Inside Line sat down with GM Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Bob Lutz, yesterday to discuss a wide range of topics. One of them was the future of the Impala, a vehicle that many had hoped would be reincarnated as the civilian version of the Caprice Police Package.
Lutz said forget it, the next Impala will definitely be front-wheel drive. It will get slightly bigger and add equipment, but maintain good fuel efficiency so it can compete effectively with sedans like the new Ford Taurus.
He also noted that the Impala will be compatible with GM's hybrid technology, so expect a gas-electric version at some point down the road.
rallyandbosox says:
08:35 AM, 11/14/09
Why is the Impala still available as a consumer car? It should be a fleet-only car. So much for downsizing if it's going to be bigger than the current behemoth.
billt9 says:
09:08 AM, 11/14/09
The current Impala is pathetic. It offers the same interior room as midsize cars.
The current Impala has less legroom than Camry/Accord.
The Impala needs to be bigger to compete with what's already on the market, like the Avalon.
rallyandbosox says:
09:27 AM, 11/14/09
The current Impala has more front leg room than the Camry (42.3in vs. 41.7in). The Avalon's leg room is 41.3 in the front, less than both the Impala and the Camry. The Avalon is 197.2in, not far from the Accord (194in), while the Impala is 200.4in. It seems to me that the Impala can be smaller on exterior dimensions but have the same if not better interior dimensions than the Avalon, but since it's aiming at the Ford Taurus which is even longer than the Impala and has smaller interior dimensions, keep on rollin' with the inefficient old-school American design Lutz.
hondacura4 says:
10:33 AM, 11/14/09
"Why is the Impala still available as a consumer car?"
Rally, probably because it generates a good amount of profit. I see quite a few Impala's in my area of the woods. The current Impala isn't all that large of a car. Personally I think it should be axed and let the Malibu lead the way as a larger Impala would compete with other brands from GM like the Buick LaCrosse. I could easily see people cross shopping the 2. On the other hand GM want's to compete with the new Taurus so.......
"The current Impala is pathetic. It offers the same interior room as midsize cars."
Billt9, you have to consider the current Impala was designed and on the market before the current Camry and Accord. You also have to consider it was actually the right size a few years ago before the current larger Malibu was offered. The previous Malibu was a bit smaller vs the current. With that said, the Impala must wait it's turn in the development cycle just like every other car regardless of manufacturer as no manufacturer can afford to revamp and rethink every vehicle in its portfolio at the same time.
GT5000 says:
11:22 AM, 11/14/09
This is a mistake. The G8 should come over to Chevy as the Impala, and the new front wheel drive car should be launched as Bel Air. Then both names can take their rightful places in the Chevy lineup
hondacura4 says:
01:25 PM, 11/14/09
"This is a mistake. The G8 should come over to Chevy as the Impala, and the new front wheel drive car should be launched as Bel Air. Then both names can take their rightful places in the Chevy lineup."
GT5000, I would have liked to have seen that also however the G8 didn't sell all that well to begin with and given the FACT that CAFE standards will change I can't fault GM's decision. Think smarter.
GT5000 says:
02:02 PM, 11/14/09
@hondacura4
Ya, your probably right. I just can't stand the thought of another front wheel drive Impala.
the_big_al says:
05:51 PM, 11/14/09
I wonder if the G8 didn't sell well because it was a Pontiac? The same thing happened to the GTO. Both EXCELLENT cars but the buying public just didn't know about them. It's all about brand awareness. If you market the G8 as an Impala, I would be certain that it would sell at least as well as the current Impala, irregardless of it drive-train layout.
The current Impala is a relative dinosaur having it's root's and parts of its platform still based on the Lumina of the 90's. It is basically a re-skinned '00-05 Impala which is a modified version of that 90's Lumina. It's not a bad car per se, it does everything it was designed to do and does it adequately. But it's architecture is ancient. This car is the "oldest" car in GM's fleet, using an archaic engine and transmission. So it is indeed long overdue for a redo.
However, redesigning the Impala and having it be still front drive is not a bad idea. Ford's done with the Fusion and Taurus, the Malibu is successful and a solid player in the "mid-size" market and an Impala with the same build quality of the Malibu would make a very solid player in the "large-car" market. It's just too bad it won't be based off the Holden rear-drive platform.
inlinesix says:
09:21 PM, 11/14/09
...keep on rollin' with the inefficient old-school American design Lutz.
chopperx says:
12:36 PM, 11/15/09
Sure blame it all on CAFE...
GM should have used the Caprice - stuff the v6 from the Camaro (re tune it for fuel economy) and offer low production numbers SS models wtih the v8.
done - why redevelop a FWD platform when you aleady have a RWD ready to go.
When the Volt drops, the CAFE average will shoot through the roof so I would think GM could use a little of that wiggle room to keep a car like this and roll it into the mix.
And yes - the G8 didn't sell because it was a Pontiac - a dying brand that could not be saved. Great car at a great price.
If they made a wagon here I would have gotten one right off the showroom floor.