The 2014 Chevrolet Impala has Arrived

            After a long wait, the Chevy Impala has arrived at Handy Chevrolet. After seeing pictures of the car online, I couldn’t wait to see what it looked like in person.  This is the first redesign of the Impala since the 2006.  The new redesign is based off the popular Buick Lacrosse. The wheelbase was increased 1.2 inches over the previous generation.  In the interior, Chevy designers found an extra 5.7 inches of legroom across the length of the car, which is a drastic improvement over the previous generation Impala.

            The new Impala at Handy Chevrolet is the LTZ package.  This is a higher end model with more luxurious options.  Some of those options in that are in this Impala are leather seats, heated and cooled front seats, heated steering wheel, rear camera, rear park assist and much more. 

            GM designer, John Cafaro designed the shapes and lines that grace the exterior of the Chevy Impala.  The car has a more modern look and looks like a big car.  The interior transfers some of those lines from the exterior into more graceful lines along the dashboard and down into the center console.  The steering wheel resembles the Chevy bowtie, which I found to be a neat little touch.  The interior also looks as big as the exterior of the car.  The interior also features an 8 inch MyLink infotainment system exclusive to Chevy only.

            The Impala currently at Handy Chevrolet is powered by a Direct Injected 3.6L V-6.  Chevy also offers a 2.5L ECOTEC I-4.  The V-6 makes an impressive 305 horsepower at 6800RPM with 264 ft-lbs of torque.  The I-4 makes 195 horsepower and 187 ft-lbs of torque.  Both engines are direct injected and feature variable valve timing for optimum fuel efficiency. 

            The next generation of the Chevy Impala has arrived and with it some exciting cues from generations past have helped revive the car with a storied history.

Matthew Colan

Handy Chevrolet

2014 Chevy Malibu

            After the introduction of the all-new 2013 Chevy Malibu, Chevrolet sought out to try and improve on the car for the 2014 model year.  The new car was unveiled at the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix late last week. 

           The styling of the car was changed slightly with more aggressive headlights and grille.  There was nothing wrong with the 2013 styling, but GM just sought out to refine the looks a little bit.  The bigger improvements were made in the interior and under the hood of the car.

            Customers will enjoy the increase in legroom over the 2013 Malibu.  GM designers were able to squeeze out an additional 1.25” of legroom to sitting in the back a little easier on the knees.  While it doesn’t sound like much, 1.25” is enough to keep your legs from hitting the seat in front of you and give you just a little more room to stretch out. The interior was also improved in the center console area of the car.  Chevy replaced the storage area with cup holders and cell phone bins. The Malibu will also come with Chevy’s version of infotainment, MyLink.

            Under the hood, Malibu customers will have a choice of either the naturally aspirated 2.5L Direct Injected four-cylinder, or the 2.0L turbocharged four cylinder engine. Engineers were able to squeeze out more performance with the engines that are available in the Malibu.  The 2.5L features variable valve timing and Intake Valve Lift Control, which is said to enhance low end torque. However, with the new technology, the engine loses one horsepower to 196 and also loses five ft-lbs of torque to 186.  If people want an increase in performance, the turbocharged 2.0L saw a boost in power.  The horsepower rating stays the same at 259, but torque went up an impressive 35 ft-lbs to 295.  Fuel economy improved slightly to 35mpg highway.

            With the small tweaks made to an already fine motor vehicle, The Malibu should sell even better than it did in 2012.

Matthew Colan

Handy Chevrolet