Chevrolet Impala - Vehicle Overview
The 2012 Chevrolet Impala gets a new 3.6-liter V6 and six-speed automatic transmission along with slightly revised front and rear styling. All Impalas also now feature Bluetooth and a leather-wrapped steering wheel as standard, while the LT's standard equipment list loses foglights but gains a rear spoiler, flip-and-fold rear seat and leather-wrapped shift knob along with a sunroof option.
Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2012 Chevy Impala is a full-size four-door sedan offered in three trim levels: LS, LT and LTZ. Seating for five people is standard, but an optional front bench seat offered on LS and LT models bumps passenger capacity to six.
Standard features on the entry-level LS include 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, keyless entry, cruise control, full power accessories, air-conditioning, a six-way power driver seat, a tilt-only leather-wrapped steering wheel, OnStar, Bluetooth and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite radio and an auxiliary audio jack.
Stepping up to the LT gets you 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, remote ignition, dual-zone manual climate control, a folding rear seat, a rear center armrest, a leather-wrapped shift knob, and a trip computer with compass and outside temperature display.
The top-of-the-line LTZ adds 18-inch alloy wheels, foglamps, heated mirrors, leather upholstery, heated power front seats (eight-way driver, six-way passenger), an auto-dimming rearview mirror and an eight-speaker Bose premium audio system.
A sunroof is available on the LT and LTZ.
Interior
The interior is roomy with seating for up to six passengers -- something that's increasingly hard to find these days. Gauges and controls are also well laid out and uncomplicated -- it's a potentially refreshing difference from the sea of buttons and complicated control interfaces common of most modern cars.
Under the Hood
The front-wheel-drive 2012 Chevrolet Impala gets a new 3.6-liter direct-injection V6 that puts out a healthy 300 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard.
Though this powertrain is significantly gutsier than either of the V6 engines it replaces, the Impala's fuel economy has actually improved a bit. EPA estimates are a strong 18 mpg city/30 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined.
Safety
The 2012 Chevrolet Impala's list of standard safety features includes antilock brakes, traction and stability control, OnStar telematics, front side airbags and side curtain airbags.