2014 Chevrolet Impala 2LZ First Test
More Canadian Elk than African Antelope
Unlike its namesake, the all-new 2014 Chevy Impala isn't a svelte, agile creature able to dart and leap from point A to B. Rather, the full-size sedan from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada is more of a North American bruiser -- substantial, solid, well-built, and more deliberate in its movements. By deliberate, I don't mean slow or clumsy -- the Impala is neither, thanks in part to an available 305-horsepower V-6 and 20-inch wheels wearing 40-series tires. But it is big (more than 201 inches in length), and, in the case of our 3855-pound 2LZ tester, a bit heavy. If the swirly antelope badge were a hulking elk with a 6x6 rack, it wouldn't look out of place.
As mentioned, the Impala can be had with a robust V-6 (the base engines are a 196-hp 2.5-liter I-4 and a 182-hp 2.4 I-4 with eAssist), just as our 2LZ was equipped. Displacing 3.6 liters, the direct-injected 24-valve engine puts out 305 horsepower and 264 pound-feet of torque, giving it more grunt than the Taurus' 3.5-liter and 300S' 3.6. Mated to a six-speed automatic, the General's 3.6 scoots the Impala from 0 to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds and through the quarter mile in 14.8 seconds at 96.2 mph. For context, our long-term 300S needed 6.4 and 14.9 at 97.1, and the last Avalon we ran required 6.3 and 14.7 at 97.4. So, the Impala is quick and can hang with the competition -- but what about when the road gets twisty?
Our 2LZ tester, fitted with front struts and a rear multilink suspension, wore 19-inch alloys shod with 245/45 Goodyear Eagle rubber. Around our figure-eight handling test, this setup was good for a time of 27.1 seconds at 0.68 g, with maximum lateral acceleration coming in at 0.83 g. Compared to the stats of the 300S (26.7 at 0.66, 0.85) and Avalon (27.2 at 0.66, 0.81), the Impala resides right in the middle. Suspension firmness falls on the softer side, but the Impala still manages to maintain its composure when pushed hard.
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