Chevy flagship deserves attention
The mocking began before I even picked up the car, followed by sarcasm as cold and thick as lake ice in February: “An Impala? You can’t drive something more exciting than an Impala?
I actually wanted to drive this car. I asked GM for the Impala because it’s Chevrolet’s largest sedan, a flagship five-seater.
Introduced in 1958, it once sold as well as the Camry in Canada. Sure, it became a fleet manager’s pet, but could it now, with a new design and platform, have regained some stature? Would a car enthusiast ever be caught dead in one?
After 1,200 kilometres aboard a 2015 Impala LTZ, I can happily say this car is one of the more underrated sedans on the market. Impala, it turns out, is an admirable car.
Sure, the two-tone interior palette — part baby-barf yellow, part black on our test car — was not so easy on the eyes. But the folds, swoops and joints work in harmony to create an attractive — and cavernous — space. Even with the comfortable driver’s seat most of the way back, NHL’s Zdeno Chara could relax in the rear perch.
On the road, the Impala delivers a consistent, if not exhilarating, ride. The chassis feels tight, the ride is neither stiff nor too soft, and hard cornering won’t send passengers scrambling for the OMG handles.
It’s quiet. Steering feedback may not be Mercedes-like, but it’s predictable, accurate and nicely weighted. But a coarseness in some of the plastics will make it hard for the Impala to compete with an Audi A4 or Toyota Avalon, which are competitively priced near the Impala LTZ’s $39,845 sticker ($43,320 as tested, before freight and fees).
While Ford’s Taurus Limited, starting at #41,200, gets AWD, its 3.5-litre V6 is less powerful than the Impala’s 3.6-L direct-injection V6, which produces a sassy 305 horsepower and 264 poundfeet of torque.
The Impala’s front-wheel drive exhibits little torque steer or coarseness. The six-speed automatic transmission selectively upshifting with a swiftness that reminds us why we loathe continuously variable transmissions. A manual mode allows the driver to toggle between gears, but the switch is located where your thumb falls on the shifter — not a good setup.
Our test car, which averaged a decent 9.2 L/100 km overall. The official rating from GM is 12.6 city, 8.2 highway.
Not to be discounted, however, are the Impala’s looks and standard suite of safety systems. While adaptive cruise remains a costly option at $1,315, the LTZ includes blind-spot monitoring, lane and parking assists, collision alerts and forward-collision warning.
This might lead some to suggest the Impala is more suited to the grandfather rather than grandson. But, with its determined face, 20-inch wheels, high hips that carry a hint of Bentley, and its strong angular lines, the Impala deserves more attention than its reputation suggests.
It isn’t just for those who want a large and comfortable car, it’s also for those who have some clout.