VICTORIA, B.C. — The best four-door sedan that almost no one loves is the Chevrolet Malibu.

How bad has it gotten for the Malibu? Last year Toyota sold almost twice the number of Camrys, ditto for Ford with the Fusion. Honda’s Accord, the Hyundai Sonata, and even Chrysler’s sad-sack 200 all outsell the Malibu in Canada, too.

The 2016 Malibu has a technology story to tell — and the MyLink touchscreen interface is a good place to start.

Of course, sales numbers aren’t the total measure of a car. I mean, the Malibu out-sells Subaru’s all-wheel-drive Legacy about 3:1, yet Consumer Reports justifiably ranks the Legacy first among midsize sedans. The Malibu, then, is more popular, but not the better car.

Meantime, it’s possible to argue that the Malibu boasts better quality than the Camry and others, though they all out-sell the Chevy. That is, the Malibu ranks first in class in both the three-year Vehicle Dependability Study from J.D. Power and Associates, and Power’s Initial Quality Study – ahead of the Camry, Accord, Sonata, Fusion and all the rest. So good top quality is not always rewarded with best-in-class sales.

Let’s also mention that the Malibu has a “Good” safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, though the headlights are rated “Poor.” Point is, for the past few years, the Malibu has checked most boxes for the rational buyer – aside from the lack of decent headroom in the back seat.

The second-generation Chevelle Malibu (1968-72) was a very pretty car.

But on the vitally important emotional scale, every version of the Malibu sold from 1973 onward has suffered from mutt-like styling and sad-sack performance and handling. The fifth generation version (1997-2005) was a design inspired by a blob of clay. Then came generation six, a horrible collection of creases and slabs.

Generation seven, which arrived just as General Motors was sliding into bankruptcy, was a pretty decent car overshadowed by the failures of the entire company. Generation eight (2013-2015) – the version being replaced by the all-new 2016 Malibu – was a better car, still, though not particularly special.

All this explains a lot about the state of the Malibu today. Baby boomers might remember the very slick 1970 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe, but everyone else associates “Malibu” with mediocrity or worse. For four and a half decades, GM’s treatment of this car has been an embarrassment, a travesty and a tragedy.

So here we are in 2016 and GM types are giddy, singing the praises of the new Malibu, calling it gorgeous and a magnet for disaffected Camry and Nissan Altima buyers. In a conference call with auto analysts, GM’s North American president Alan Batey argued that the Malibu is the poster child for GM’s new-found prowess and commitment never again to build anything as awful as the 2000 Malibu.

This horrible blob of a car was the 1998 Malibu. Picture: CarGurus.

“This is a larger vehicle than the vehicle it replaces. But it’s 300 pounds lighter than the vehicle that it replaces,” he said. “So you can imagine what that does for a fuel economy. It’s packed with safety features and obviously the advanced technology and OnStar and 4G that we’ve just spoken about. We also offer features such as Apple Car Play and Android Auto.”

Yes, the Chevy people can fairly argue that this latest Malibu is tighter, more athletic and more responsive to drive. It’s bigger and longer, with more rear-seat legroom, too.

“We went from being one of the heaviest, to the lightest” car it the class, says Shane Peever, the Chevy brand manager in Canada.

The new 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo – mated to a six-speed automatic gear box – is efficient and powerful enough at 163 horsepower (8.7 L/100km city and 6.3 L/100k). If you want something more, get the 2.0-litre turbo with the eight-speed autobox and a thirst for premium fuel (250 hp, 10.6 L/100km city and 7.1 L/100km).

Four of five Malibu buyers will get the 1.5-litre, says Peever, noting it gets better fuel economy than comparable versions of the Camry, Fusion and Sonata.

Now this 2016 Malibu has a handsome profile.

If you want the very best fuel economy, there is the Malibu Hybrid with its new electric motor shared with Chevy Volt and a 1.8-litre gas engine (182 hp of total system power, 5.0 L/100km city and 5.1 L/100km). This hybrid has better fuel economy than the Accord, Fusion, Camry and Sonata hybrids.

Prices start at $21,745 plus fees and taxes, of course. And if you shop hard, you should be able to nail down at least a $1,000 factory discount. That’s a fair price for a 2016 Malibu that is better and better equipped than the Malibu it replaces.

The car is pleasant to drive, roomy, handsome inside and out and quiet at higher speeds. The infotainment interface – GM’s MyLink system – is one of the most user-friendly of its kind, and compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

GM is also touting something called Teen Driver, which allows you to call up a display of driver behavior – from maximum speed reached to distance driven and the number of times active safety features were engaged, among other things.

The 2016 Malibu: front seats.

This is a good car, no question. After all these decades, GM has finally, finally given the Malibu the respect this nameplate deserves.

THE LOOK: Here we have one of the more handsome designs in the everyday midsize class. There are just enough lines and creases to make things interesting. The proportions are balanced and the nose is strong.

THE DRIVE: At higher speeds, the ride comfort and quiet are impressive. The steering is a bit numb on-centre, but the braking is steady and progressive.

THE NUTS AND BOLTS: GM has gone with a four-cylinder lineup – modern engines. The eight-speed gearbox is very advanced. The hybrid is an achievement in fuel economy.

2016 Malibu touchscreen

THE CABIN/STORAGE: The big story: more room in the back seat. The soft-touch materials look and feel great.

THE BRAND: Chevy is a work in progress in North America. It will take quite a few more years to get the buying public to equate Chevy with the Toyota brand.

WHY BUYS? Conservative, middle-range folks who have yet to embrace sport-utilities.

Price range: $21,745-$32,045. Hybrid starts at $28,850.

Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder, turbocharged (163 horsepower, 184 lb-ft of torque); 2.0-litre four-cylinder, turbocharged (250 hp/266 lb-ft).

Drive: front-wheel.

Transmission: six-speed automatic and eight-speed automatic.

Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 8.7 city/6.3 highway using regular fuel for the 1.5-litre; 10.6/7.1 using premium for the 2.0-litre.

Comparables: Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, Chrysler 200, Nissan Altima, Kia Optima, Volkswagen Passat, Subaru Legacy, Mazda6.