For diversity, passenger cars grouped behind the bow-tie badge of Chevrolet include everything from fuel-efficient commuter vehicles and refined family sedans to a powerful coupe and the two-seat Corvette sports car.

Theme for Chevy's Class of '04 could be more and more of everything as supercharged versions of the Impala sedan and Monte Carlo coupe debut with SS (Super Sport) labels, and new models emerge, such as a remake of the midsize Malibu sedan and the five-door extended version, Malibu Maxx, plus an entirely new entry-level small car cut in stylish sedan or sporty five-door variation.

Chevy's midsize Malibu sedan appears in new editions built on GM's Epsilon platform and featuring contemporary new body styling and innovative features for a flexible cabin design. Malibu Maxx, a five-door sedan with stretched wheelbase, works as a multi-task hauler of people and cargo with a back seat that moves forward and back, a cargo area accessible from the hatchback-style back door and a skylight fixed in the rear section of the ceiling.

Aveo arrives later in the model-year as Chevy's new entry-level car with body styling worked out by Giorgetto Giugiaro's Italdesign studios in Italy. The Impala line of sedans adds the Impala SS edition packing a supercharged V6 that delivers 240 hp. A coupe edition is the Monte Carlo SS toting the same supercharged powertrain. Cavalier, the compact-class economy car from Chevrolet, returns in two-door coupe and four-door sedan variations with look-at-me paint choices like Rally Yellow and Sunburst Orange Metallic.

And fabled Corvette, conformed as either a daring convertible or sleek hatchback coupe, marks the success of the C5-R racer for the American Le Mans Series with special commemorative editions in a paint scheme called, appropriately, Le Mans Blue.

The Malibu nameplate first appeared in Chevy's lineup more than three decades ago and the Malibu Super Sport as a sporty coupe or sedan derivative of the midsize Chevelle became a hot item, ultimately accounting for millions upon millions of sales until its demise in 1983.

Then in 1997, the Malibu badge returned to Chevrolet in the format of a midsize sedan with four doors and seats for five, two engine options and a pair of trims -- plus competitive price tags.

Now Malibu is born again as an entirely new car cast on GM's Epsilon platform that also underpins the Saab 9-3. It looks sleek and stylish and comes with a spacious five-seat cabin that has a fold-flat seatback for the front passenger bucket and a rear split bench for flexibility when arranging passengers and cargo.

Engine options include the EcoTec 2.2-liter four-cylinder worth 140 hp or a new 3.5-liter V6 zipped to 200 hp. Each plant connects strictly to a four-speed Hydra-Matic 4T45-E automatic transmission. Three trim levels - base Malibu, Malibu LS and top-grade LT -- are available, with a factory-installed remote starter package on the list of options. (CONTINUED...)

Read our Review: Chevrolet Malibu