Holden Malibu a four-cylinder gas guzzler

Holden’s great four-cylinder hope has hit a hurdle before it has even arrived in showrooms.

The new Holden Malibu mid-size sedan is a gas-guzzler compared to its four-cylinder rivals -- and even uses almost as much fuel as a Commodore V6.

The issue is so sensitive that Holden has prepared its dealers with a sales kit that encourages them to highlight other features of the Malibu, such as the standard rear-view camera across the range, rather than the poor fuel economy.

The Malibu was supposed to mark a return to form for Holden in the mid-size sedan class after lacklustre sales of the Epica, a rebadged and remodeled Daewoo.

But the new Malibu has received a lukewarm response in North America and General Motors has admitted it fast-tracked a mid-life update. Holden, which sources the Malibu from South Korea, will not get the update until much later, and is instead releasing the model that is about to be superseded in the next 12 months.

With an official combined cycle fuel consumption rating of 8.0L/100km the Holden Malibu uses more fuel than the Toyota Camry, Mazda6 and Hyundai i40. Only the Honda Accord (8.8L/100km) and the Ford Mondeo (9.5L/100km) are thirstier. The new Commodore V6 is said to use marginally more than the Malibu’s 8.0L/100km. The current VE Commodore V6 uses 8.9L/100km.

In an embarrassing double-whammy, the Holden Malibu also has the least power among most of its peers, with just 123kW from its 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine. All its rivals except the Ford Mondeo have more than 130kW of power.

The new Holden Malibu is due on sale next month priced from about $28,990 plus on-road costs. It will be available in two model grades with a choice of a 2.4-litre petrol engine or a 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine.

This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling