2019 Malibu 22 LSV rolls out big-wake improvements

Inside, the changes to the 22 LSV reflect those of the 23 LSV, with subtle, unseen shifts such as moving the battery and windblocker storage to the bow, and glove box and bow vent covers crafted from a single billet.

Another notable change are the port and starboard navigation lights, which disappear from the bow to relocate just under the windscreen.

“It’s kind of like the baby of the 23 LSV,” Malibu Boats Australia chief executive Price Taylor said. “The 23 LSV that we build here and in America has been the world’s best-selling tow boat, bar none.”

Taylor said Malibu Boats has modified the US-market 22 LSV to make it slightly narrower, and therefore towable on Australian roads without oversize restrictions. This was done utilising the skills of both the Australian and US design teams working together with the mold manufacturer to slim the beam down to 98 inches (249mm),  all without affecting the shape of the running surface.

“In America we build it at 102 inches (2.6m) wide. At 2.49 metres we (Australian boat owners) don’t have to carry flags and that sort of stuff, so ours is designed and engineered just for Australia. Because it is under the maximum towing width legislated in Australia I can just hook it up and tow it away.”

The Malibu 22 LSV also comes with a larger bilge access plate in the floor, and L-shaped ballast tanks that can increase in wave-forming capacity. Optional “plug-and-play” bags can add additional volume of water down the back. Notable options include a folding rear-facing bench seat and hard-wearing pads on the hatches and rear centre seat to help protect high-traffic areas on the boat – a key feature of the Malibu Response TXR ski boat launched exclusively in Australia last month.

Owners can also option red, white or black hull decals featuring the Malibu logo.

The 6.7-metre Malibu 22 LSV can carry up to 14 people. An increase in the size of the fuel tank compared with the previous model – now 182 litres, a gain of 8.0L – keeps owners out on the water a little longer than before.

The Malibu 22 LSV will come with two different hull choices, with either the Multisport Diamond hull providing the versatile wake/surf/ski version, or the Wake Plus Hull for the hardcore surf and wake enthusiasts.

With the optional bow tank and plug and play bags filled, the 22 LSV can carry up to 1229 kilograms of wake-forming weight.

At the rear, the third-generation Power Wedge drops down to provide a further 680 kilograms of downforce at its maximum setting, but set all the way forward it will go into “Lift Mode” to create lift at the transom during takeoff, helping the boat to get up on the plane faster.

It’s a handy feature for beginners, too, allowing the driver to  reduce the size of the wake at the press of a button. It also stows away higher than before when not in use and is standard with Malibu’s “Surfpipe” which discharges the exhaust into the prop wash and well behind the rider.

An optional front-view camera helps with driving the boat onto a trailer. Push a button to bring the boat into its docking mode, and the camera shows up in the multifunction screen in front of the helm, while the throttle response dulls to help with low-speed maneuvering.

Pricing for the 2019 Malibu Boats Australia range is expected to be released by the end of this month.

The 2019 Malibu Wakesetter 22 LSV was launched in October alongside the 2019 Malibu Response TXR, an Australia-only retro-look ski boat developed in-house at the boat-maker's Albury, NSW-based factory.