 

I guess I see some similarities with the doors. The TL as a whole looks much more aggressive/sporty though.

 

From the door handles up I can see some similarity.

 

at the most, door shape and windows, but thats it.

 

the shape of the rears look pretty similar

 

as i stated, my neighbor has one.
it has more similarities than ya'll think.

when looking at it head on, the hood almost has the same lines and shape.
no doubt, you can tell the TL has a honda hood, and the chevy a chevy. butt, you can tell that the chevy designers envied honda/acura's.

 

Nicely said

 

this is insane because two different car companies have never had similar looking cars, in fact theres so little model types out there its boggling how they couldnt be 100% unique in every aspect

 

any one who sees a large similarity is smoking so cheap rock.

some subtleties tho, yes?

 

bet you guys didn't know that that thing is running a Toyota Camry engine designed by Toyota.. a buddy of mine is a sales man for Chevy

 

Wanna see a real rip-off?

Compare the look of upcoming Chevy Volt to the 3G TL.

 

Not really.

 

The Malibu doesn't look anything like the 3G TL, except for its maybe overall size. To me the Malibu is the most boring/bland design in the mid-size segment right now.

The 3G TL had more curves and lines throughout the body style compared to the Maxima and the interior was worlds better in quality, lines, styling, etc. To me its comparing apples to oranges. Hell, even the mags on the Malibu are cheap and crappy looking compared to the 3G TL's.

To me the Malibu and Camry are the snooers right now in the mid-size segment.

The new Sonata, Altima, Fusion, Mazda6 are all much more interesting and sportier looking/driving and I'd be in one of them before a Malibu!

 

Looks like 2 different cars to me. The Malibu sucks, the 3G is cool.

The amount of differences totally overplay any slight similarities IMO.


Old news, GM and Toyota have collaborated in the past on particular models. Nothing new. Saturn a GM brand, used Honda motors in the Vue as well. Which dates back quite a few years.

 

Meh... there's a reason why there's Rolex and Folex.

 

they look sorta similar, but i can c why they would copy the 3g style, its so sexyyy

 

is the malibu really running a toyota engine?

 

There are countless car models / designs. Who's to say what exactly was knowingly "ripped off". Trash? Although, bottom line, beauty is all in the eye of the beholder, the newest version of the Malibu is nice-- certainly less trashy looking than any black 'higher end' vehicle lowered to the point that its body hangs over it's wheels.

 

I just realized that the original poster was referring to the "4g", my bad. I think that's the 2012 Malibu? If so, sure, it does look a little trashy in the leaked photos I've seen. But then again, it did have trash taped all over it to mask the new design so who knows. LOL