Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
That was then, this is now, and the 2014 Impala is as clear an indication that a new, better-trained General has taken control of the Detroit-based company. What’s good for Detroit is also good for Canada, or at least Oshawa Car Assembly with respect to the Impala, where the big sedan is manufactured alongside the Camaro and Equinox. That it looks a bit like the Camaro from the front is hardly a coincidence, Chevrolet doing its darnedest to add excitement to its large car division so as to pull customers back from Chrysler’s 300, Dodge’s Charger, Ford’s Taurus, Hyundai’s Genesis, Kia’s Cadenza, Nissan’s Maxima, and Toyota’s Avalon, each of
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
That Buick shares underpinnings with the Impala and Cadillac’s new XTS, all riding on the new stretched Epsilon II platform architecture that’s sometimes referred to as Super Epsilon. A drive in each will make their targeted rivals obvious, the Cadillac going after premium players like Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus, the Buick courting those who might otherwise buy an Acura, Chrysler, Lincoln, or top-line Toyota, and the Chevy hunting down buyers that lean toward Dodge, Ford, Hyundai and Nissan. Whether or not the market can sustain three additional full-size
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
First and foremost the Impala looks good. From front to back it has long, lean, elegant lines with enough curves to pull memories of Impalas past, the rear haunches reminding me of the nameplate’s late ’60s and early ’70s era. It immediately leaves thoughts of the outgoing Impala where they deserve to be, rusting away in police cruiser and taxicab scrap heaps. Driving that 2003 Impala made me feel like a plain-clothes cop, traffic immediately slowing down all around and blocking my forward progress. The new Impala turns heads for a different reason, and I’m guessing if one of our men or women in uniform drove up to the precinct
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
My LT tester was mid-grade, the entry-level LS below and top-line LTZ above. I’ve driven an LTZ and it nudges up against the Cadillac XTS’ levels of refinement and features, let alone the Buick LaCrosse, while the LT was impressive in its own right. A curving two-part dash assembly features leather-like soft-touch plastics on top, stitched together with contrasting thread, the same treatment given to the shroud over the primary gauges, while the surface underneath is soft to the touch too, and despite getting split in half by a thin strip of chrome and some very real looking and substantive feeling woodgrain, continues two-thirds of the way down down the dash. The same goes for the door panels front and rear, the Impala a cut above most of its competition not to mention anything Chevy has done before.
Fabric-wrapped
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
As mentioned my tester was finished off in LT trim, which included most of the features found on the lesser LS such as remote keyless entry with a really nice switchblade style fob, a tilt and telescoping steering wheel with Bluetooth, cruise and audio controls, a six-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system with satellite radio and an auxiliary input, plus automatic headlights, power windows with driver auto-up/down and auto-down for all other windows, power heated mirrors with integrated turn signals, air filtration, a driver information centre, an eight-way powered driver seat, front passenger seat powered height adjuster, OnStar, a content theft alarm, electronic immobilizer, four wheel disc brakes with ABS, traction
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
LT trim replaces the 18-inch steel wheels on the LS with alloy rims but keeps the same 235/50 all-season tires, the latter car’s manual single-zone air conditioning with automatic dual-zone climate control, all-fabric seats with premium cloth/leatherette seating surfaces, 4.2-inch infotainment screen with an eight-inch Chevrolet MyLink display and access to the aforementioned motorized hidden storage compartment with the extra USB plug, plus it adds two additional USP ports, an SD card slot, Bluetooth audio streaming, a leather-wrapped steering wheel
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
If you don’t opt for the top-line LTZ you forgo a lot of premium-level technology such as lane departure warning, side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert, forward collision alert, a backup camera, park assist, proximity sensing keyless access with pushbutton ignition, and HID headlights, while the luxury ante is raised with leather upholstery, heated front seats, an eight-way powered passenger seat, remote starter, LED daytime running lights, bright chrome window surrounds, chrome door handles, larger 19-inch aluminum wheels inside 245/45 all-season tires and a visible dual exhaust system for a sportier look (the LT’s is hidden).
Options include an $880 Premium Audio package with an 11-speaker Bose Centrepoint
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
That trunk is gigantic at 532 litres, and if you fold down the 60/40-split rear seatback it turns into a veritable wagon. Rear seat room is expansive too, although seeing overtop rear passengers and that high deck lid behind is a bit difficult due to a narrow rear window.
Visibility out the front and sides is ideal, though, important as the Impala can really
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
The highway is where the Impala is the most fuel-efficient too, the big V6 good for a claimed 6.9 L/100km when all conditions are ideal, it’s city rating said to be 11.1. That’s not too far off of the base four-cylinder’s 9.9 city and 6.3 highway rating, while the mild hybrid is better but not shockingly so at 8.7 city and 5.8 highway, and all use cheaper regular fuel.
Impala pricing is one of the reasons this car could become more popular than some of its full-size peers, with the base LS starting at only $28,445 plus $1,600 for freight and dealer prep. My tester was in 2LT trim and therefore priced out at $33,045
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
With the addition of the 2014 Impala, Chevrolet now has one of the most varied car lineups in the industry. From the tiny little Spark to the subcompact Sonic and compact Cruze, the midsize Malibu and this new full-size near-premium entry, and let’s not forget the muscular Camaro, supercar-quick Corvette and ultra-green Volt. Truly the bowtie team has all bases covered.
If a big, comfortable, well-made, value-priced luxury sedan is what you’re looking for, I believe you’ll be impressed with the new Impala.
©(Copyright Canadian Auto Press)