Car Features - Japanese Branded Cars Not Sold in Japan

If there is one market that is hard to enter for most foreign brands, it would be Japan. Although luxury brands from Europe and Volkswagen had found success, the Americans and Hyundai struggled especially Hyundai pulled out back in 2009 and Ford will withdraw the Japanese market by the end of this year. Yes, the Japanese may be somewhat patriotic but they also love foreign goods which match their market.

While the Japanese market had been the epitome of vehicle technologies such as hybrid engines, navigation systems inside the cars, adaptive cruise controls, turbocharging, among others; car sales had been falling ever since the youth aren't interested on owning a car (their public transportation is very efficient to begin with). Japanese branded vehicles are hits outside the country with examples like the Toyota Camry as the best selling car in the US, Japanese pickup trucks are best sellers in Thailand, Suzukis are widespread in India, and New Zealand favors Toyotas. With the country exporting a large number of new and used vehicles, nearly everyone has a taste of what the Japanese has to offer.

In this article, we shall discover Japanese branded vehicles sold in the Philippines which are not sold in Japan which covers brands that are either existing or gone which includes Daihatsu, Honda, Isuzu, Lexus, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki, and Toyota. We are including the cases of the Toyota Corolla and Honda Accord which have two different versions aimed for markets outside Japan. Another case is the usage of a Japanese market name for a vehicle not sold there, which we will include in this list. Last one is whether that particular generation of the vehicle is not sold in the Japanese market.

This would be a two part article with the second one be dealing with the Japanese branded cars that are also available there.

Vehicle: Honda Brio
Origin: Thailand/India
Availability in Home Market: 2011-Current
Philippine Availability: 2014-Current

Vehicle: Honda Brio Amaze
Origin: India
Availability in Home Market: 2013-Current
Philippine Availability: 2014-Current

Vehicle: Honda City (Third and Fifth Generation)
Origin: Unknown
Availability in Home Market: 1996-2003 (for third generation model), 2008-2013 (for fifth generation model), 1981-Current (City nameplate, with a hiatus in 1995)
Philippine Availability: 1996-2003 (Third), 2009-2014 (Fifth)

Vehicle: Honda Civic (Ninth Generation onwards)
Origin: United States (although the Civic Type R Euro is still sold in Japan)
Availability in Home Market: 2011-Current (for ninth and tenth generation model), 1972-Current (Civic nameplate as a whole, worldwide)
Philippine Availability: 2012-Current (Ninth and Tenth generation)

Vehicle: Honda Accord (Sixth Generation)
Origin: United States (different versions for Europe and Japan exist)
Availability in Home Market: 1997-2002 (for sixth generation model), 1976-Current (Accord nameplate)
Philippine Availability: 1998-2003

Vehicle: Honda Mobilio (Second Generation)
Origin: Indonesia
Availability in Home Market: 2013-Current (for second generation model)
Philippine Availability: 2015-Current

Vehicle: Honda Odyssey (Fourth Generation)
Origin: United States (different versions outside North America exist)
Availability in Home Market: 2010-Current (for sixth generation model), 1994-Current (Odyssey nameplate)
Philippine Availability: 2012-2015

Vehicle: Honda Pilot
Origin: United States
Availability in Home Market: 2002-Current
Philippine Availability: 2006-2008, 2012-Current

Vehicle: Isuzu Hilander/Crosswind
Origin: Indonesia
Availability in Home Market: 1991-Current
Philippine Availability: 1997-2001 (as Hilander), 2001-Current (as Crosswind)

Vehicle: Isuzu D-Max
Origin: Thailand
Availability in Home Market: 2002-Current
Philippine Availability: 2003-Current

Vehicle: Isuzu Alterra/MU-X
Origin: Thailand
Availability in Home Market: 2004-2013 (MU-7/Alterra), 2013-Onwards (MU-X)
Philippine Availability: 2005-Current

Vehicle: Lexus ES
Origin: Japan for outside export (its predecessors were sold as the Toyota Windom)
Availability in Home Market: 1989-Current
Philippine Availability: 2009-Current

Vehicle: Lexus GX
Origin: Japan for outside export
Availability in Home Market: 2002-Current
Philippine Availability: 2009-Current

Vehicle: Mazda CX-9
Origin: United States
Availability in Home Market: 2006-Current
Philippine Availability: 2007-Current

Vehicle: Mazda BT-50
Origin: Thailand
Availability in Home Market: 2006-Current
Philippine Availability: 2008-Current

Vehicle: Mitsubishi Mirage G4
Origin: Thailand
Availability in Home Market: 2013-Current
Philippine Availability: 2013-Current

Vehicle: Mitsubishi Galant (Ninth Generation)
Origin: United States
Availability in Home Market: 2003-2012 (for ninth generation model), 1969-2012 (Galant nameplate)
Philippine Availability: 2006-2012

Vehicle: Mitsubishi Eclipse (Fourth Generation)
Origin: United States
Availability in Home Market: 2006-2011 (for fourth generation model), 1990-2012 (Eclipse nameplate)
Philippine Availability: 2007-2011

Vehicle: Mitsubishi Adventure
Origin: Taiwan
Availability in Home Market: 1997-2005
Philippine Availability: 1998-Current

Vehicle: Mitsubishi Fuzion
Origin: Taiwan
Availability in Home Market: 2005-Current
Philippine Availability: 2007-2015

Vehicle: Mitsubishi Montero Sport (Second Generation onwards)
Origin: Thailand
Availability in Home Market: 2008-Current (for second and third generation model), 1996-Current (for Montero Sport nameplate)
Philippine Availability: 2008-Current

Vehicle: Mitsubishi Endeavor
Origin: United States
Availability in Home Market: 2002-2011
Philippine Availability: 2007-2009

Vehicle: Mitsubishi Strada (Fifth Generation)
Origin: Thailand
Availability in Home Market: 2015-Current (for fifth generation model), 1978-Current (for Strada/Triton/L200 nameplate)
Philippine Availability: 2015-Current

Vehicle: Nissan Grand Livina
Origin: China
Availability in Home Market: 2006-Current
Philippine Availability: 2008-2015

Vehicle: Nissan Patrol (Sixth Generation)
Origin: Japan for outside export
Availability in Home Market: 2010-Current (for sixth generation model), 1951-Current (for Patrol nameplate)
Philippine Availability: 2010-Current

Vehicle: Nissan Frontier
Origin: United States
Availability in Home Market: 1997-Current
Philippine Availability: 1998-Current

Vehicle: Subaru Tribeca
Origin: United States
Availability in Home Market: 2005-2014
Philippine Availability: 2008-2014

Vehicle: Suzuki Alto
Origin: India
Availability in Home Market: 2000-Current
Philippine Availability: 2007-Current

Vehicle: Suzuki Celerio
Origin: India
Availability in Home Market: 2008-Current
Philippine Availability: 2009-Current

Vehicle: Suzuki Swift Dzire
Origin: India
Availability in Home Market: 2008-Current
Philippine Availability: 2013-Current

Vehicle: Suzuki Ciaz
Origin: India
Availability in Home Market: 2014-Current
Philippine Availability: 2016-Current

Vehicle: Suzuki APV
Origin: Indonesia
Availability in Home Market: 2004-Current
Philippine Availability: 2005-Current

Vehicle: Suzuki Ertiga
Origin: India
Availability in Home Market: 2012-Current
Philippine Availability: 2014-Current

Vehicle: Toyota Wigo
Origin: Indonesia
Availability in Home Market: 2013-Current
Philippine Availability: 2014-Current

Vehicle: Toyota Yaris
Origin: Unknown
Availability in Home Market: 2013-Current
Philippine Availability: 2014-Current

Vehicle: Toyota Vios (First and Third Generation)
Origin: Japan
Availability in Home Market: 2002-2006, 2013-Current
Philippine Availability: 2003-2007, 2013-Current

Vehicle: Toyota Corolla (Tenth Generation onwards)
Origin: Japan (different models outside Japan and Hong Kong exist)
Availability in Home Market: 2006-Current (for tenth and eleventh generation model), 1966-Current (Corolla nameplate as a whole, worldwide)
Philippine Availability: 2008-Current (Tenth and Eleventh generation)

Vehicle: Toyota Avanza
Origin: Indonesia
Availability in Home Market: 2003-Current
Philippine Availability: 2006-Current

Vehicle: Toyota Tamaraw/Revo/Innova
Origin: Indonesia
Availability in Home Market: 1977-2004 (Tamaraw/Revo named as Kijang), 2005-Current (Kijang Innova)
Philippine Availability: 1991-Current

Vehicle: Toyota RAV4 (Fourth Generation)
Origin: Japan for export markets
Availability in Home Market: 2012-Current (for fourth generation model), 1994-Current (RAV4 nameplate as a whole)
Philippine Availability: 2013-Current (Fourth generation)

Vehicle: Toyota Fortuner
Origin: Thailand
Availability in Home Market: 2005-Current
Philippine Availability: 2005-Current

Vehicle: Toyota Hilux (Seventh Generation onwards)
Origin: Thailand
Availability in Home Market: 2004-Current (for seventh and eighth generation model), 1968-Current (Hilux nameplate as a whole, worldwide)
Philippine Availability: 2005-Current (Seventh and Eighth generation)

Ferrari U.S. Sales In 2016: Better Than Hyundai Equus, Audi A4 Allroad, Volvo V60 CC, Acura RLX

How does one measure the sales success of a five-year-old luxury sedan from a mainstream automaker, a car which will soon be released in second-generation form under an all-new luxury banner?

Compare it with Ferrari, of course.

Through the first five months of 2016, Hyundai USA sold 904 copies of their Equus sedan, a 9% year-over-year decrease for the cut-price Mercedes-Benz S-Class alternative.

Just how rare does that make the Equus? According to The Wall Street Journal, Ferrari sold 960 cars in America during the same period.

We shouldn't pick on the Equus, sales of which are on track to fall to a six-year low in calendar year 2016. It was an experiement for Hyundai USA, one which ended with a new luxury brand: Genesis. 

Note, however, that Hyundai's new luxury brand didn't take the name of Hyundai's most highfalutin luxury sedan, the Equus. Rather, the new Genesis brand represents a continuation of Hyundai's lower-rung and far more common Genesis sedan. 

But the Equus is far from the only nameplate roundly outsold by a small fleet of Italian supercars with prices stretching from $200,000 northward. 

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GM's attempt at a two-seat Chevrolet Volt-based Cadillac, the cancelled ELR, and GM's attempt at an Aussie-based Ford Taurus Police Interceptor rival, the Chevrolet Caprice PPV, combined for 702 units in the first five months of 2016. 

There are others. The transitioning Audi A4 Allroad. The largely ignored Volvo V60 Cross Country. The always ignored Acura RLX. The Hyundai Equus's Kia K900 platform-mate. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' own Alfa Romeo 4C, which finds one buyer for every 3.5 Ferrari sales. The Nissan GT-R, which sells at a rate similar to the 4C.

GCBC has a list, of course. Click the second-from-left column header – May 2016 YTD – to sort vehicles, auto brands, and automakers by year-to-date U.S. sales in this complete sales list. After sorting Ferrari is ten sales back of the discontinued Honda CR-Z. Unfortunately, Ferrari does not break down sales by model. 

But we'll take the FF, thanks.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook.

Quickie Used Car Review - Toyota Vios (2007-2013)

2007-2013 Toyota Vios

The Good: Reliable, gas sipper, plenty of units in the market

The Bad: Dull steering, gauges located in the middle, allergic at high rpms

The Say: Does not hurt the wallet, but does not excite the soul.

Go For: 1.3 E/1.5 G
Avoid: 1.5 S

Price Range: P250,000-P500,000
Our Rating: ***

Full Review: Used Car Review - Toyota Vios (2007-2013)
Latest vehicle profile: Toyota Vios

See the different versions of this vehicle:
2007-2010
2010-2013

Vehicle Overview
Based on the Japanese Toyota Belta, the Vios is mostly sold in the Southeast Asian region while the former is only marketed in Japan and several American markets. Its 2007 Philippine introduction also heralded the start of the local assembly of this vehicle, which is still done until today with the third generation model.

Looking at the exterior, you may mistaken that this vehicle has the same length as the model it replaced, but no it had grew larger inside and out. Distinguishing the 1.5 models from the 1.3 would be the side mirror signal repeaters which the lower ones don't get. Special edition models have 16 or 17 inch wheels and some exterior modifications ranging from mesh grilles to body kits.

Powering them are carryover engines in the form of 1.3 and 1.5 ones, both excel in low speeds but will show their limitations when driven hard. The Vios isn't something special to drive, rather it would bring you from point A to B without any fuss and in a comfortable manner. 2010 and later 1.3 E and G models gain an automatic transmission option, which makes the 1.3 models not anymore strictly manual like before.

Some aspects of the older model are evident inside and one of them is the gauges mounted in the center, which you may like it or not. While cabin space is adequate (thanks to a size increase), drivers may get an awkward position which is either being close to the steering wheel or being too far away from the pedals. Cheap plastic materials are present although you are buying something below a million pesos you wouldn't bother.

What Should I Get
Three variants were originally launched in 2007 which were the J, E, and G. The J was the basic variant which only offered the 85hp 1.3 engine with power steering, CD player, a driver's airbag but the 2010 update it gained power windows, power door locks, MP3 capability, and an auxiliary jack. The original J model would later be the Base model added in 2011 that is aimed towards fleets but minus the hubcap cover. Going for the E adds ABS brakes, alloy wheels, alarm, keyless entry, and MP3 capability but it was removed in favor of the 1.3 G in September 2012, essentially offering the same kit of the E. The G gains a 107hp 1.5 engine which adds a passenger airbag, side mirror signal repeaters, multi-information display, power mirrors with fold function, and steering wheel audio controls. An option for leather seats and 60/40 fold rear seats became available in 2007 to 2010 for the 1.5 G AT but has been discontinued.

A bevy of special edition models were launched which mostly sported the 1.5 engine include the S (adds 17 inch wheels and a rear spoiler, added in July 2009), XX Limited Edition (gets large wheels and Ipod connectivity, launched in August 2008), SE Limited (15 inch TRD wheels, HID headlights, and mesh grille, added in October 2011), and TRD (17 inch rims, rear spoiler, muffler cutter, and TRD body kits, introduced in September 2012). The only exemption is the 1.3 J Limited that was launched in September 2012 which is a J model that gained alloy wheels and a passenger airbag.

How Much Would It Cost Me
One selling point of the Vios is its low maintenance costs, especially that spare parts are aplenty and a fuel efficient engine for the 1.3 (although the 1.3 automatic isn't that great in this aspect). Do take a peek for the alternator that tends to be weak and the radiator has the tendency to be problematic since its smallish size takes a toll on it.

2016 Chevrolet Malibu LT 1.5T Review – Downright Competitive

Times have changed. Expectations have been altered.

A decade ago, in 2006, GM Canada sold more than 18,000 Chevrolet Malibus and more than 18,000 Pontiac G6s.

THE GOOD + Terrific ride and handling + Cooperative transmission + Straightforward interior + Roomy back seat + Rather stylish, no?

THE BAD – No seat bolstering – Interior's hard plastics – The competition is excellent – 1.5T isn't a wonder – Poor visibility

Not only is GM Canada no longer the force it was then – GM's Canadian market share is currently 13.1%, down from 25.9% in 2006 – but the midsize sedan market has taken a tumble.

The Malibu and its rivals, a list which no longer includes the G6 from GM's defunct Pontiac brand, will struggle to generate 100,000 Canadian sales in 2016, a 40% drop over the course of a decade.

Under the midsize segment's cloud, GM is releasing an all-new Malibu. The intermediate car market may be shrinking both north and south of the border, but it's still a vast and highly competitive market in the United States. 

GM could sell more than a quarter-million Malibus in the U.S. this year.

There's no point giving up on such volume simply because 460,000 buyers will choose a GM small SUV/crossover instead; particularly now that GM has completely sorted out how to make a midsize sedan handle and ride very, very well, indeed.

WHAT IS IT?
General Motors began building Chevrolet Malibus in 1964, took a 14-year break, and then reinstated the nameplate in 1997. This Malibu, however, is not the Malibu of 1964.

2016 CHEVROLET MALIBU LT 1.5T Base Price: $23,495 * As-Tested Price: $32,080 * Colour: Blue Velvet Assembly: Kansas City, Kansas Drive Type: front-wheel-drive Transmission: 6-speed automatic Engine: 1.5L DOHC 16-valve turbocharged I-4 Horsepower: 160 @ 5700 rpm Torque: 184 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm Curb Weight: 3126 pounds Length: 193.8 inches Width: 73.0 inches Height: 57.6 inches Wheelbase: 111.4 inches Tires: Continental ProContact TX Tire Size: 245/45R18 Passenger Volume: 2914 litres Cargo Volume: 447 litres EPA City: 27 mpg EPA Hwy: 37 mpg NRCAN OEE City: 6.3 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 8.7 L/100km Observed: 28.3 mpg Observed: 8.3 L/100km * Canadian dollars, includes $1750 in fees.

Nine generations on, the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu is a successor to the poorly received and short-lived eighth-generation Malibu of 2013-2015, a car GM quickly refreshed and has now quickly replaced. Righting wrongs is not a bad business strategy.

In Canada, 2016 Chevrolet Malibu pricing starts at $23,495 for the Malibu L: 16-inch covers on steel wheels, no backup camera, no heated seats. 

That car, the upgraded $25,995 Malibu LS, and the $26,995 LT we're driving make progress with a turbocharged 1.5L four-cylinder producing 163 horsepower. 

There's also a Malibu Hybrid, which cuts fuel consumption to 5.1 L/100km but lifts the price to $30,700. 

The $33,795 Malibu Premier comes standard with a 2.0L turbo producing 250 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, an engine which consumes 18% more fuel than the 1.5T.

Our 2016 Chevrolet Malibu LT was optioned up with the $1995 True North Package, a $1995 Leather Package, and a $995 Convenience & Technology Package for a $32,080 total, fees included. 

HOW BIG IS IT?
The ninth-gen, 2016 Malibu may look as big as Chevrolet's true big sedan, the Impala. But it's not.

Not quite. The Impala stretches 7.5 inches farther, bumper to bumper. Total interior volume isn't that different, but the Impala's trunk is 19% larger. On the other end of the Chevrolet equation, the Cruze, also new for 2016, is ten inches shorter than the Malibu, bumper to bumper, and carves out 6% less cargo space and 9% less passenger volume.

The Malibu's top-selling rival, Toyota's Camry, is smaller than the Malibu, as well. At 190.9 inches long, the Camry is 2.9 inches shorter. The Toyota is also 1.3 inches lower. Official specs say the Malibu offers a slightly larger trunk and a slightly larger interior. A typical 4-cylinder Camry tips the scales with 174 extra pounds compared with the featherweight Malibu.

DOES IT WORK?
No automaker sells more midsize cars in North America than Toyota. The Toyota Camry doesn't make hay by providing mainstream car buyers with an upmarket, luxurious interior full of premium textures and materials inherited from its Lexus ES sibling. But while the Camry lacks the interior style and material quality we're increasingly seeing from rivals as varied as Mazda, Chrysler, Honda, and Volkswagen, Toyota can fall back on a peerless reliability record and acceptable levels of execution in every other facet.

Unlike the Mazda 6 GT we drove last week, the Chevrolet Malibu – like the Toyota Camry – does not have a cabin made to rival entry-level luxury brand sedans. The door plastics are so hard you won't want to rest your elbow there. The seats aren't sufficiently bolstered. The climate controls are far too basic (and blissfully straightforward) to resemble anything a luxury brand would offer. Manual shift mode is engaged, stupidly, via a button on the top of the shifter. GM persists with rubbery switches on the steering wheel that may suggest durable ruggedness but also convey a strong sense of Little Tikes. 

Worsening the interior are A-pillars which slope so sharply and thicken at the bottom so severely that visibility is rather poor. It's quiet in here, and there's space in the back that simply didn't exist in the 2013-2015 Malibu, but even at $32,080, the Malibu isn't nice. Apple CarPlay, a sunroof, and 4G LTE in-car WiFi can't change that. 

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Until you're in motion, a $32,080 Malibu feels like it should be priced at about $27,990. But then the Malibu shows where modern GM is at its best. The 2016 Malibu rides so sedately and in such silence that it's hard to believe it could become an engaging handler, but Chevrolet's chassis developers crafted a Malibu with quick and properly weighted steering, terrific mid-corner balance, and a rear end that wants to be part of the game. 

Brake feel is spot on, and the bigger 18-inch wheels and wide tires of our tester enhance grip but don't impair ride quality one whit. Credit for the dynamic excellence is owed mostly to the Malibu's extraordinarily light weight structure. At 3126 pounds, this Malibu weighs 340 pounds less than the 2015 Hyundai Sonata Limited we tested; 527 pounds less than the last-gen Malibu about which we were so critical.

With weight reduction in place and in search of greater fuel efficiency figures, GM installed a 1.5L turbocharged four-cylinder engine with only 160 horsepower in the Malibu. Somewhat buzzy at low rpm and not especially full of gumption off the line, the 1.5T's 184 lb-ft of torque becomes apparent once revs climb and an overtake is required. 

When it comes to tiny turbocharged four-bangers, we prefer the Volkswagen Jetta's impeccably smooth 1.4T but would respond more favourably to the 2016 Malibu's 1.5T if we witnessed impressive fuel economy figures. The week prior, a 2.5L naturally aspirated 2.5L in the Mazda 6 consumed only 7.3 L/100km of mostly urban driving. The Malibu needed 8.3.

All Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net

IS ANYONE BUYING IT?
Indeed they are. Through the first five months of 2016, the Chevrolet Malibu is Canada's third-best-selling midsize car thanks to a 22% year-over-year sales increase in a category that's down 16%. The Malibu is on track for 2016 to end as the nameplate's best year since 2010.

South of the border, U.S. sales of the Chevrolet Malibu are up 28% in a midsize category that's down 6%. At this stage of 2015, the Malibu trailed the fifth-ranked Chrysler 200 by more than 6700 sales. One year later, through five months, the fifth-ranked Malibu leads the eighth-ranked Chrysler by more than 71,000 units. 

SHOULD I BUY SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD?
There's no shortage of viable alternatives. The Toyota Camry, North America's best-selling midsize car, offers legendary reliability and a huge rear seat. The Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, and Nissan Altima all offer a lot of kit for the money. The Ford Fusion might be a touch too small in the rear seat, but it's at least as pleasant to drive as this Malibu and offers a wide variety of configurations. 

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Historic Monthly & Yearly Chevolet Malibu Sales Figures
2015 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ Driven Review
2015 Toyota Camry XSE V6 Driven Review
2016 Honda Accord Touring Driven Review
2015 Ford Fusion Titanium AWD Driven Review

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The Honda Accord, meanwhile, is GCBC's favourite midsize car, blending space and a healthy degree of athleticism with superior build quality and buttery smooth powerplants.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY?
The way GM Canada's press office built this specific Malibu represents a pleasant but not unaffordable midsize Chevrolet, but you could leave off the $1995 True North Edition if you don't need 18-inch wheels, MyLink with navigation, and a sunroof. 

With fees, the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu LT 1.5T at $30,085 is a quiet, high-content, surprisingly fun to drive, relatively efficient, and roomy sedan that holds its own against its competitive set. And there'll be incentives soon enough.

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?
It's become increasingly common for upper-trim midsize cars to feel decidedly premium; premium enough to embarrass high-priced luxury brand sedans. 

The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu won't do that. The interior lacks any sort of design wow factor, for starters, and doesn't have the material quality to measure up to its class leaders, let alone entry-level sports sedans from upmarket brands.

The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu does, however, find its chance to shine when the car is in motion. Given that the overwhelming majority of moments spent by a typical owner with his or her car occur when the car is in motion, this is excellent news.

Somehow, General Motors built a large, comfort-oriented driver's car that never shouts about it, never seeks out the adulation which accompanies such a reputation, and never demands that it's driver accept punishment in payment for its understated athletic talents. 

For the midsize car buyer who appreciates the new car's style, does not look askance at the reputation carved out by the nameplate's recent history, and does not demand a perfect interior, the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu LT 1.5T is a downright competitive alternative to the segment leaders.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. The Malibu was supplied by GM Canada's press office.