2021 Chevy Malibu Safety Rating
What You’ll Learn
As you read about the Chevy Malibu safety rating, you’ll learn:
- The 2021 Malibu has been deemed a safe car by reviewers like the IIHS, NHTSA, and U.S. News & World Report.
- Part of the reason this car does so well is because it held up respectably in crash tests, especially for a midsize sedan.
- Even more importantly, the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu offers a wide variety of driver assistance and active safety features that make it incredibly safe on the road.
Malibu Safety Rating
We like to say that the Malibu is the best of all possible worlds. It’s small enough to be nimble and easy to park, yet large enough to be comfortable on the inside. It’s sophisticated enough to look professional yet sporty enough to turn a few heads. One of the things that many people often overlook, though, is the 2021 Malibu safety ratings.
There is no one superior source for a comprehensive safety rating, but a few trustworthy reviewers are definitely to consider. For one, U.S. News and World Report gives the 2021 Malibu a rating of 8.9/10 on their vehicle safety scorecard. This review factors in official ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as well as some of the most important safety features.
Chevy Malibu Crash Test Ratings
The IIHS has plenty of good things to say about the 2021 Malibu. The organization rates the midsize Chevy sedan as Superior for front crash prevention in the vehicle-to-vehicle category, for example. The vehicle also earns the highest possible rating of Good in many crash test categories and other considerations.
The NHTSA also reviewed the Malibu and awarded it with good marks. The 2021 Malibu earned four out of five stars overall from this organization. That rating comes from a perfect five-star rating for Frontal-Crash, a four-star rating for Side Crash, and a four-star rating for Rollover. These crash test results are encouraging, but the thing that makes this vehicle really special are the features that help before and during a crash.
2021 Malibu Standard Safety Features
The 2021 Malibu offers all of the following (fairly basic) safety features:
- Driver Air Bag
- Passenger Aid Bag
- Front Head Air Bag
- Rear Head Air Bag
- Front Side Air Bag
- Four-Wheel Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
- Four-Wheel Disc Brakes
- Brake Assist
- Electronic Stability Control
- Daytime Running Lights
- Child Safety Locks
- Traction Control
Some of these features have been around for years, but that doesn’t make them any less important. Complete airbag coverage helps protect passengers in the event of a crash. Things like ABS and Brake Assist are designed to help prevent crashes from happening in the first place. Other features, like the child safety locks, boost the safety of the vehicle in other ways.
2021 Malibu Active Safety Features
The impressive assortment of driver assistance and active safety features really sets this car apart (especially if you haven’t purchased a new car in the last few years). Modern technology helps augment the driver’s control of the vehicle, preventing and responding to dangerous situations to keep everyone involved as safe as possible. The following features make the most of innovative automotive tech to make the Malibu extremely safe and prevent many crashes from ever happening in the first place:
Malibu Available Teen Driver Technology
This is one of the most creative safety features to hit the automotive industry in many years. Available Teen Driver technology allows you to set rules for the vehicle, such as muting audio until occupants in the front seat have buckled their seatbelts or giving warnings when the vehicle starts going faster than a predetermined speed. Later, you will receive an in-vehicle report card of how often certain safety features were activated, how far the car traveled, the maximum speed, and more.
Malibu Forward Collision Alert
This active safety feature will warn you if it detects a potential collision to the front of the vehicle, allowing you to take action more quickly. If you’re tailgating a vehicle, it will warn you about that as well.
Malibu Lane Change Alert With Side Blind Zone Alert
This feature provides visual alerts in the side mirrors to let you know when a vehicle has been detected in or approaching your blind spot, potentially helping you avoid accidents when changing lanes.
Malibu Adaptive Cruise Control
This feature will help you from having to fiddle with your cruise control on long road trips, and it also keeps you safe. It will automatically maintain a gap of your choosing between your vehicle and the one in front of you. If traffic slows, so will you, then cruise control will bring you back up to speed as soon as it’s able.
Malibu Rear Park Assist
When your vehicle is in reverse at low speeds, you will receive alerts when you start to get close to a detected object.
Malibu Front Pedestrian Braking
This system detects pedestrians directly in front of the vehicle, potentially helping you avoid collisions or at least minimize the severity. It provides alerts about pedestrians when the vehicle is traveling at speeds of 50 miles per hour or lower. It can even provide automatic emergency braking or supplement the driver’s braking.
Malibu Intellibeam High Beam Assist
The system will automatically turn the vehicle’s high-beam headlamps on depending on traffic conditions.
Malibu Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
This system warns the driver of detected cross-traffic from the left or right side when in reverse. It makes audible beeps as well as displays visual warning signs on the Rear Vision Camera screen. This is incredibly helpful when backing out of a driveway with limited visibility.
Malibu Automatic Parking Assist
This feature can search for parallel parking spaces as well as perpendicular parking spaces, then steer the vehicle into the space safely. While the system steers, the driver is responsible for braking, accelerating, and following instructions to shift gears as required.
Malibu Automatic Emergency Braking
This feature is paired with the available Forward Collision Alert. It is designed to reduce the severity of front-end collisions or potentially avoid them altogether. This works with detected vehicles the driver is following as well as some stationary objects. The feature works at speeds below 50 miles per hour, and camera technology detects potential collisions. From there, the brakes can engage automatically to provide emergency braking or supplement whatever braking the driver has already applied.
Many drivers believe in their abilities enough to think they don’t need active safety features, but it’s not just doubting your own driving skills; it’s being prepared for whatever else comes your way as well. Hopefully, your active safety features never have to engage, but it doesn’t hurt to have that added layer of security and safety.
Test Drive the 2021 Malibu in Phoenix
The 2021 Malibu is a safe midsize car for individuals and families. That’s not all it has going for it, either, because it’s loaded with technology and other features that make the performance even better than you might imagine.
Stop by your nearest Valley Chevy dealership location today to see for yourself!
