The 2011 Chevrolet Malibu is likely to be a visual repeat of the 2010 Malibu, with some new color choices and perhaps an altered wheel design only difference. There’s an outside chance Chevy could summon the resources to tweak some styling details. But that sort of mid-cycle facelift, formerly a routine event, is an extravagance in today’s turbulent economy. General Motors is applying money and energy to other, more pressing projects as it emerges from bankruptcy. Thankfully, maintaining Malibu’s current look is hardly a drawback. Four years after its introduction, this is still among the handsomest sedans on the road. Its distinctive big-bar Chevy grille wears just enough jewelry to compliment the body’s strong, clean lines. Malibu’s styling is uncommonly sophisticated and the car looks like it should cost more than it does. Part of its character derives from a long wheelbase and short sheetmetal overhangs. The wheels are near the edges of the car, a legacy of a design with origins in GM’s European operations. A version of this so-called Epsilon platform in fact underpins the Opel Vectra and Saab 9-3 from, respectively, the German and Swedish brands formerly controlled by GM. In the U.S., Epsilon is also used for the redesigned 2010 Chevrolet Equinox compact crossover SUV. Wheelbase, the distance between the front and rear axles, is key to determining a car’s passenger space. Malibu’s wheelbase is among the longest of any midsize car, giving it a generously sized interior flawed only by some shortcuts in seat padding and the absence of a center rear armrest. Trunk space is a bit leaner than in the top midsize rivals, but standard folding rear seatbacks and plenty of bins and pockets compensate some.