BECKHAM
09-04-2013, 07:25 PM
A new design could renew interest despite freshened competition
http://www.egymiza.com/up/uploads/13655283031.jpg
SAN DIEGO -- Back in the '60s, the Chevrolet Impala was America's car, a symbol of General Motors' dominance of the auto market.
Ever since, sales of the full-size sedan have ridden a roller coaster right along with GM, gyrating gas prices and a move to crossovers or smaller cars.
Now comes the 2014 Impala, and GM hopes that its fabled nameplate will reclaim some luster. The new design is more compelling than the yawner it replaces, a forgettable design that has became a rental-fleet mainstay.
Besides sleek design, the new one has more interior space, is quieter and has simplified controls for the older buyers who are likely to be the target customers. The five-seater is more aerodynamic and the V-6 version is already in some showrooms. GM today launched production of a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder model that is expected next month. A gas-saving limited hybrid version is due by the end of the year.
Given that, one might think GM officials would feel like conquering heroes, awash in nostalgia for a famous nameplate that once again can take its place in the limelight.
But, for the most part, they aren't. They don't plan to try and tap Baby Boomers' fond memories of the old Impala in marketing the new car, with the exception of one TV spot, airing now, with a Frank Sinatra soundtrack. They acknowledge the name, are glad they stuck by it for the new car, but not much more.
"People know Impala has a heritage. I don't need to remind them of that," says Chris Perry, Chevrolet's vice president of marketing, in a recent interview here to introduce the car.
Except for the Impala insignia, a single crease in the sheet metal of the car's haunches and a long tail, there's barely a hint of the car's roots. There was no attempt to be nostalgic. Even round taillights were deemed "too retro," says John Cafaro, the car's exterior designer. The goal was to "do something bold, something that would be a modern classic."
Recapturing the glory days, however, won't be easy. Hurdles include:
•Fresher competition. The new Impala, arriving in showrooms now, joins a segment that has a raft of a crisp new rivals with some of the best design in the industry. It faces a radically better looking Toyota Avalon, relatively new Hyundai Azera, Nissan Maxima, Chrysler 300 and Ford Taurus, to name a few.
•Dowdy image. Impala is known chiefly as the car that you find at rental car agencies or foisted on you if you're one of the lucky few still entitled to a company-owned car. About 70% of current Impala sales are to fleets, with only 30% to individuals. Perry says the goal is to "flip" those two figures by reviving Impala's appeal to individual buyers who will typically pay more than bulk buyers. (In a strange move, GM is going to continue fleet sales of the 2013 model under the same Impala name.)
•Shrinking segment. Many large-car buyers have moved on. The entire full-size segment, including all competitors, now comprises about 300,000 vehicles a year, according to Chevrolet. That's roughly equal to the sales of a single popular midsize last year, the Nissan Altima. High fuel prices have shifted buyers toward smaller cars, making midsize cars into a hot category.
Families that used to buy the big family car now drift toward boxy, practical crossovers instead.
Add to the practicality, designers tried to lay out the Impala's controls in a straightforward, simple way with fewer buttons and big displays. "Easy to see, easy to use," notes Chrystal Windham, interior design director.
Those empty-nesters are likely to continue to be the core buyers for cars such as the Impala. If anyone were to appreciate its heritage, it's them. They grew up with the car.
Impala launched in 1958 as the upscale version of the Chevrolet Bel Air that all knew and loved. It had a fuel-injected 283-cubic-inch V-8 engine and was easily identified by its round triple taillights.
In the early 1960s, Impala was the quintessential American car -- room enough for an entire family, a spacious trunk, and looks that changed dramatically every year. "It was an incredibly popular Chevrolet," says Leslie Kendall, curator for the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. "It was right for the time, and it stayed with the time."
In 1964, sales hit a high point of 1,074,000, according to Chevrolet. By contrast, the biggest-selling vehicle of any sort last year was Ford's F-Series pickup at 645,316, according to Autodata. The biggest-selling car was the Honda Civic at 317,909.
From its peak, Impala gradually saw its sales decline. In 1979, a coupe version was discontinued. In 1981, sales fell to five-figures for the first time. Four years later, the Impala name was shelved in favor of Caprice. It did not re-emerge until 1994 when the Impala SS performance version of the Caprice was brought to life.
Skip forward to today. Impala is now in its 10th generation.
The new one is thoroughly modern. There's an eight-inch display screen that's part of Chevrolet's MyLink, a new version of Cadillac's advanced infotainment system. The system responds to both voice commands and some gesture recognition. There's 3.5 inches more legroom in front, 2.2 inches more in back -- and there's even a place to store an umbrella.
As one might expect in a feature-laden large car, Chevy has given the new Impala a full suite of safety gear. There are 10 air bags standard and all the electronic gizmos as options -- forward collision alert, lane departure warning, side blind-zone alert, rear cross-traffic alert and rear park assist, to name a few.
The cheapest base Impala, priced at $27,535 including $810 shipping, will be the LS, powered by a a 196-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder Ecotec engine. It is projected to get 21 miles per gallon in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.
The most plush version, the $36,580 LTZ, will have the 305-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6. It will get 19 mpg in the city, 29 on the highway. A mild-hybrid engine capable of 35 mpg on the highway is expected later this year.
So overall, is Impala better? At least it's better looking.
"The new one is the most visually appealing Impala in 40 years," says Karl Brauer, a veteran auto analyst and founder of TotalCarScore.com. "But is it as visually impactful as the '64 or '68?" asks Brauer, who has a long memory of the iconic Impala.
He barely pauses: "No."
http://www.egymiza.com/up/uploads/13655283031.jpg
SAN DIEGO -- Back in the '60s, the Chevrolet Impala was America's car, a symbol of General Motors' dominance of the auto market.
Ever since, sales of the full-size sedan have ridden a roller coaster right along with GM, gyrating gas prices and a move to crossovers or smaller cars.
Now comes the 2014 Impala, and GM hopes that its fabled nameplate will reclaim some luster. The new design is more compelling than the yawner it replaces, a forgettable design that has became a rental-fleet mainstay.
Besides sleek design, the new one has more interior space, is quieter and has simplified controls for the older buyers who are likely to be the target customers. The five-seater is more aerodynamic and the V-6 version is already in some showrooms. GM today launched production of a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder model that is expected next month. A gas-saving limited hybrid version is due by the end of the year.
Given that, one might think GM officials would feel like conquering heroes, awash in nostalgia for a famous nameplate that once again can take its place in the limelight.
But, for the most part, they aren't. They don't plan to try and tap Baby Boomers' fond memories of the old Impala in marketing the new car, with the exception of one TV spot, airing now, with a Frank Sinatra soundtrack. They acknowledge the name, are glad they stuck by it for the new car, but not much more.
"People know Impala has a heritage. I don't need to remind them of that," says Chris Perry, Chevrolet's vice president of marketing, in a recent interview here to introduce the car.
Except for the Impala insignia, a single crease in the sheet metal of the car's haunches and a long tail, there's barely a hint of the car's roots. There was no attempt to be nostalgic. Even round taillights were deemed "too retro," says John Cafaro, the car's exterior designer. The goal was to "do something bold, something that would be a modern classic."
Recapturing the glory days, however, won't be easy. Hurdles include:
•Fresher competition. The new Impala, arriving in showrooms now, joins a segment that has a raft of a crisp new rivals with some of the best design in the industry. It faces a radically better looking Toyota Avalon, relatively new Hyundai Azera, Nissan Maxima, Chrysler 300 and Ford Taurus, to name a few.
•Dowdy image. Impala is known chiefly as the car that you find at rental car agencies or foisted on you if you're one of the lucky few still entitled to a company-owned car. About 70% of current Impala sales are to fleets, with only 30% to individuals. Perry says the goal is to "flip" those two figures by reviving Impala's appeal to individual buyers who will typically pay more than bulk buyers. (In a strange move, GM is going to continue fleet sales of the 2013 model under the same Impala name.)
•Shrinking segment. Many large-car buyers have moved on. The entire full-size segment, including all competitors, now comprises about 300,000 vehicles a year, according to Chevrolet. That's roughly equal to the sales of a single popular midsize last year, the Nissan Altima. High fuel prices have shifted buyers toward smaller cars, making midsize cars into a hot category.
Families that used to buy the big family car now drift toward boxy, practical crossovers instead.
Add to the practicality, designers tried to lay out the Impala's controls in a straightforward, simple way with fewer buttons and big displays. "Easy to see, easy to use," notes Chrystal Windham, interior design director.
Those empty-nesters are likely to continue to be the core buyers for cars such as the Impala. If anyone were to appreciate its heritage, it's them. They grew up with the car.
Impala launched in 1958 as the upscale version of the Chevrolet Bel Air that all knew and loved. It had a fuel-injected 283-cubic-inch V-8 engine and was easily identified by its round triple taillights.
In the early 1960s, Impala was the quintessential American car -- room enough for an entire family, a spacious trunk, and looks that changed dramatically every year. "It was an incredibly popular Chevrolet," says Leslie Kendall, curator for the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. "It was right for the time, and it stayed with the time."
In 1964, sales hit a high point of 1,074,000, according to Chevrolet. By contrast, the biggest-selling vehicle of any sort last year was Ford's F-Series pickup at 645,316, according to Autodata. The biggest-selling car was the Honda Civic at 317,909.
From its peak, Impala gradually saw its sales decline. In 1979, a coupe version was discontinued. In 1981, sales fell to five-figures for the first time. Four years later, the Impala name was shelved in favor of Caprice. It did not re-emerge until 1994 when the Impala SS performance version of the Caprice was brought to life.
Skip forward to today. Impala is now in its 10th generation.
The new one is thoroughly modern. There's an eight-inch display screen that's part of Chevrolet's MyLink, a new version of Cadillac's advanced infotainment system. The system responds to both voice commands and some gesture recognition. There's 3.5 inches more legroom in front, 2.2 inches more in back -- and there's even a place to store an umbrella.
As one might expect in a feature-laden large car, Chevy has given the new Impala a full suite of safety gear. There are 10 air bags standard and all the electronic gizmos as options -- forward collision alert, lane departure warning, side blind-zone alert, rear cross-traffic alert and rear park assist, to name a few.
The cheapest base Impala, priced at $27,535 including $810 shipping, will be the LS, powered by a a 196-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder Ecotec engine. It is projected to get 21 miles per gallon in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.
The most plush version, the $36,580 LTZ, will have the 305-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6. It will get 19 mpg in the city, 29 on the highway. A mild-hybrid engine capable of 35 mpg on the highway is expected later this year.
So overall, is Impala better? At least it's better looking.
"The new one is the most visually appealing Impala in 40 years," says Karl Brauer, a veteran auto analyst and founder of TotalCarScore.com. "But is it as visually impactful as the '64 or '68?" asks Brauer, who has a long memory of the iconic Impala.
He barely pauses: "No."