Chevrolet Impala

Chevrolet Impala at a glance

Among fans of American cars, earlier Impalas were famous for their sporty character. The tenth generation was a radical change: it became an attractive, comfortable sedan rather than a "bold athlete", but one packed with useful features. Chevrolet added modern technology and options to widen its appeal, and the car was also sold in the Middle East and South Korea. More of the brand's range is in our Chevrolet catalogue.

Exterior

The styling follows Chevrolet's design language of the time and is generally considered a success: calm and elegant, but with a hint of aggression from some angles. The bonnet is strongly sculpted, the headlights are slim, and between them sits a compact chrome grille of distinctive shape. The muscular front bumper carries LED lights low down, similar in style to those on some premium European cars.

From the side, you notice plenty of chrome and deep creases. The wheel arches are only slightly flared, while pronounced sculpting runs low on the doors, along the waist and over the rear wheel arch. Chrome appears on a lower body strip, the mirrors and the large window surround. Wheels range from 18 to 20 inches depending on the version. The rear has slim, attractive tail lights, a wide chrome strip on the boot lid and a large integrated spoiler formed by the shape of the body, above a substantial bumper with large exhaust outlets.

Interior and practicality

The cabin is modern and uses good materials. Large leather front seats are comfortable, and electric adjustment lets every driver find an ideal position. There is plenty of space inside. The driver has a four-spoke leather steering wheel with an aluminium insert and a few buttons for the infotainment system, and an attractive instrument cluster with two large dials for speed and engine speed, a 4.2-inch colour trip-computer display and chrome-ringed fuel and temperature gauges.

On some versions the dashboard is trimmed in beige leather and wood. At the top of the centre stack is the 8-inch MyLink touchscreen for infotainment and navigation; it is not the best system available, but it is easy to live with. Below are a few buttons for key functions, a CD slot and the climate controls, all easy to get used to. The front seats can be heated and ventilated, and all five seats have headrests.

The centre tunnel is trimmed in dark wood and holds a large storage compartment, an armrest with a cool box, a large gear selector, two cupholders and infotainment controls. The leather rear bench has a large armrest and plenty of legroom, although the tunnel bothers the centre passenger. The boot holds 532 litres, an excellent figure for the class.

Engines and transmission

As a North American car, the Impala came only with petrol engines. The 2.4-litre eAssist combines a 16-valve four-cylinder with a small electric motor-generator for better economy. The naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four reaches 100 km/h in about 9.0 seconds. The 3.6-litre V6 with direct injection and variable valve timing is the choice for those who like brisk driving. Every engine is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, and all versions drive the front wheels. In tests the sedan proved well suited to both city and highway driving.

Chassis

The tenth-generation Impala uses GM's long-wheelbase Epsilon II platform, also used by the Cadillac XTS. Suspension is fully independent, with MacPherson struts at the front and a four-link rear axle on coil springs. The chassis is tuned for comfort, so the car does not enjoy sharp bends: there is noticeable body roll and some float, but the soft, long-travel suspension rides very smoothly. Disc brakes are fitted on all four wheels.

Safety and equipment

The Impala is packed with electronic systems. Ten airbags are standard, along with stability control and OnStar. Available systems include full-speed-range adaptive cruise control that can stop and restart the car, collision-mitigation braking, camera-based forward collision alert, lane-departure warning, side blind-zone alert and rear cross-traffic alert.

The base LS version has keyless entry, a driver's seat with eight-way power adjustment, a reversing camera, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and the 8-inch touchscreen; the LT adds dual-zone climate control, remote engine start and extra USB ports. Options included adaptive cruise control, driver's seat memory, ventilated front seats, a sunroof and an 11-speaker Bose audio system.

Strengths and weaknesses

The tenth-generation Impala is very different from the original models, both in concept and appearance: comfort and safety took priority over speed and agility. Even so, the strong engines provide a useful reserve of power when needed. Its strengths are a smooth ride, a spacious cabin, a large boot and a long list of safety equipment; its weaknesses are soft handling with noticeable body roll and an infotainment system that is merely adequate. Its natural rivals were large front-drive sedans such as the Ford Taurus, Toyota Avalon, Nissan Maxima and Hyundai Azera.