Good point. Very good point.
I have a lot of fun coming to this website. I've learnt more about GM products here than at anywhere else and up until 2000 had been a loyal customer. Since then I have owned and '02 and '04 Maxima, and now an '07 Passat. I am really, really impressed with the '08 Malibu. As well as the '08 CTS. After 7 years of not even giving GM a glance, I can honestly say they have finally given me a reason to come back, as I have posted previously. I am part of the reason why their sales have declined so much over the years.
The new '08 Malibu is a steep departure from the previous car and will take time to take hold. Heck, after seeing it in real life I don't even recognize it from the 2007. I am impressed, and believe me I don't impress easy.
The Malibu has never sold anywhere close to 40,000 units per month like the Camry, and after checking on another section of C&G, the '07 had only sold about 108,000 YTD by October. Can it sell 40,000 units per month overnight? Nope.
Should it dramatically exceed 10,000 units per month like the previous car? I certainly think so.
Will it bastardize sales of the Impala? I don't know, but I know I wouldn't buy an Impala. The Malibu, definitely.
40,000 units per month is a long, long road to travel. But at least they have a product that could go a long way in accomplishing that.