When Chevrolet returned the Impala to its lineup after a brief hiatus in 1999 as a 2000 model, many thought that Chevrolet would continue to emphasis the brand’s flagship sedan. Sadly, the GM bankruptcy seems to have cut those dreams short and the 2012 that is expected to hit showrooms in late 2011 will be largely unchanged if industry rumors prove to be accurate. Considering the fact that no Impala show cars have hit the car shows only seems to validate the idea that the current Impala will soldier on a bit longer.
Model History
A stunning 9 generations of Impalas have graced the Chevrolet label since 1958. With the muscle car trend arriving only shortly after the unveiling of the Impala, it was probably no coincidence that the car quickly got an SS badge and even non-SS models were treated to options such as Chevy’s ludicrously powerful 409 cid. The 1961 Impala SS paved the way for future Impala SS’s and set sales records back in its day, including 243,114 during 1965 alone.
Future
Sadly, the 9th generation Impala SS was dropped for the 2010 model year but it is an almost given that the SS badge will return when the vehicle is refreshed in a few years. Competitors in the full-sized American car bracket have all but died out with the death of Ford’s Crown Victoria and Dodge/Chrysler losing the Intrepid and the re-branding of the 300. In short, the true full-sized car market is essentially left only to the Impala at the moment, though there are a few imports that are not quite in the same league in terms of price and size.
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