Autoblog

click above for more pics of the 2008 Ford Focus SES Coupe

Fuel economy and CO2 emissions are on a lot of our minds right now, and many of us are re-examining our vehicle needs in an effort to save coin at the pump. The push to downsize has influenced the entire state of Ohio, which plans to switch its government fleet from 90-percent midsize sedans to one fortified with up to 50-percent of Ford Foci. Not only will the Focus save the state at the pump, but Ford's little economy car also costs less to buy. The Cleveland Plain Dealer, which calls the Focus "less stylish", pens the fleet cost of the Focus at about $12,000, while a Chevrolet Impala will run the state $16,000 or more. The switch to a Focus fleet will save the state $242,000 this year alone, and the dollar figures go up as more economy cars hit the fleet.

Of course some of the employees that have to drive the homely, yet practical, Focus are complaining about a lack of head and leg room. Unsympathetic DAS spokesman Ron Sylvester basically told complainers to shed some girth and deal with it. Who knows, maybe the state will use some of the savings to hook up its peeps with SYNC, which could give workers hands-free phone capabilities so they can complain about their car to friends while keeping both hands on the wheel. We're not so sure the rank and file will dislike the Focus though. We kinda liked it.

[Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer via The Truth About Cars]

It's finally (semi) official: RWD cars like a new Pontiac GTO (and Holden Monaro) and Impala are "gone for now." Bob Lutz has been making noises about it for a while, and every announcement gets more and more certain that the front wheels will be pulling more GM cars.

Just a month ago, Lutz told Forbes "That's where the internal debate [on the Impala] is now -- no firm decision at this point, but my guess is that we will come down on the side of the front-drive car." By the time of last week's Detroit Auto Show, Lutz was telling GoAuto "I think the (Monaro/Pontiac GTO) is gone for now.... [T]hat's not the end of the market where we want to stimulate demand. We have to find ways to stimulate demand and desirability in cars that will get us closer to the 35 MPG average."

How will that be done? Perhaps by using the Alpha midsize platform and making CUV's. However, the Alpha still hasn't been signed off on, and won't be until GM figures out what -- and how many -- standards it will need to adhere to when the CAFE tug-of-war ends.

[Source: GoAuto]

Click the image above for over 30 high-res pics.

The Chevy Impala is celebrating its 50th Anniversary, and to commemorate the occasion the Bowtie division is offering up a badge-and-trim special edition. What you have here is the garden-variety Impala LT, upgraded for anniversary-edition duty with an FE3 sport suspension, 18-inch alloys, commemorative "50th" Impala badges and a rear spoiler. Inside, the seats are leather and two-toned, with eight-way adjustability for the driver and anniversary embroidery on the headrests. Other edition-specific features include a multifunction steering wheel wrapped in contrast-stitched leather, slightly fancier floormats, and doorsill plates sporting the anniversary logo. It comes in red or black and is, without question, the single most unexciting car GM will be introducing at next month's Detroit Auto Show.

[Source: GM]

Gallery: Chevrolet Impala 50th Anniversary Edition

Say it ain't so, Bob! Automotive News is reporting that since General Motors' plans for a rear-wheel-drive Impala replacement that's based on the Australian-sourced Zeta platform are up in the air (you can thank the U.S. government and its never ending debate on a CAFE increase for that), a backup plan for a front-wheel-drive is in place. The candidate platform would be the Epsilon II chassis set to underpin the next generation Opel Vectra and Saturn Aura, as well as the next Malibu (OMG, we're already talking about the next Malibu?). Though a higher CAFE standard could torpedo plans for a rear-wheel-drive Impala replacement, the case for another front-wheel-drive Imp isn't necessarily on solid ground either. With the Malibu having grown in size considerably, the current Impala and Malibu cast similarly sized shadows now, and to develop another FWD replacement would only further some confusion between the two models.

The Impala is currently GM's best-selling car across all brands with 270,504 units sold so far this year and 20,791 sold last month alone. The Malibu, meanwhile, only sold 5,975 units in October, but we expect its monthly sales to rise quickly once the new model hits dealer showrooms. There's little to celebrate, however, if the Malibu's new sales come from the Impala's column. Thus, it's imperative that GM find a way to differentiate the two models while maintaining the Impala's appeal. Switching the Impala to RWD and drawing on the car's heritage would be a perfect way to do that, but if the CAFE debate doesn't go the Impala's way, this new plan B appears the way to go.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]

We interviewed Chevrolet General Manager Ed Peper at the Detroit Auto Show earlier today. While we won't have the full interview up for you until sometime tomorrow, there was one tidbit of information that we wanted to share with you straightaway, and it relates to the next-generation Impala.

Many of us presumed that we'd get to see the car sometime during this auto show season. That's not the case. GM's immense new product onslaught was such that we simply assumed that we'd be seeing an Impala this year, an assumption that Ed corrected us on. He couldn't give us any specifics about timing, but if the Impala turns out to be one of the stars of '08 Detroit show, let's just say we wouldn't be the least bit surprised.

UPDATE: It's been confirmed from about a half dozen sources that this is not the next Impala, which won't be on its way until the end of the decade and will likely be riding on a rear-wheel drive Zeta platform(!), but rather the next Malibu.

Our friends at Winding Road have new spy photos of what appears to be the next Chevy Impala. The telltale bowtie is visible under the checkerboard tape on the car's nose, and the the body seems be the right size (Winding Road's photo gallery bears this out). The bold-looking grille recalls the 2003 SS Concept -- a good thing -- and round taillamps peek through the masking in back (though that doesn't necessarily mean that's what the final lamps will look like.) The car is even a confirmed front-driver that's likely riding on the General's veteran G-body platform, which is evident from the kinked C-pillar shared with the Buick Lucerne.

If this is indeed the new Impala, it looks like the General managed to inject some real style into the car's look.

Editor's note: The current Impala was refreshed for the 2006 model year, and despite its lack of stimulating style has enjoyed favorable reviews from critics and better-than-decent sales. Last month the current model sold 30,716 units, an 85.3-percent improvement over the prior year and enough to make it Chevy's best selling passenger car for the month over the econo-Cobalt. If these spy shots are of the next Impala, the current model may not be around much longer to enjoy its success.

[Source: Winding Road]

Behold... the 2008 Chevy Impala-- or at least, that's what The Car Connection thinks it is. The mystery vehicle in question sports round rear taillights, a grillw that looks suspiciously like the 2003 Chevy SS concept, and a long wheelbase. TCC makes a good case that the prototype is rear-wheel drive based on its similarity to the Zeta-based Holden Commodore that spy photographers shot tearing around GM's practice tracks. All of this follows the now-conventional wisdom that GM will swap driveline ends with the Impala, which in recent guises has been suffering the ill effects of torque-steer due to massive power increases.

Of course, it helps that with the increasingly common use of technologies like traction control and improved snow tires, rear-wheel drive has once again come into vogue (read: "Thanks, Chrysler 300!").

[Source: The Car Connection]