2012 Chev Malibu to replace Epica

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Slow-selling medium car out as Holden targets new rival for Toyota Camry.

Holden will be hoping for some Californian cool to rub off on its replacement for the lacklustre Epica.

The slow-selling mid-sizer is on the way out as Holden plans to get serious in its fight against the Toyota Camry. The replacement is expected to be the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu and the local model is likely to carry the same name when it arrives Down Under.

Holden will also ditch the Epica name for the new medium car that will replace the South Korean-sourced Epica that has struggled to entice buyers since it was launched in 2007.


The local car maker sold only 1842 Epicas in 2010 and the model has continually languished behind rivals such as the Mazda6, Ford Mondeo, Honda Accord Euro and dominant Camry.

Holden boss Mike Devereux admits the car has been a let-down and promises the new car will be "extremely different" to the current Epica.

"We'll have a replacement in that Camry/Accord segment for Epica, which I think will be a much better representation of what we can do. We will likely not call what we bring to that segment an Epica," says Devereux.

The new Malibu tipped to be powered by General Motors' 2.4-litre four-cylinder and the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder Ecotec, abandoning the six-cylinder engine used by the Epica.

The switch to four-cylinder petrol engines would overcome one of the car's biggest faults, according to Devereux.

"The segment is a four-cylinder segment and we didn't have a four-cylinder in that vehicle," he says.

"It was a problem for me in my last job in Dubai as well. A lot of people were looking for small four-cylinders in a medium-sized vehicle and we only had six-cylinder to offer. I think from a powertrain standpoint, the expectations of the market and the product didn't match. And that's a pretty tough thing to overcome.

He dismissed suggestions that Holden could consider abandoning the segment given the success of the Cruze small car and Commodore positioned either side of the Epica.

"I think we should have an entry [to the medium-car segment]," says Devereux. "We will have applicable to this market options from our global stable to fill that niche.

And I think there is enough volume there, with a properly contented product and a world-class execution, I think there is certainly enough volume in that segment to warrant having an entrant. We just haven't taken advantage of it with our current product."

Devereux also gave the strongest indication yet that the company would offer a seven-seat wagon variant of the Colorado ute. There's no official confirmation yet, but the seven-seater Colorado is expected to arrive early in 2012.

"We have a fantastic new product coming and that will tick all the boxes that it needs to tick," he said.

Quizzed about the possibility of SUV spin-off, along the same lines as the Mitsubishi Challenger and Nissan Pathfinder, Devereux was coy.

"Could be a good idea to do more than a pick-up. Who knows?" says Devereux. "It could be something we might want to look at."