Autoblog

Chevy says current Impala to live on through 2014

Seyth Miersma — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:45:00 EST

We've had no lack of information regarding the new 2014 Chevrolet Impala so far; we know that it will sticker for about $27k to start, that it will offer I4, V6 and hybrid powerplants and that it will go on sale in Spring 2013. We also now know that the Impala will have some very closely related competition, at least for a little while...

Buried at the very end of a press release about the manufacturing of the Chevrolet Camaro returning to US soil yesterday, was this nugget about the current-generation of the Impala: "The consolidated line at Oshawa Assembly will continue to produce the current generation Chevrolet Impala and Equinox until June 2014."

That's right, long after the better looking and fully modern 2014 Impala is on sale in dealerships, the old girl will still be getting churned out up in Canada - most likely being sold as a fleet-only special for the remaining run. If you'll recall, this situation wouldn't be unique for Chevy - the sixth-generation Malibu stayed in the marketplace badged as a "Malibu Classic" for some time after the seventh-gen car went on sale. The dual-Impala strategy should help preserve residual values of the all-new 2014 model, while at the same time allowing GM to further profit from the old Impala, whose tooling has long since been paid for.

Chevy's press release, with the all-important last sentence, follows below.

Continue reading Chevy says current Impala to live on through 2014

Chevy says current Impala to live on through 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2014 Chevrolet Impala debuts all-new design

John Neff — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:01:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Sedan, Chevrolet

To hear Chevrolet tell the story, the Impala is super popular with the public. True, it was one of the ten best-selling cars the U.S. last year, but take away sales to rental, government and commercial fleets, and we'd bet our last dollar that the Impala is no more popular than its competitors, probably less so considering its age. That's why Chevrolet is hoping its all-new Impala for 2014 will do what the last model couldn't: attract folks who don't buy their large sedans in bulk.

The 2014 Chevrolet Impala clearly looks considerably better and more modern than the car it replaces, which hadn't received a thorough redesign since 2005. The face up front is the Bowtie brand's new corporate visage, which can also be seen on the refreshed 2013 Traverse. It's an attractive mug with clean lines, little-to-no clutter and a full suite of high-tech HID and LED lighting elements. At least in pictures, the rest of the new Impala looks brawny and muscular compared to the last model's antiseptic lines. Its wheels, meanwhile, will range in size from a large 18 inches in diameter to a super-sized 20 inches.

We also universally approve of the Impala's new interior design, which sports a dual-cockpit concept, as well as a 4.2-inch information screen between the gauges and an eight-inch screen atop the center stack. However, we're having a hard time with that steering wheel, which doesn't live up to the rest of the cabin's aesthetic standards.

Power for the new Impala will come from a range of three engines, all featuring direct injection: a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with eAssist producing 182 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque and achieving an estimated 35 mpg highway, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder producing 195 hp/187 lb-ft and a 3.6-liter V6 producing 303 hp/264 lb-ft. All will mate to a six-speed automatic and drive the front wheels only.

The Impala has also received a slew of new available active and passive safety systems, including Full-Speed-Range Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Mitigation Braking, Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Side Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

We've included the official press release from Chevrolet below and will update the gallery will more official images as soon as they're available. And later today we'll show you what the Impala looks like in person from the floor of the New York Auto Show.

Continue reading 2014 Chevrolet Impala debuts all-new design

2014 Chevrolet Impala debuts all-new design originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York Auto Show confirms 2014 Chevy Impala debut via Facebook [UPDATE]

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:20:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM

News of an impending automotive debut, especially one as big as the next Chevrolet Impala, generally come straight from the mouths of the automakers. Interesting, then, that the New York Auto Show's Facebook page is the first bit of confirmation we've seen that the 2014 Impala will be making its worldwide debut in The Big Apple.

All we have to go along with that confirmation is the teaser image you see above (click on the pic to enlarge), so we can't glean too many details just yet. We can see a Hofmeister-esque kink in the C-pillar, strongly accented in chrome trim, along with the well-known leaping impala emblem.

Past that, recent spy photos have revealed that the front-wheel-drive Impala will boast plenty of passenger room from its Epsilon-II architecture, the same guts that underpin the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac XTS. We're also expecting GM's well-regarded 3.6-liter V6 underhood, along with a possible turbocharged four and e-Assist hybrid setup.

This news comes on the heels of last week's announcement by General Motors that it plans to replace the Impala in its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series effort with a new nameplate that will also see a production model offshoot, leading to renewed speculation that the automaker will not only sell a new full-size Impala, but potentially a large rear-wheel drive sedan to offer as well, possibly based on the company's Zeta platform that underpins the Holden Commodore and recently introduced Chevrolet Caprice PPV law enforcement special.

The 2012 New York Auto Show is slated to kick off on April 4, but in the meantime, feel free to go over the teaser above with a fine-toothed comb, and stay tuned for any more details we find ahead of its debut.

UPDATE: GM has confirmed the Impala with the issuance of a press release and official image. In addition, it has confirmed that a revamped 2013 Traverse crossover will also bow in New York. The Traverse will be available with GM's new front, center-mount airbag first revealed in the updated Buick Enclave, the Traverse's twin. See the official release after the jump and note the addition of a Traverse interior image above.

Continue reading New York Auto Show confirms 2014 Chevy Impala debut via Facebook [UPDATE]

New York Auto Show confirms 2014 Chevy Impala debut via Facebook [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Chevrolet Impala caught testing

Damon Lavrinc — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:28:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM

After languishing in mediocrity for far too long, the 2013 Chevrolet Impala can't come soon enough, and our shooters managed to snag a camouflaged prototype - both inside and out - for the first time.

Based on the long-wheelbase version of the Epsilon 2 platform, the reimagined Impala is set to be powered by a choice of either GM's 3.6-liter V6 or its recently revealed 270-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. An eAssist version is also likely to be offered soon after its debut.

Inside, we get a glimpse of a reworked interior that's more plush than the current model, complete with leather dash and trim, tasteful aluminum accents and a sizable nav screen front-and-center.

The exterior is harder to gauge, but the ride height is noticeably lower, the roof and windshield more raked and the front fascia has taken on a pointed, Camaro-esque shape. We should know more in the coming months before Chevy takes the wraps off in the first half of the year.

2013 Chevrolet Impala caught testing originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last of the six-seat sedans on their way out?

Dan Roth — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM

2011 Chevrolet Impala interior - Click above for a high-res image gallery

The six-place sedan is coming very close to joining the Passenger Pigeon. Anyone younger than about thirty years old isn't likely to have memories of straddling the transmission tunnel in the middle of the front seat, trying to keep knees out of the hungry teeth of radio pushbuttons or HVAC controls.

In an opinion piece for the Detroit Free Press, Mark Phelan ponders this phenomenon, and notes that big coupes have already gone extinct, with General Motors seemingly providing the last gasp of each format. There are several reasons for this; most mainstream sedans have transverse-mounted powertrains and front-wheel drive, which means no hump to straddle. And with the death of Ford's Panther platform, there's only the 2011 Chevrolet Impala available for buyers seeking a front bench seat and six-passenger capacity in a sedan.

The attrition is mostly due to changing consumer tastes. While bench-seated sedans were once the kings of the road, car buyers have found better solutions for moving a sextuplet of people. Jim Hall of Michigan's 2953 Analytics notes that baby boomers "didn't embrace their parents' sedans," preferring instead to go for crossovers and minivans.

The change in buyer preferences, and the fact that a sedan is about the most uncomfortable way to transport six people, may spell permanent doom for the six-seat sedan. It's not going to surprise anyone if the 2013 Chevrolet Impala has a center console and no optional bench seat... and it's not likely anyone will miss it.

Last of the six-seat sedans on their way out? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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