Chevy’s reinvented Impala goes uptown with style, comfort
The Impala’s got its mojo back.
A real estate salesman, his eyes as big as custom rims, motioned for us to pull over right outside one of his model homes and demanded a closer look. (It didn’t hurt that our 2016 Impala was the blackedout “midnight edition.”) He pored over the sleek car admiringly; unabashedly amazed and uttering short bursts of praise as if his mouth was trying to keep up with his fired-up synapses.
We suspect that, like us, the man had quietly despaired that the legendary Impala nameplate would ever be affixed to a full-size Chevrolet car that was an object of desire. For years, the Impala was gradually morphed into a four-wheeled conveyance that never stood out in the shadowy blob of rental cars at airport corrals.
Then came the 2014 model year. The Impala was taken uptown in huge ways. The sedan’s sculpted sheet metal rivals the look of luxury European and Asian brands. The cabin was upgraded to match. The car earned heaps of praise and even nailed the top score in Consumer Reports’ sedan testing the first summer the new-generation Impala was out. Last year, Kelley Blue Book and U.S. News & World Report decreed the Impala was a solid choice in family cars.
The changes for 2016 are mostly about technology. Chevy’s MyLink infotainment system can now work with Apple CarPlay, which patches through compatible iPhones to the Impala’s 8-inch color touchscreen. Heavy smartphone use, especially when using navigation features, gobbles up battery charge. If your phone is capable of wireless charging, all you need to do is lay the device on the Impala’s wireless charging pad.
The feature is available in the technology packages that can be had in the upper trim levels.
Starting at $27,095, the front-wheel-drive 2016 Impala is available in LS, LT or LTZ trim.
The LS’s standard 2.5-liter direct-injected inline four works through a 6-speed automatic with manual tap shifting, if desired. The engine puts out 196 horsepower and 186 lb.-ft. of torque. The LS also features Bluetooth, trial subscriptions to 4G LTE for the built-in hotspot, OnStar guidance and SiriusXM satellite radio, six-speaker, 100-watt audio, 235/50R18 tires on steel wheels, halogen headlamps (automatic on/ off), cruise control and power mirrors, windows and door locks.
Moving up to the LT ($30,335) gets you Apple CarPlay, two extra USB ports, SD card reader, Bluetooth audio streaming, dual-zone automatic climate control, steering wheel and shifter covered in leather, 18-inch aluminum wheels and heated, body-colored outside mirrors with turn signals and puddle lights.
Starting at $36,415, the 2016 LTZ buys a 305-hp 3.6-liter direct injection V6, leather seating, keyless access with pushbutton start, backup camera with rear sensors, eight-way power passenger seat, remote starter, heated front seats, dual exhaust and 19-inch wheels. Up front, there are high-intensity discharge headlamps and LED bling for the lower running lights.
Many will justify the extra outlay of money on the grounds that the LTZ comes with the Impala’s full arsenal of safety features, including rear crosstraffic, lane departure and blind spot warning and forward collision alert.
The midnight edition package ($1,595 on the LT model; $1,195 on the LTZ) is based on a concept that debuted at the 2014 Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show and features black paint, interior, mirror covers, black-accented 19-inch wheels, grille, rear spoiler and sport pedals. Even the Chevy “bowtie” emblems are blacked out.
The available enhanced convenience package ($1,035) includes upgraded floor mats, driver memory, trunk mat, outside heated power mirrors, ventilated driver’s seat, heated steering wheel, universal remote and power tilt/telescoping steering column.
The $735 advanced technology package includes a 120-volt power outlet, 11-speaker Bose audio with surround sound and wireless charging for compatible smartphones.
WiFi to go is a luxury you quickly become addicted to and we found the Chevy Impala’s easy to set up and handy. The MyLink voice command system is likewise useful but we still love that the Chevy’s audio system retains knobs along with the many buttons modern electronics seem to require. Strangely, the optics of the backup camera don’t match the upscale achievements of the cabin. The Impala deserves higher-resolution back there.
The Impala’s V6 is the way to go with a vehicle as big and roomy as the Impala. It weighs in at around 4,000 pounds with driver. There was plenty of get-up-and-go but the ride was smooth and well planted.
If you happen to be a real estate sales rep who aspires to a svelte Chevy Impala, you’ll also be pleased to know that the commodious 18.8 cu.-ft. trunk can be expanded by lowering the rear 60/40 split seats. They lay essentially flat — just the thing for open house signs.
Will the 2016 model ever stand tall next to the legendary Super Sport and 409 Impalas of yore? Check back in a decade or two. But this new Impala is a definite sign Chevy’s seen the light.