All-new Malibu put to the test against winter weather

In order to ensure improved quality and durability for Hickory area drivers, 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Turbo engineers have taken vehicle development and validation testing to the extremes. The location for all of this torture testing? General Motors’ Climatic Wind Tunnel in Warren, Michigan, where all Chevrolet vehicles take on the elements.

The Malibu Turbo went on sale at Everett Chevrolet Buick GMC this past fall. Prior to arrival, on the hottest days of summer, Malibu Turbo withstood blizzard and hurricane conditions inside the wind tunnel. Inside this tunnel, the temperature can replicate 40 below zero and the wind can blow 150 mph. Even on the coldest nights of winter, the tunnel’s temperature can easily climb to 140 degrees under 1,155 watts per square meter of simulated sunshine.

At this state-of-the-art facility, engineers take vehicle development and validation testing to the extremes, subjecting powertrain cooling, cabin heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to the harshest weather conditions found in Death Valley, California, and Denali, Alaska.

The wind tunnel also simulates driving actual roads with real-world weight burdens, such as hauling a fully loaded trailer up a steep incline by applying resistance through the wheels of the tunnel’s dynamometer, a tool that also allows simulated driving speeds of up to 155 mph.

Mother nature can put North Carolina drivers through the worst conditions. Torture testing is an essential part of production. The testing Malibu engineers conduct ensures that the car will perform extremely well when customers come face to face with harsh weather conditions.

Engineers used the tunnel’s blizzard-making capability to test Malibu Turbo’s air induction system, which is designed to prevent snow from clogging the vehicle’s air cleaning system. The system’s torturous path of multiple barriers blocks water molecules while allowing air to flow freely for engine combustion.

Malibu Turbo’s powertrain cooling system was developed in the tunnel and attuned to the car’s specific powertrain heat outputs and airflow characteristics to provide optimal performance even in extreme heat and cold. The system is designed to allow wide open throttle acceleration at egg-frying Death Valley temperatures, and has been validated in that desert location.

Malibu Turbo’s occupant comfort is just as important when the going gets hot. The car’s air conditioning system was tested against tunnel simulations of the high heat and humidity found along the Gulf Coast. This torture test helps ensure that Malibu Turbo’s all-new 2.0L engine delivers the rapid cool-down performance expected of a turbocharged power plant.

Climatic torture testing helps Chevrolet deliver improved quality and durability. Malibu topped the midsize sedan category in a recent third-party quality study, due in part to development work done at the Climatic Wind Tunnel.