Chevrolet Malibu 2013

Chevrolet Malibu 2013

Chevy Malibu was GM's best-selling car last year. These days, there's no upside in describing how successful an automaker is in the truck and SUV business. Midsize and compact sedans, market share-wise, are where it's at, baby. GM has moved up the Chevy Malibu's launch twice, first from fall of '12 to mid-year, and the car has since been fast-tracked to a launch early next year, in January or February. It will join the Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, and Suzuki Kizashi in the midsize segment in abandoning V-6 engine options for four-cylinder models only.



The new design has been in the works since before GM's 2009 bankruptcy, raising concerns it would age before its time. The 2008-'12 model was a breakout, a handsome, if conservative take on the midsize sedan segment with semi-formal sheetmetal that makes it look more expensive than it is.Chevy has done a credible job of following up the 2008-2012 Malibu, and that's no small thing. The current Malibu, along with the Cadillac CTS, was a turnaround car, a sign that GM could get its product act together even as its finances suffered.

Because the new Malibu is on the Epsilon II platform, and because the 2014 Impala will be built on a larger-wheelbase version of the platform, the Malibu loses 3.5 inches in wheelbase. It's now at 107.8 inches for the '13 model.

Volkswagen CC 2013

2013 Volkswagen CC

Volkswagen's CC is certainly an attractive sedan, but as it ages, it doesn't quite fit in with Volkswagen's latest design language. A facelift might be the key to solve that problem -- and that's just what the updated 2013 CC, which debuts later this month at the 2011 Los Angeles auto show, receives.

Other cosmetic tweaks are much more conservative. The CC gains new LED tail lamps with L-shaped optics resembling those used on the Passat, Jetta, Golf, and Eos, while the rear bumper fascia is massaged ever so slightly. Interior revisions are largely limited to new climate controls; sadly, the oh-so-sumptuous tri-tone interior scheme shown here is likely to remain a European-market exclusive.

VW has yet to release finalized specifications on the car, but officials tell us the new car won't mechanically differ much from the existing car. Expect most trims to utilize a 200-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4, mated either to a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The 280-hp, 3.6-liter VR6 will likely remain relegated to top-trim models, and paired only with a six-speed automatic and VW's 4Motion all-wheel-drive system.

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2013 Cadillac XTS

2013 Cadillac XTS

2013 Cadillac XTSThe car is almost a dead ringer to the XTS Platinum concept from last year’s Detroit auto show. The production XTS retains the concept’s mesh grille and swept-back headlamp design, while gaining a tamer set of lower intakes, although it does use more chrome trim. Also softened is the sharp character line, which now terminates just before the cut for the back of the rear door. From what we can see, the taillights are identical to those from the concept, and the wheels – while smaller – are pretty close to what we saw last year.