by Jeff Gilbert

WWJ AutoBeat Reporter

General Motors is giving us a sneak peek of one of it’s most important vehicles in years. This video shows some sketches, and a model of the totally redone 2013 Chevrolet Malibu.

Now that General Motors is down to four core brands, Chevrolet is taking a lead globally. That means the Malibu will go on sale in nearly 100 countries worldwide.

“This Malibu takes Chevrolet’s established and award-winning nameplate to new places and introduces it to new audiences around the world,” said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet, in a statement released by the company. “Whether the Malibu is sold in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, or Australia, it has been engineered from the ground up to meet the needs of customers around the world.”

Just before the Malibu is shown for the first time at auto shows in Shanghai and New York, GM will be revealing it live on Facebook (http://facebook.com/chevrolet) and using iPad and iPhone apps. The online reveal is scheduled for 8:30 PM EDT on April 18th.

Auto companies have found social media to be an effective, low cost way of introducing new products to a brand new audience.

“If you get attention in social media, you’re recognized as being with it, being on top of it, et cetera,” said University of Detroit Mercy marketing professor Michael Bernacchi.

Bernacchi says social media allows companies to directly connect with a lot of people in a very short time.

“Social media was never meant to be a commercial vehicle, but commerce has been able to use it very, very well.”

General Motors will give more details about the new Malibu closer to it’s launch. But the company promises “European-inspired driving characteristics” with “a global family of fuel-efficient engines.”

The Malibu remains GM’s best selling car. The 2013 version will be the 8th generation of the vehicle, which made its debut in 1964.

Follow Jeff Gilbert on Twitter @jefferygilbert