Chevrolet Impalas of the 1960s were immensely popular cars, for good reason.
They combined youthful design with a graceful elegance that embodied the brand's
promise of offering more than you'd expect for "low-priced three" money. The car
that preceded the Impala seen here was nothing like the swingin' '60s model,
even if it looked old enough to be designed from a rejected drawing discovered
in Bill Mitchell's sock drawer. Outside, the new Impala draws on "heritage" for
pre-1980s expressiveness, explains Mike Pevovar, GM's global Epsilon design
manager for North America. "The Impala has a heritage of its own," he adds,
though his team assiduously avoided nostalgia.
My brief first drive was in an early-build engineering-development LTZ
with the 3.6, which I followed with a turn at the wheel of a $40,000-plus 2013
Ford Taurus Limited powered by the 288-hp 3.5-liter. Being a handbuilt
preproduction car, the '14 Impala doesn't have the body rigidity expected of
factory-built autos. So with all such developmental drives, mental adjustments
must be made.
The 3.6 remains one of GM's best engines, and it doesn't disappoint in
the Impala. It feels quicker than the base Taurus, and its six-speed automatic
snicks off upshifts smoothly and quietly. The four-banger ought to be more than
a curiosity in this car. I drove a 2013 Malibu with the new, 195-hp engine, and
it's smooth, quiet, and powerful in that lighter sedan.
Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan 2.4L/182-hp/172-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus 15-hp/110-lb-ft electric motor; 2.5L/195-hp/190-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve I-4; 3.6L/303-hp/264-lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6
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