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Fifty years ago, the Impala debuted for Chevrolet as the flagship of their car
line. After being pushed to second banana, then turned into a midsize, in 2006
it returned to its original position of honor as the largest sedan in Chevy's
inventory. The 2009 Chevrolet Impala carries forward the look of the 2006 with
only minor changes.
There are four versions of the new Impala, in ascending order: the LS, LT, LTZ
and SS. The first three are powered by a choice of two V6 engines. There is the
211 HP 3.5 liter, with up to eighteen miles per gallon city and twenty-nine
miles per gallon on the highway, and the 233 horsepower 3.9 liter, with the same
city rating and one mile per gallon less on the highway. Both are supported by a
four-speed automatic transmission with overdrive.
As the name historically implies, the SS is the performance Impala. It sports a
303 horsepower 5.3 liter V8 engine with a heavy-duty four-speed overdrive
transmission, comparable to the Buick Lucerne with its big Northstar V8. Fuel
efficiency drops to sixteen miles per gallon city and twenty-four miles per
gallon highway with the V8. All versions are front-wheel drive with four-wheel
anti-lock disc brakes. The SS has dual exhaust outlets, while the more sedate
models have only a single outlet.
Among the features available on the Impala are six-way power adjustable driver's
seat with manual lumbar adjustment, driver information center, power windows and
locks, with lockout protection and remote keyless entry, one year of OnStar,
theft-deterrent system, CD/MP3/XM radio with six speakers, rear-window defroster
and rear reading lights. The SS adds a few other nice touches, including leather
wrapped steering wheel, eight-way adjustable driver's seat with six-way
adjustable front passenger seat and Bluetooth.
NHTSA ratings on all models include solid five-star frontal ratings and a
four-star rollover rating (side impact ratings not yet completed). Safety gear
includes tire pressure monitor, oil life monitor, airbags everywhere with dual
stage front airbags, all-speed traction control, LATCH system, emergency trunk
release and rear child security door locks. The SS adds GM's stability control
system, Stabilitrak.
A new 1958 Impala sold for around $3,000. Today you can pay up to ten times that
for a restored '58. On the other hand, the new 2009 Impala sells for a base
price of only $23,045. The new SS goes for a cool $30,390, which may seem high
by historical standards, but isn't bad for the modern market.
The Impala was America's first muscle car and an instant classic. Impala
emphasized that history in 2008 with the fiftieth anniversary model. The 2009
Chevrolet Impala is not the classic the original was, but it is what the Impala
has always been - a solid, versatile sedan relevant to its time. With Chevrolet
already working on a new design for the 2010 model, don't expect that relevance
to diminish any time soon. |
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