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ReprintsImpala goes back to rwd in '09
Rick Kranz
Automotive News
November 13, 2006 - 12:01 am ET
DETROIT -- Chevrolet's Impala is going rear-wheel drive in 2009. General Motors sources say the next Impala will share a rwd platform with the upcoming Chevrolet Camaro, which will be built late in 2008 in Oshawa, Ontario. Impala production will start several months later, a GM source said. The rwd Impala also will be distinguished from the 2007 model by its long wheelbase and short front and rear overhangs. The car will be similar in length and width to the front-drive 2007 Impala. The passenger compartment will be larger than that of the 2007 Impala, the source said. The rwd platform is being engineered by GM's Holden subsidiary in Australia. GM has yet to decide whether to maintain the Impala as a mass-market sedan or move it upmarket. An upscale Impala would enable GM to avoid a market overlap with the restyled and re-engineered 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. The 2008 Malibu will debut at the Detroit auto show in January. While the Malibu's sheet metal is unique, the car is similar to the Saturn Aura in shape and size. The front-wheel-drive Malibu could steal sales from the Impala, GM insiders admit. And some buyers may prefer a front-drive Chevrolet sedan. The 2008 model will be larger than the current Malibu and will have a more luxurious interior. So will the Impala go upscale? "It is too early to tell," the GM source said. "With Malibu's introduction next year and market analysis and trends and things like that, I think anything I said about that would be speculative." You may e-mail Rick Kranz at rkranz@crain.com |
You can reach Rick Kranz at rkranz@crain.com.
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