I didn't think that the W-cars would pass upcoming crash standards?

 

I thought the last of the W-Bodies were coming off line in 2010. Isn't the 3.9L V6 going away then too?

 

I heard that Oshawa is getting another Zeta car? Does that mean that this flex plant will be able to build W bodies?
Not that teh W body is that bad, or that the Impala isnt selling the best it has in years, the fact that Impala and Malibu are very close in size, I dont see the need for a equally priced Impala?
I agree that there should be a more upscale Impala with a volume of about 250k a year while Malibu on EPII becomes the one and only midsizer for Chevy. Impala should be moved upscale, and I dont think that being RWD is the way to go. First off, it would be cheaper and easier to build a FWD/AWD Impala. Second is that having a RWD sedan along with Pontiac kills the G8 a bit. Why bother having the two fight for the same sales. Lets keep it down to as little rebadges as possible.
If there is going to be a fleet-only Impala, then I guess this could be a good option, while there is another upgraded new Impy built on a better modern platform with advanced powertrains.

 

The Impala wasn't supposed to be replaced by the Zeta Impala till a couple of years after the Camaro came out. So, at most, this seems like no more than a 1 year extention of the W body Impala production.

Barely news at all, being that GM cancelled the Impala's move to RWD and is possibly moving the design to another FWD architecture.

At the moment, they are, but I have no idea exactly what it is.

I have my suspicions, though.

 

Out on a limb... oshawa gets the denali concept shown at NAIAS, aka truck Zeta.

Or they build a chevy zeta sedan and call it Chevelle!

 

I'm curious if G8 production will be moved to Oshawa, since I believe Oshawa has a much bigger capacity than the plant in Aussie, currently producing the G8 (I think? ) and assuming there is intent to replace the high-volume Grand Prix with the G8, then why would they not be looking at a high-capacity plant, in North America?

I could be WAY off though!?!?!

 

Basically a RWD Impala?? Doubtful .

 

Sadly it looks like the trend back towards RWD that seemed well underway a few years ago is already ending. Is anyone else sick of all these FWD cars out there? I know I am. I think the Impala needs to go back to RWD if it is going to be so similar in price/features to the Malibu.

 

The current FWD Chevrolet Impala sells roughly 260,000 vehicles per year.

If I'm not mistaken, the Chrysler 300 sold less than 2/3s that in it's best year. It and the Charger were marketed as V8 powered, rear drive traditional American sedans. They stopped doing that right around the time fuel hit $3.25 per gallon and started climbing almost daily.

If you were a business and your decision affected not just the stockholders who could dump you as soon as things turn sour, but have thousands of people whose livelihoods depend on your company being successful, you'd probally look at those Impala sales numbers, and keep the formula that's making it happen.

We have the G8. We'll soon have a Buick. We'll have a Camaro. We'll also have a new small RWD architecture in about 3 to 4 years.

Ford is well in to their new RWD program.

Chrysler is debating making the Sebring & Avenger replacement a RWD structure that would succeed the LX & LY, and help bring up Chrysler's CAFE numbers by the early part of mid-next decade.

RWD isn't dead.

It's just simply shifting from large chassis that seem to have a finite future to smaller chassis that can make the cut in a fuel conscious world.

 

I can only assume that Impala will move to EPII as there is no plan for a large FWD sedan anywhere else in the GM world.
Impala would move to a larger EPII and share parts like Camry and Avalon do.

 

I sure hope you're right! The only thing I'd change about the G8 would be to make it a foot shorter