A couple of weeks ago I got a info card in the mail from Chevy about the new ImpalaSS with info and pics.
First off, I am glad to see the name back. But not in this form. Myself and my wife test drove some Impalas last month when we were looking for a new car for her. The Impala drove well and felt nice and solid car but it was uninsipiring to drive.
Plenty of space inside but the dash layout seemed akward. and dated.
Exterior styling seems really dated considering this was a new design in '00. It looks like something thats like 5 or 6 years old.

Now that the ImpalaSS is coming out I was hoping that Chevy would have freshened up the styling of the ImpalaSS but they didn't. They painted the horrible rear red lens black to match the rest of the car, gave it a new rear spoiler, the new 17" wheels look like something off of a late 80s Celebrity Eurosport only bigger. It looks like they are using the the same ImpalaSS script emblems off the old ImpalaSS rear quarter panel and placing them on the lower area of the front doors which looks funny. Why didn't they place the emblems on the rear quarter panel there is plenty of room and it would look a whole lot better. And the biggest blunder, they gave the car the Supercharged 3.8L V6 Series II. Not the new Series III 260hp Supercharged V6 thats in the '04 Grand Prix.
It seems the blunders never end.

Introducing the New ImpalaSS instead of class leading performance you get just medicore performance.
Or you could buy any other performance 4-door sedan like Altima, Mazda6,Maxima that has more power, faster, and styled better.

 

I don't know that a whole lot of people here disagree with you. I guess I look at it this way, Impala is selling pretty well right now. GM could've done nothing. Something is better than nothing.

 

I'm still confused as to what happened to the styling 'freshening' for Impala and Monte Carlo for 2004.

It was talked about so much that it seemed like a given...

 

I think they initially were gonna do something more drastic because before the RWD movement the W-body was supposed to go on to 07 and beyond....but with RWD replacements in the pipline for 06 they desided to save the money.

The Grand Prix was much older than these cars and had had it's restlying prgram farther ahead before the RWD movement leaving little option but to go ahead with teh 04 overhaul.

 

That is a logical conclusion...

I don't like it though. This means if the RWD MC and Impy come out as MY06, they will have two more cars with virtually no cosmetic changes on the market for six years.

That is just too long. IMO, There should be some small change after two years, and a semi-major freshening after 4, then another small change after 6, assuming a standard 8 year life-cycle.

The 97-03 Malibu, the 97-03 Grand Prix, the 97-04 Corvette... all of these cars and many many more get released, and then rarely, if ever updated cosmetically.

 

Yeah, I can't tell from pics the difference between the '03 and '04 models either.
But if you watch a Winston Cup race, the noses on the Montes look different than last years. I don't know what it is, but they are different. And the commentators mention the new sheet metal for the Chevys now and then, too.

I don't know what gives.

 

Brandon's info corresponds with what I have. Impala was to be restyled on the new "mid-lux" body (basically a redone "W") for 2004, along with Monte Carlo, but both were cancelled in favor of a "completely different" body.

Though it's very, very likely to be RWD, I wouldn't bet the entire farm on it yet. Bonneville is being replaced with a RWD model, and Grand Prix isn't likely to switch to RWD till later in the decade, and Chevrolet's RWD car will be basically a reskinned Bonneville (or vice versa depending on your perspective). On top of that, Impala's sales have actually increased the past year or so, and GM's calling these new RWD's "large" cars.

Not saying the next Impala won't be RWD (that decision hasn't been made yet). I'm just cautioning that with the old Malibu continuing after the new one comes out, Impala sales increasing, the new Regal going on mid-lux, the new RWD cars being slightly bigger than the Impala, and finally, the plant Holden's probally taking over to make these cars (they are the ones actually developing them) having nothing to do with mid-lux, I wouldn't be one bit surprised if Impala continues and Chevy's RWD car comes in under a different name.

However, it does seems Monte Carlo will be Chevy's "GTO".

 

Wait a sec. I thought the Bonnie was up in the air. And they were thinking about killing the name . if it is true that the car is going RWD then what platform . The only three RWD platforms I know of are Vette, not gonna be that; Sigma, possible, and Sigma VE, the next GTO and Grand Pix models. What other platforms would be viable?

Just gonna ramble a little more

GTO----Monte
Grand Prix----Impala
Bonneville----Caprice ???
Solstice----Camaro

 

1) The Bonnie, the DeVille, and the Park Avenue will not only shortly be made in the same plant, but all 3 will have roughly the same termination (or "re-engineering") date, during or after the 2006 model year.

2) All Cadillacs will eventually be made at the same plant on the same chassis, independent of pretty much the rest of GM (though a Buick version of a model is still possible).

3) GM starts producing new design RWD car transmissions and engines for the 2007 model year.

4) Both Pontiac & Chevrolet are scheduled to have "large" RWD cars at the same time (2006/2007).

5) A particular GM subsidarary will be taking over a plant here in the US around 2006-2007 to produce RWD cars it engineered & developed.

6) Holden's new VE cars will be introduced in Australia in 2005 (our 2006 model year).

I think you get the drift.

 

This subsidary, it wouldn't happen to be a non-NA one, would it?

It would support some theories I had if it were...

 

I think you are very much on target.

 

I've been suspecting that Holden would be coming to the U.S. as a nameplate. It amazes me that GM would seek to create another North American division, but at very least the name "Holden" carries no baggage. There a more than a few people that still remember the days when imported Opels were actually lower in quality than the reviled Chevy Vega. Now there was an accomplishment.

 

guionM said GM would be building cars here that Holden engineered and developed, but not necessarily called Holden. That's the feeling that I got(?)

 

Ya, me too... I would think bringing another nameplate to N.A. would be the last thing GM would do...

 

Say hello to the Ute SS!



Also, I could see the Impala take more of a Berlina look. Perhaps the Commodore as a Grand Am replacement. About that size, I mean. The Commodore comment is probably nowhere close, but it would give GM a base to work off of.