????通用汽車公司（General Motors）的雪佛蘭（Chevrolet）事業部對中級轎車邁瑞寶（Malibu）做了一番整容手術，同時對它的引擎也進行了一些修改，希望在兩三年后推出全新車型之前，能靠這次小幅度的改款推高銷量和定價。

????通用近來可以說是好消息不斷，特別是它的IPO股價提高到了每股33美元。破產重組四年后，通用汽車終于重新站穩了腳跟，投資人也因此倍感鼓舞。另外凱迪拉克（Cadillac）近來收入頗豐，而且隨著市場對皮卡的需求加大，通用汽車最近的皮卡車型雪佛蘭西爾瓦多（Silverado）和GMC Sierra也獲得了好評，而且對這兩款皮卡的需求也在增加。最好的消息莫過于美國財政部正在出售它持有的通用股份，意味著通用汽車或許很快就會摘掉“政府汽車”的帽子。

????作為通用汽車旗下最重要的品牌，雪佛蘭于2012年推出了現款邁瑞寶，邁瑞寶的目標是要從日產天籟（Nissan Altima）、本田雅閣（Honda Accord）、豐田凱美瑞（Toyota Camry）以及通用的同城對手福特福星（Ford Fusion）手里爭搶客源，可是這款車型有些美中不足。

????因此，雪佛蘭對邁瑞寶的一些短板進行了修補。雪佛蘭的一名發言人查德?里昂斯說：“促進這次升級的原因有幾個方面。首先是我們自己也承認，邁瑞寶需要提高在這個細分市場里的競爭力。”同時他表示車主的反饋也起了重要作用。為了使邁瑞寶變得更有競爭力，雪佛蘭的工程師們擴大了它的后排空間，提高了它的燃油經濟性，而且還對外觀進行了重新設計。

????汽車網站Edmunds.com的米歇爾?克雷布斯指出：“改款邁瑞寶的這些變化已經是通用汽車在這么短的時間里所能做的一切了。但我不確定消費者是否能注意到老款與改款之間有多大區別。”她認為，邁瑞寶面臨的困難有一部分要歸咎于通用公司松散、低效的市場營銷，通用自己則堅決反對這種看法。

????2013年的頭五個月里，豐田（Toyota）凱美瑞占據了中級家轎市場的頭把交椅，銷量為171,756輛，比去年同期下降5.5%。第二名是本田（Honda）雅閣，銷量為155,183輛，比去年同期上漲22.9%。第3名為日產（Nissan）天籟，銷量為140,883輛，比去年同期上漲4.1%。福特（Ford）福星賣出136,833輛，比去年同期上漲21.7%。其次才是雪佛蘭邁瑞寶，銷量為89,812輛，比去年同期下降18.4%。

????汽車估值網站“凱麗藍皮書”（Kelley Blue Book）的高級分析師艾里克?古提雷茲稱：“邁瑞寶所在的中級家轎市場是競爭最激烈的一個市場。去年這個市場里有很多重新設計的車型上市，而且這個市場里也有很多忠實的消費者。（新）邁瑞寶看起來要比一年前重新設計上市的老款漂亮多了，應該會有助于促進銷量。但是要想打敗凱美瑞或雅閣奪得銷量第一的位子，恐怕還很困難。”

????當然，邁瑞寶的風險要遠遠大于自夸的資本。通用汽車的大量稅前利潤都來自它的全尺寸皮卡車型，而它的轎車利潤卻十分疲軟。通用汽車的轎車車型一直在不斷改善，但仍然無法縮小與亞洲頂級競爭對手的差距。以凱迪拉克為例，雖然它已經成功轉變為豪車市場的一個強有力的競爭對手，但是仍然無法和奧迪（Audi）、雷克薩斯（Lexus）、奔馳（Mercedes）、寶馬（BMW）等品牌相提并論，因此也無法開出更高的價格。

????做了拉皮整容手術的邁瑞寶究竟銷量如何，接下來的幾個月就會見分曉。如果通用的中期小改款的確有效，那么它的銷量和定價應該會立刻改觀。讓我們看看通用的營銷人員能否用事實反駁人們的批評，響亮地告訴大家，一輛更出色的邁瑞寶已經到了經銷商的門店里。（財富中文網）

????譯者：樸成奎

????General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet division is keeping fingers crossed that plastic surgery on its midsize Malibu sedan -- plus some tinkering with its engine -- will be sufficient to boost sales and pricing until an all-new model appears two or three years hence.

????GM (GM) has been enjoying a spate of good news lately, particularly the increase in its shares above the public offering price of $33. Investors are heartened that the automaker has stabilized following four years of post-bankruptcy restructuring. Cadillac has posted big gains of late; and GM's new pickup trucks, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra had received positive reviews as demand rises for pickups. Best of all, the U.S. Treasury is selling its stake in GM, which soon will render the "Government Motors" moniker obsolete.

????The Malibu, the family sedan entry for GM's most important brand Chevrolet, has been a fly in the ointment. Introduced in 2012, the Malibu's mission was to recruit shoppers in the segment from competitors such as the Nissan (NSANY) Altima, Honda (HMC) Accord, Toyota (TM) Camry and, most importantly, Ford (F) Fusion, GM's crosstown rival.

????Instead, Malibu pulled up somewhat lame. "What sparked the update was several things, the first being our own acknowledgment that Malibu needed to be even more competitive in this segment," said Chad Lyons, a Chevrolet spokesman. Feedback from owners played a role, he said. To make the Malibu more competitive, Chevrolet engineers increased room in the rear, improved fuel efficiency, and redesigned the exterior.

????Michelle Krebs of Edmunds.com said: "The changes in the Malibu are about all GM could do in that short period of time. I'm not sure consumers will notice there's much of a difference between the two." She attributed Malibu's difficulties, in part, to haphazard and insufficient marketing -- a charge GM disputes.

????Through the first five months of 2013, the Toyota Camry was the top seller in the midsize segment with sales of 171,756, a decrease of 5.5% from last year. Second was Honda's Accord with 155,183, up 22.9%; Nissan's Altima sold 140,883, up 4.1%, and Ford dealers sold 136,833 Fusions, up 21.7%. Chevrolet Malibu brought up the rear with sales of 89,812, a decline of 18.4%.

????"The Malibu is in the most hotly contested segment, the midsize segment, where there have been so many new redesigns in the past year and with so many loyal buyers," said Alec Gutierrez, senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book. "The (new) Malibu looks much sleeker than its predecessor, which was just redesigned a year ago and should help boost sales but will still have a hard time beating the Camry or Accord for the No. 1 spot."

????The stakes, of course, are far bigger than bragging rights. GM's fullsize pickup trucks generate enormous pre-tax margins for the automaker, while GM's cars struggle financially. GM's car models keep getting better -- but they haven't closed the gap with the top performers from Asia. Cadillac, for example, has turned itself into a stronger competitor among luxury car models, though not yet in the same league with Audi, Lexus, Mercedes, and BMW, meaning it can't command higher prices.

????The next few months should be telling for the facelifted Malibu. If GM's midcourse corrections are effective, sales volume and pricing should improve right away. Let's see if GM's marketers can rebut the critics and communicate a resounding message that a better Malibu is available at dealer showrooms.