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The 2014 Impala is new from the ground up, with muscular design elements that provide a nod to the past while embracing Chevy’s modern styling. (Henry Payne \/ The Detroit News)<\/p>\n
Remember when the most memorable thing about a Chevy Impala was its elegant logo of a leaping impala? It was like Shrek modeling a Rolex watch. Or a frog wearing a bejeweled crown.<\/p>\n
Well, the frog has been kissed by a princess.<\/p>\n
Improbably, Chevy has transformed the perennial bane of the rental car lot into a handsome prince. At last, the Impala deserves the logo that has always graced its skin. The result is a big, graceful sedan that deserves to headline the Chevy brand.<\/p>\n
\u201cCorvette and Impala clearly embody what we want to be,\u201d Chevy\u2019s global marketing guru Tim Mahoney said when describing the brand\u2019s touchstones of design and performance technology. Get out the smelling salts. Did he just mention Corvette and Impala in the same breath? Get used to it. Impala is that good.<\/p>\n
While GM recall woes are a reminder of The General\u2019s haphazard past, Chevy\u2019s cornucopia of 2014 product show the promise of its future. If the elegant Cadillac CTS (The Detroit News 2013 Vehicle of the Year) and the cute Chevy Spark are proof that GM can compete at the high and low ends of the market, then the Impala is evidence that the company is serious about its flabby middle.<\/p>\n
Impala is the answer to the long-asked question: Why can\u2019t Chevy translate the sex appeal of its smoldering Corvette and Camaro sports cars to its sedans?<\/p>\n
The big sedan\u2019s head-turning grille and surly rear shoulders are unmistakable echoes of the Camaro. Impala designers gave it the pony car\u2019s simple, elegant grille line \u2014 while smartly resisting the deep-set cowl that gives the Camaro a touch of menace. Add LED lights along the front lip and the visage commands immediate respect in your rear view mirror.<\/p>\n
The attention to detail continues along the big animal\u2019s flanks with aerodynamic touches that reduce the car\u2019s drag coefficient to a slippery .29. Where the Impala\u2019s sweeping greenhouse and strong shoulders taper into a square back, small winglets sprout from the corner taillights to separate laminar flow, making for less rear turbulence. Better for sprinting across the Serengeti.<\/p>\n
Where the old Impala was ignore-me vanilla, the 2014 is lick-me double chocolate fudge swirl. This sudden obsession with style may seem out of place in a large midsize sedan market traditionally catering to stodgy seniors. But this ain\u2019t your grandfather\u2019s midsize sedan market.<\/p>\n
The 30-40 grand neighborhood has become an open grassland of eager predators from all-wheel drive Fusions, to loaded Chrysler 200s to base Audi A2s. If the traditional herd of large sedans don\u2019t evolve, they\u2019ll be eaten. Impala was not the first to adapt to this new ecosystem, but it\u2019s at the front of the pack. It joins the Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300 and Ford Taurus SHO in bringing swagger to the segment. They\u00a0make a stark contrast<\/a>\u00a0to the modestly competent Toyota Avalon-Hyundai Azera-Kia Cadenza.<\/p>\n It\u2019s nice to see boldness rewarded.<\/p>\n