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Originally Posted by SCarFan
I love the current Impala, especially in LTZ trim (now that it includes the SS suspension and StabiliTrak). The 3.9L engine is a nice piece of engineering, as is the car overall, especially considering the platform's age.
I realize the new Malibu is upon us and there is overlap with the Impala in terms of size and some features.
But I believe that there is enough differentiation between the new Malibu and current Impala in terms of styling and powertrains to keep the Impala in production.
I greatly prefer the styling of the Impala over the new Malibu. Plus, the two do not share powertrains. The new Malibu is clearly aimed to do battle with cars like the Accord and Camry, all of which come standard with 4-cylinder engines. But the Impala comes standard with a V6 (and available with a V8), so it can take on the Accord and Camry as well as other cars like the Toyota Avalon and even the Chrysler LX cars (300 and Charger). The point is that the current Impala is a truly proven, versatile competitor that can continue to do battle in several segments over the next few years.
The new Malibu and current Impala might be cross-shopped occasionally, but who cares? Again, they're different enough that the threat of "internal competition" or "cusomer/dealer confusion" or "cannibalism" will turn out to be relatively insignificant, as long as you manage the two models competently with proper promotion. Who knows, the current Impala might continue to be a strong seller, and consumers might even prefer the current Impala over the new Malibu! Don't make a hasty decision to cancel the Impala unless sales absolutely tank within the next 12 months. If you're not planning to introduce a Zeta-based Chevy sedan until mid-2010 for the 2011 model year, then please keep the current Impala in production through spring of 2010.
GM, I think you might be mistaken if you think the new Malibu is a 1-for-1 replacement for the current Impala. The current Impala has been a sales success; do not underestimate its ability to be competitive in the coming years!
Thank you.
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I agree with you and think that the Impala is the "Dacia Logan" for the U.S. market - if you don't know the Dacia Logan is a car alot like the Impala (except it is more Cobalt sized). The Logan is a old "proven" design that is not "state of the art" in many areas but IS more than adequate for MOST family car buyers in Europe. It sells well and has all of the European automakers scratching thier heads at it's success.
There really is no mystery here, many car buyers view cars as appliances and DO NOT CARE about the number of speeds in the trans, OHC vs OHV or what it goes 0-60 in. They want a reliable, low cost vehicle that suits their day to day needs that will be economical to operate.
That car for the U.S. market is the Impala.
If GM was smart they would give the Impala a exterior restyle, a few minor NVH tweaks and another set of improvements to the interior and options list in 2010 and keep selling it.