AutoGuide Five-Point Inspection

Sometimes, it is not hard to improve on a product. We can’t imagine there were too many developers at Microsoft who said “No sir, we can’t improve on Windows ME.” Same can be said for the designers at Chevrolet.

Things most likely not heard around the office in the past three years “Nope. No way could we possibly make the Impala more stylish.”

So, it should come as no surprise that the 2014 Chevrolet Impala is better than the king-of-the-fleet-yard 2013 model. But even with such high expectations, the 2014 Impala still exceeded them; think 2000 New England Patriots vs. 2001 New England Patriots.

Certainly you have already checked out our 2014 Chevrolet Impala Review – Video first drive, but to ensure we weren’t swayed by the picturesque location, vast vehicular improvement and general awesomeness of the warm San Diego climate, we decided to take a second drive of the 2014 Impala. General Motors invited us up for a drive and to visit to its Oshawa, Canada assembly plant where the Impala, Regal, Camaro, XTS, Equinox and old Impala (Classic) are built. Even with a constant bombardment of rain and snow, the new Impala truly is the real deal in the full-size sedan market; here are five reasons why.

When Size Matters

Large and in charge. Big is beautiful. Size matters. Yes, there are endless clichés to support the notion that the bigger something is, the better it is. In the automotive kingdom, some vehicles not only adhere to this philosophy, but redefine it. We aren’t talking the puny realm of offerings like the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry or even Dodge Charger. No, this is for the serious four wheeled hippos. The cars where it is more fun to be in the backseat than the front seat.

If you have more money to burn than the average NFL Quarterback, then there are some serious vehicles you can buy that are seriously long. How about the 220.9-inch Phantom Coupe? Not long enough for you? You could upsize to the 239.8-inch Phantom extended-wheelbase sedan, or maybe the 242.7-inch Maybach 62?

But for the rest of us mere mortals, there are some sizable vehicles out there under $100,000. Heck, two of the top ten are even under $30,000. So we will now present to you the top ten vehicles that are longer than The Hobbit.

January may be the middle of winter but GM was able to rebuke the cold weather with red-hot sales. The company delivered nearly 195,000 units in the U.S., a 16 percent increase compared to the same month last year.

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Chevrolet’s Malibu faces stiff competition with many viable alternatives in the mid-size sedan segment, but the brand hopes to make the car more competitive through an early refresh.

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General Motors will continue to build and sell its current-generation Chevrolet Impala until 2014 at its plant in Oshawa, Canada.

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General Motors is focusing on plug-in technology for the next five years, aiming to have 500,000 vehicles on the road with some form of electrification by 2017.

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Police cruisers need to be tougher than most, which is why it’s especially surprising that 1,713 police-spec Chevrolet Impalas ranging from model years 2008 to 2012 are being recalled for having faulty front suspensions.

We got our first look at the 2014 Chevrolet Impala at this year’s New York International Auto Show, and it appears that Chevy‘s new global design theme will make its way onto the mid-cycle refresh of its compact Cruze model.

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The all-new 2014 Chevrolet Impala won’t just usher in a new generation of Impala models hoping to regain its former glory, but will also feature first-ever safety technologies from the American automaker.

The list of active safety features that the 2014 Chevy Impala will come with is impressive, hoping to prevent a crash in the first place. Full-speed-range adaptive cruise control utilizes radar technology in order to sense ahead and adjust the vehicle’s speed accordingly and is a Chevy first. Collision mitigation braking is also another first for the automaker, equipping the Impala with the technology to detect a possible crash threat and alerts the driver. If there’s no reaction from the driver, the feature intervenes by applying the brakes in effort to avoid the crash.

Forward collision alert takes advantage of camera technology to alert the driver visually and audibly of a potential crash situation, while lane departure warning is a technology that has become popular amongst many new car models. Other safety features to help prevent accidents on the new 2014 Impala include side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert, rear vision camera, rear park assist, and hill hold/start assist.

Lastly, another Chevrolet first is the brake pre-fill feature. When the vehicle detects a possible crash threat, the system will increase the hydraulic pressure in the brake lines, anticipating the driver’s hard braking. This helps quicken the response time and shortens stopping distances and is included with 20-inch wheels on higher models.

The 2014 Chevrolet Impala will hit dealership showrooms early next year.

Classic Bentleys, Studebakers, Mustangs and more crowded an auction house this weekend to be sold, but one car stood out among the pack: a late model Chevrolet Impala SS. 

Surprising as that might be given the host of exotics it sat with, the Impala is among a special few “Intimidator” editions that have all but slipped from the streets and into collector hands and museum floors. There was also a special purpose behind the Intimidator’s presence: raising money for Sick Kids hospital in Toronto, Canada.

As the car rolled onto stage and bidding began, the auctioneer made it clear that the seller, Jeffrey Seigal (left), agreed to waive the usual 10 percent buyer fee, and that the sale price would also be matched in donation. Although other Intimidator Impalas have sold for as much as $40,000, this particular car went up without reserve — and down for $22,000.

Ted Collins (right), who bought the car, said he frequents auctions though he never specifically comes to buy, more to take his son on fun adventures. “It’s going to be tempting to leave it in the garage,” he said, before admitting that he probably won’t be able to resist driving it.

“It was a good purchase and it’s a good cause,” he said. “Put the two together and everybody wins.”

General Motors, among every automaker this year, is revamping its lineup to remain competitive. The 2014 Chevrolet Impala, which will officially debut later today at the New York Auto Show, is the final instance of the marque’s efforts in that regard.

“The 2014 Impala re-establishes this iconic Chevrolet nameplate as a design leader, with bold styling that will turn heads for years to come,” said Mark Reuss, president, GM North America. “The team has also delivered the comfort, safety, fuel efficiency and technology that will strengthen Impala’s leadership in the highly competitive full-size sedan market.”

While it is nothing if not an American car icon, the Impala needs a complete refresh to distinguish itself from the police and taxi fleet vehicle it has become. While it sold more than 171,000 units in 2011 to become the best-selling full-size sedan in the U.S., GM intends to maintain the Impala’s competitive sales edge with the model we saw today – drawing in eager consumers and not just bargain hungry commercial fleets.

Among the style updates mentioned above by Reuss, the rethought car features LED lights that have come to be a standard on most new cars. A new body with sculpted sides helps to abolish the old wedge-shaped paneling that made previous models recognizable for reasons good and bad. A stunning new Camaro-styled fascia can’t be missed while wheel options deliver a choice between 18- 19- and 20-inch sizes.

A visit to the automotive nip/tuck department, all-encompassing as it may be, isn’t always enough to sway consumers, but GM didn’t stop at the skin.

Three new engine options will also be available, all with direct injection to slightly boost power and fuel economy. Among them, a 3.6-liter V6, 2.5-liter inline four cylinder and 2.4-liter four cylinder with eAssist offer a host of power and consumption options to fit a broader preference range than the old model’s solo 3.6-liter V6 option. The V6 gets a teensy boost to 303 hp while the two inline four cylinders rate in at 195- and 182 hp respectively.

Inside, the 2014 Impala is also redesigned with a new interior with an available 8-inch touch screen display in the center stack. Comfort also gets a boost from improved interior materials, according to GM. Better sound dampening should also decrease road noise to make driving an Impala an easier experience. (We certainly noted the vault-like silence in the all-new 2013 Malibu).

Finally, the safety technology that is quickly becoming commonplace in new cars also makes an appearance. Lane departure warning, collision alert, braking assistance, adaptive cruise control and more are available options while 10 standard airbags and OnStar try to go beyond the current model.

Still, the Impala hasn’t carried a “wow” factor in a long time and was outpaced by its competition in the full-size sedan segment, so Chevrolet has a long way to go before actually distinguishing a car that often sports ad banners or red and blue lights. We’ll give a full verdict after our first drive, but for now you can look through the pictures and decide.

GALLERY: 2014 Chevrolet Impala

The all-new 2014 Chevrolet Impala is set to go on sale in early 2013 and the American automaker has released its new emblem design. Much like the Corvette, the Impala has its own emblem in addition to the brand’s signature bowtie.

Since its debut in 1958, the Impala has worn variations of the leaping African antelope which the vehicle is named after. The 2014 Impala will mark the 10th generation of the model and the new emblem was designed to complement its more modern, athletic design of the full-size sedan.

Two versions of the new emblem can be seen on each side of the vehicle, so that the antelope always appears to be running forward. The new Impala emblem has a bright chrome finish and Impala logos are also stamped on the aluminum sill plates.

“For the new Impala, we wanted to evolve the emblem to complement the new vehicle design without making any radical changes to its character,” said Joann Kallio, lead creative designer for Chevrolet global badging. “We kept the stylized interpretation of the animal, and made the impala more muscular.  We also added defined edges, to give the impala a sleek form and make it look like it was running fast.”

Click back to AutoGuide for live coverage from the 2012 New York Auto Show.

GALLERY: Chevy Impala Emblems Over the Years

Chevrolet released a single teaser image of its all-new Impala today, which will debut at the upcoming New York Auto Show.

 ”The momentum at Chevrolet continues to build with the debut of the 10th generation of the Impala, one of the brand’s most enduring and cherished nameplates,” said Chris Perry, vice president of Global Chevrolet Marketing. “The new Impala further strengthens Chevrolet’s passenger car lineup by giving consumers a full-size sedan that balances the desire for distinction with engaging driving dynamics.”

Introduced in 1958, the Impala has been one of Chevrolet’s best-selling cars, going through a series of changes that carried its nameplate from the massive ’58 sport coupe to the front-wheel drive car often seen as a fleet vehicle.

There wasn’t much additional information, but we’ve previously reported that the upcoming Impala will share the Cadillac XTS platform. Hopefully that means a more refined car in the coming generation.

A pair of Chevrolet Impala taxi cabs were seized and their drivers are facing “stunt driving” charges out in Toronto, Ontario Canada when they were caught street racing on Canada’s longest street, Younge Street. Those charged with stunt driving will have their license seized for seven days and face a fine between $2,000 to $10,000.

The motives behind why both drivers decided to race it out is unknown, but sections of Younge Street have been known to be street racing spots in the past. Maybe both of them were just reliving the past or settling a grudge, either way we don’t think either of them owe the other a 10 second car.

Check out the news clip after the break.

[Source: CTV News]

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For 2014 Chevrolet will be unveiling the all new Impala, which is long overdue for a redesign. The new Impala will be built at the Oshawa, ON assembly plant along side Cadillac’s new flagship XTS model. The two will share the same platform and, it seems, even some styling cues.

Spy photos show the new Impala, still camouflaged of course, but enough that it is obvious that Chevrolet is going after a much more upscale sleek look then the now bland old Impala. This redesign has a lot riding on it as the Impala is one of the most popular fleet cars in North America. If the new 2014 model can retain the family and fleet-friendly pricing of its predecessor and capture the elegance of a Caddy it is sure to be a hit.

GM announced Friday that it will be investing $68 million into the Oshawa plant to get the new line of Impala’s up and running and they should hit dealers sometime in early 2013.

GALLERY:Chevy Impala

[Source: Automotive News]

Even though GM admits that the 2007-2008 Chevrolet Impalas has a faulty rear suspension, they’re hoping to avoid a class-action lawsuit by turning to their bankruptcy – as in, the “New GM” can’t be responsible for the “Old GM’s” mistakes.

Seriously? The defect is in a tie-rod design that causes premature wearing of the vehicle’s rear tires. In fact, they’ve proven that it causes the rear tires to wear out after just 6,000-miles. A technical service bulletin was issued in 2008, but GM made it only apply to police-spec Impala models, stating that they’re different than the retail versions. Right.

To us, GM’s response is borderline absurd especially considering there’s concrete evidence of a defect that is affecting owner’s pockets.

New GM did not assume liability for old GM’s design choices, conduct or alleged breaches of liability under the warranty, and its terms expressly preclude money damages,” GM said in response to the suit. The suit “is trying to saddle new GM with the alleged liability and conduct of old GM.”

Shouldn’t GM relate to its consumers when it comes to not wanting to spend excessive money?

[Source: Left Lane News]

General Motors has confirmed that the 2012 Chevrolet Impala will be powered by a 302-hp V6 when it debuts later this year. The full-size four-door will come with a 3.6-litre V6 mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and puts out 252 lb-ft of torque in standard trim.

The Impala model has been on sale in its current configuration since 2006 and isn’t scheduled for a redesign until 2014 at the earliest. The 2012 Impala will be nearly as powerful as the previous, small-block V8 powered Impala SS, which made 303 horsepower and 323 lb-ft of torque.

[Source: Autoblog]

Chevy, my Chevy, why hast thou forsaken me? The Biblical Impala, dating back to the Burning Bush, still shuffles off the assembly lines in slippers and a tennis-balled walker. But as the rest of GM’s lineup leaps forward into the 21st century, the Impala’s age is starting to become a burden around Chevrolet’s neck.

How old is the Impala? Justin Timberlake was making a comeback from N’Sync when the Impala last received a redesign. The GM W platform it rides on dates back to 1988, which makes it old enough to run for state office or write for Autoguide. GM isn’t planning for a full redesign until 2014, by which time children of Impala owners will be shocked to learn that it was once rear-wheel-drive. If only the beleaguered Impala enjoyed the same voracious support as Ford’s Crown Victoria and Town Car, the darlings of the police and taxi fleets.

“There’s no doubt that the Impala is longer in the tooth than we would traditionally run a vehicle,” said Rick Scheidt, Chevy’s vice president of marketing. The Impala cost GM a higher score in Consumer Reports’ annual corporate ratings, bringing it down to 12 out of 13 automakers as one of the “lackluster cars” GM builds.

Not that GM’s doing this on purpose. A rear-drive variant had been rumored for 2011, but GM’s bankruptcy woes three years earlier nixed that plan. The America-only Impala took less priority than the globally-sold Cruze and Malibu—even now, GM is pushing the Sonic as fast as possible for consumers to take advantage of $4-gallon gas prices. And advertising the Impala as “roomier than a $66,000 Lexus LS460″ isn’t going to do any favors.

With the newly-redesigned Malibu, GM is struggling to find a place for the Impala—compounded by the fact that with deep discounts (including one from the AARP), an Impala costs the same despite the differences in MSRP.  ”You have to reconcile that within a four-sedan showroom and be clear on whose position is what,” said Bryan Nesbitt executive director for Chevrolet design. ”We’ve seen this transition happening, where it’s harder and harder to justify the scale of a vehicle without paying for it. This idea of a giant box that you can get for a very low price becomes harder to solve.” The next Impala will most likely move to the Epsilon platform, instead of the Australian, rear-drive Zeta from the Pontiac G6 that enthusiasts clamor for. It will share a chassis with the Buick Lacrosse and the next Cadillac XTS, as well as styling, too—dealers who were given a preview of the Impala claim that it resembles the Lacrosse.

For now, however, the Impala soldiers on. A six-speed transmission replaces its four cogs, and the choice of engine options gets cut in half to just a 3.6-liter V6. Lastly, a new grille and dual exhausts should keep the look current in a way Joan Rivers is used to. The fleet buyers that make up 75% of current Impala sales are happy, and so are the 25% of those who don’t just say “they don’t build ‘em like they used to—” they live it.

Keep on keepin’ on, Chevy Impala—America’s #1 rolling nostalgia trip.

[Source: Automotive News]

Current Commodore-based Lumina SS as sold in the Middle East and Africa

Even if General Motors survives its current financial woes, it has a serious problem on its hands regarding future products. Take the Chevy Impala for instance. Sure it’s not very exciting, nor is it much to look at, but its a top seller for GM and not something they would want to mess up – or do without.

GMinsideNews (GMI) is reporting that their sources inside General Motors are indicating a switch to a rear-wheel drive platform for the next Impala. The only problem is, this new version of the car wouldn’t be until 2015. Even worse, the current Impala is slated to stay in production until 2013, leaving a two year gap.

Worse still, just think how outdated the already long-in-the-tooth Impala will be four more years from now. Yikes!

According to GMI, this is how it will play out. The next generation Impala was supposed to be built on the RWD Zeta platform bu that was recently axed in a bid to cut costs. In Australia the Holden Commodore, which rides on the Zeta platform, will use a version of the Camaro’s platform starting in 2011. Once that Commodore is ready to be retired, both it and the next generation Impala will arrive (in 2015) sharing GM’s upcoming Alpha platform – much like how the current G8 shares most everything with the current Holden Commodore.

It sounds like a stretch to us, but as “world cars” are becoming more popular as automakers search for ways to save cash, there is certainly an economic argument for the report.

GMI says the use of the Alpha platform for both the Commodore and Impala in 2015 is under “serious consideration” by GM execs, but these days nothing is certain.

Case in point, just last week GMI reported that the Impala would get a long wheel base of the front-wheel drive Epsilon II platform (which is planned for the next generation Malibu).

[Source: GMInsideNews]