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Source: Chevrolet
Quiet strength exemplifies the new 2006 Chevy Impala – an inherited
attribute that is blended into a premium mid-car vehicle that offers
stylish design, stirring performance and surprising details, including
available V-8 power.
Chevrolet unveiled the 2006 Impala at the 2005 Greater Los Angeles Auto
Show. The vehicle enters the hotly contested mid-car segment with enhanced
premium-quality features and attention to detail, including an innovative
flip-and-fold rear seat, and a revised suspension system that delivers
comfortable, quiet and more confident ride and handling characteristics.
These new ingredients improve on an already popular recipe for driving
satisfaction.
“The ’06 Impala delivers more of what customers want from a large sedan or
coupe – uncompromising roominess, but with the performance and styling of
a sports car,” said Brent Dewar, Chevrolet general manager. “Mid-car
represents the largest segment of the industry, and the ’06 Impala will
continue Chevy’s leadership there.”
The Impala SS receives the new LS4 5.3L V-8 with Displacement On Demand
(DOD) technology to regulate between eight-cylinder and four-cylinder
operation – providing up to 12 percent improved fuel economy in certain
light-load driving conditions. The 5.3L V-8 produces 303 horsepower (226
kw) and 323 lb.-ft. (438 Nm) of torque. Design Details
The ’06 Impala wears a new look, both inside and out, that conveys
sophistication and exudes big-car roominess. It also is designed with
thoughtful features, including the Impala’s unique flip-and-fold rear
seat. The forward-flip rear seat cushions create a covered storage area
beneath the seat with cushions down and offers convenient grocery bag
hooks when the cushions are flipped forward. The seat back also folds down
to create a generous pass-through from the trunk when seat backs are
folded flat – an exclusive feature in the midsize segment.
The seats of the Impala have a cleaner, simpler and more tailored
appearance. Up-level, Nuance leather-covered seating features premium deck
seams around their perimeter and French seams on the center cushions. The
seats also have firmer cushions and increased lumbar support that provide
more comfort, especially during long drives.
The Impala has an all-new instrument panel design that wraps around into
the door panels and has a double-hump design that is reminiscent of early
Corvettes. The Impala SS comes standard with a “technical”-pattern trim
panel.
Chassis & Suspension
Quiet, smoothness and refinement are the ride and handling traits conveyed
through the Impala’s revised chassis and suspension systems. A more robust
front-end structure provides a firmer foundation to help reduce noise
vibration and harshness (NVH). It also provides improved steering and
handling performance.
Fully boxed upper frame rail assemblies have a wider, deeper and
structurally stronger upper front tie bar, with slight machining
differences between V-6 and V-8 models to provide room for the 5.3L V-8
engine. Stronger ties between the upper and lower rails stiffen the front
structure for improved ride and handling and a large, lower front-of-dash
panel has been strengthened. It is constructed from Quiet Steel laminated
steel, which consists of sound deadening material bonded between sheets of
steel and reduces resonant sound from a “clanging” to a muted “thud.”
An extruded aluminum engine cradle is used on the Impala SS, too, and
contributes to a smoother, vibration-free ride. The cradle’s lateral
stiffness (at the steering joint) is increased with a new, one-piece
machined rear crossmember and new aluminum rear body mounts, which helps
improve handling control. Models equipped with a V-6 engine have a
two-point engine-mounting system, while V-8 models have a three-point
mounting system.
A power rack-and-pinion steering system is standard on the Impala SS using
a 13.3:1 steering ratio. It also receives a quieter, improved performance
power steering pump and fluid reservoirs. The new system optimizes
internal flow of the hydraulic steering fluid within both the pump and the
reservoirs.
At the front suspension, the Impala SS features McPherson strut
coil-over-spring independent front suspension with gas-charged four-valve
struts and a stabilizer bar. Taller jounce bumpers in the front suspension
help enhance stability and control. The rear suspension uses a trailing
arm, tri-link setup with gas-charged, four-valve struts and coil springs.
A rear stabilizer bar is standard on all models.
Powertrain
The new 5.3L small-block V-8 with DOD was developed exclusively for
front-drive applications and produces 303 horsepower and 323 lb.-ft. of
torque with DOD helping to reduce fuel consumption by up to 12 percent in
certain light-load driving conditions.
The engine is combined with a Hydra-Matic 4T65-E electronically controlled
four-speed automatic transmission. The smooth shifting transmission is
renowned for its durability and strength with high-torque engines. The
transmission mated with the 5.3L V-8 is further enhanced to match the
engine’s increased torque output.
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