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The sedan was once the default vehicle. Need a daily driver? Get a sedan. Need a car for a smallish family? Get a sedan. Have a trailer? Get a sedan with a V8. Today, the crossover has taken over as the default automobile configuration, and the sedan is increasingly an upsell purchased for its performance or looks. And as of early 2024, only one of the Detroit Three will sell you a sedan: General Motors. But this headline should come with a big footnoted asterisk.

If you want to walk into a dealership and buy a 2024 sedan right now, there’s only one brand family to choose from: General Motors. They will sell you a Cadillac CT4, CT5, or Chevrolet Malibu. That’s right. Ford retired the Fusion after 2020. In 2023, you could still buy a Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger, but that chassis is on hiatus while Dodge retools its factories for its next-gen EVs.

Dodge is hoping to launch the Charger EV–available as a coupe first, then a sedan–by the end of 2024. We’ll have to see if they hit that target or not. In the meantime, if you go to a Dodge dealership for a sedan you may find a 2023 Charger or have to buy an Alfa Romeo instead.

Chevrolet's Malibu sedan driving along a coast, the ocean visible in the background.
2024 Chevrolet Malibu | General Motors

The Malibu is far from the final American sedan available. The Tesla Model 3 is one of the most popular sedans in the world and that, alongside the pricier Model S, is made right here in the U.S. of A. Other electric startups such as Lucid are also building sedans here. Because efficiency is so important for EVs, sedans and even low station wagons may make a comeback in the electric era.

There’s something poetic about the Chevrolet Malibu being the only sedan platform still coming out of Detroit. It’s an American icon. The nameplate is even older than the Dodge Charger, debuting as the Malibu version of the Chevelle in 1964. The beloved Chevy car carved out a niche for itself and, aside from a couple pauses in production, has been plugging along ever since. Chevrolet hasn’t announced any plans for an electric version. But I’ll be honest, it’ll take much more than an electrification revolution to kill this living legend.

Next, find out the only automaker not selling an electric full-size pickup truck in 2024, or see the Washington Post’s deep dive into what killed the sedan in the video below:

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.