ON THE MOVE: 10 million Malibus provide a pat on the back for GM’s Fairfax workers

As excitement builds at the General Motors Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Kan., for the release of the redesigned 2016 Malibu sometime in early to mid November, factory workers received news last week that only increases that enthusiasm.

It always nice to know that something you make is well received, Fairfax Assembly Plant manager Bill Kulhanek said.

Well, the world loves the Malibu and has for years. A week ago, it was announced that the Malibu, a midsize sedan, pushed past the 10 million mark in vehicles sold around the world.

“Ten million customers is a testament to the power of customer loyalty General Motors has,” Kulhanek said. “You just don’t sell 10 million of one particular brand unless you have a good, loyal following.

“The biggest thing for anybody, regardless of what you do, is get positive feedback. When you are a builder of a vehicle and you sold 10 million vehicles, you get that positive feedback and that just inspires you to build a better vehicle all the way around. Anytime anybody gets a pat on the back, you get an incentive to keep doing what you are doing.”

Chevrolet celebrated the sales achievement on Aug. 31 for the global sedan in the United States, China and Korea, which collectively account for more than 90 percent of sales. The Malibu is sold in more than 25 countries around the world.

The 2016 Malibu will be made at the Fairfax Assembly Plant, which currently is busy with preproduction. Kulhanek said everything is on schedule to hit the release date in a couple of months.

Like any successful car with staying power, the Malibu keeps evolving. The ninth-generation of the Malibu is longer, lighter and with more interior space.

The standard 1.5-liter turbo powertrain is projected to offer 37 miles per gallon in highway driving. It also features a fuel-saving stop/start technology that enhances efficiency in stop-and-go driving.

And the all-new hybrid model that uses technology from the Chevrolet Volt is estimated to get 48 mpg city, 45 mpg highway – and 47 mpg combined. Kulhanek said they are still working on the numbers for the hybrid.

“Everything that has been shown to the public has been very well received. We think it will be a great hit with the consumers,” Kulhanek said.

“The first thing that excites me is how it looks. It has a more athletic stance, a more modern appearance. It is really an engaging vehicle for the eyes. The overall aesthetics standpoint is very pleasing, very good lines. It is an awesome-looking vehicle.”

In designing the all-new Malibu, General Motors listened to its customers.

“Everything General Motors does is focused on the customer,” Kulhanek said. “What we really want to do is have customers for life. That is our mission statement here at Fairfax. We build vehicles that will earn customers for life.

“We’ve got to keep changing to keep the customer engaged and happy.”

More than 10 million buyers of the Malibu is proof of it.

“The Chevy Malibu joins an exclusive club of vehicles that have achieved this extraordinary milestone, and we acknowledge it today by honoring the common thread linking every one produced: the customer,” said Alan Batey, president, global Chevrolet, in a press release.

“Some people are buying their very first Malibu today, and others may have driven a Malibu from a different generation as their first car. It is a car that has resonated with customers for more than half a century.”

It is a car the Kansas City area should take pride in.

If you are driving around Kansas City in a new Malibu and you see someone give you a thumbs up, it might be from a worker from the Fairfax Plant who played a role in building it.

“It gets you pretty excited,” Kulhanek said of seeing a Malibu. “When you see a vehicle driving down the road that you helped be a part of, then it touches you and you are happy. You drive by that customer and give them a thumbs up. All our team members feel that way.”

This story was originally published September 11, 2015 at 7:32 PM.