By ALEX LAW
Thursday, May 12, 2005 Updated at 11:21 AM EDT
Globe and Mail Update

The Oshawa-built Chevrolet Impala mid-size sedan has been a huge hit for General Motors in recent years against stiff Japanese competition, and GM has high hopes for the new model going on sale late this summer.

GM believes a revised look, two new V-6s, extra upscale details, "more confident" handling, useful functionality like a flip-and-fold rear seat, and an optional V-8 with fuel-saving Displacement on Demand technology will help push the 2006 Impala up-market a bit, into what the company calls the premium mid-car segment.

The Impala's sales success, particularly in the United States, against such heavyweights as Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, caused GM to add a third shift in Oshawa to meet demand.

According to Brent Dewar, the Canadian who was Chevrolet general manager before becoming the vice-president of marketing for GM's North American division, the 2006 Impala delivers "more of what customers want from a large sedan -- uncompromising roominess, but with the performance and styling of a sports car."

The Impala's improved status is supposed to be obvious in its exterior style, which Dewar says is meant to "convey sophistication and exude big-car roominess."

Dewar is touching a hot button there with the roominess issue, since Impala is maybe the most expansive sedan in the segment, and that will make it appealing to lots of North Americans who appreciate more space.

More space for luggage, parcels and general stuff has also been created by the addition of the flip-fold rear seat and a pass-through to the trunk, which delivers most of the pragmatism of a hatchback without it actually be a hatch, which Americans think is too downscale for them. This sets Impala apart in this segment.

Impala's seats "have a cleaner, simpler and more tailored appearance," says Dewar. "Up-level, nuance leather-covered seating features premium deck seams around their perimeter and French seams on the centre cushions. The seats also have firmer cushions and increased lumbar support that provide more comfort, especially during long drives."

The all-new instrument panel wraps around into the door panels and has a "double-hump design that is reminiscent of early Corvettes," says Dewar.

The big technical news involves the newer V-6s and the addition of the 5.3-litre V-8.

"A new family of high-tech V-6s features cam phasing to optimize performance and economy," Dewar explains. The base model gets a new 3.5-litre V-6 that produces 211 hp and 214 lb-ft of torque, and there's an optional 3.9-litre V-6 rated at 240 hp and 245 lb-ft of torque, 90 per cent of which is available from 1,800 to 5,800 rpm.

But the engine that most excites the people at Chevrolet is the 5.3-litre V-8 with Displacement On Demand in the Impala SS model. When power is required, the engine responds with 303 hp and 323 lb-ft of torque. In certain light-load situations, such as cruising at a steady speed, the engine shuts down half of its cylinders and uses less fuel as a result.

All engines are mated to a Hydra-Matic 4T65-E four-speed automatic transmission, which does a good job but is not on the cutting edge of trannies any more, thanks to the arrival of five- and six-speed automatics from other companies. GM is working on such technology, however, so a new transmission should be available on Impala in a couple of years.

GM is considerably more au courant with its suspension and tire offerings.

"All Impalas are helped by a more robust front-end structure," explains Dewar, since it provides a firmer foundation for the suspension setup, which improves noise, vibration and harshness issues and delivers improved steering and handling performance.

At the front, Impala gets a McPherson strut coil-over-spring independent suspension with gas-charged four-valve struts and a stabilizer bar, with taller jounce bumpers "helping to enhance stability and control."

The rear suspension uses a trailing arm, tri-link setup with gas-charged, four-valve struts and coil springs, and a rear stabilizer bar.

From the basic suspension designs, says Dewar, Impala can be ordered with three distinct suspension settings, "each tuned to match the power and expected performance level of its respective model."

Base models with the 3.5-litre V-6 have an FE1 suspension package that Dewar says "provides improved control over previous base models without compromising ride quality."

The package includes 16-inch wheels and P225/60R16 ALS (all-season) Goodyear Integrity radials, which are "specifically developed to provide a quieter ride and better fuel economy compared to previous base models."

Dewar says the FE1 suspension package is also available with 17-inch wheels and tires for better high-speed control, including a 10-mm-wider track. P225/55R17 AL2 (touring) Goodyear Eagle LS2 radials are partnered with the 17-inch aluminum wheels, Dewar says.

Impala SS models comes with an FE3 suspension, which is "designed to provide a sporty ride that complements the 5.3L V-8's performance through increased stiffness and ride control, with reduced body lean and greater high-speed stability."

Prices will not be announced until closer to the on-sale date, but it's not likely that they'll range too far from those of the 2005 model, which begin at $26,405 for a base model and go to $30,345 for an LS and then $37,175 for an SS.