General Motors has produced many iconic vehicles over the years across their many brands, and retired enough of them to make easy to lose track of that number. Today, we remember the beloved Chevy Impala, a nameplate that ended after the 2020 model year.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary in 1958, GM introduced a new model for each brand, all based on the same full-size car platform: Cadillac Eldorado Seville, Buick Limited Riviera, Oldsmobile Starfire 98, Pontiac Bonneville Catalina, and Chevrolet Bel Air Impala.
The 1958 Chevy Impala was fancy and expensive enough to make some wonder whether Chevrolet could still be considered a low-priced car.
The following year, the Impala became a standalone model as already the second generation of the storied nameplate. In 1961, Chevy debuted the Impala SS.
Fast forward six decades later and the Impala had become a front-wheel-drive sedan, but the outgoing model still offered sharp styling that differentiated it from competing sedans.
On February 27, 2020, most likely the last-ever Chevy Impala rolled off the assembly line at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant in Michigan. That 2020 Chevy Impala was a Premier trim level in Cajun Red Tintcoat with a Jet Black interior. It came with the only engine offered in the Impala Premier, the 3.6L LFX V6 paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Demand for sedans like the Impala has been extremely low over the last several years, with most consumers now preferring crossovers and SUVs. As a result, GM has only three sedans left in its U.S. market portfolio.
And the automaker is also investing heavily in future electric vehicle programs, such as those based on its new BEV3 and BT1 EV platforms, leaving fewer resources for new passenger car programs.
At the beginning of this year, GM announced plans to eliminate tailpipe emissions from its light-duty vehicles by slowly adding more and more battery-electric vehicles to its lineup. The automaker will offer 30 all-electric models globally by mid-decade and 40 percent of the company’s U.S. models will be battery-electric by the end of 2025. Its goal is to eliminate tailpipe emissions from its new light-duty vehicles by 2035 and become fully carbon neutral by 2040.
Going forward, more than half of GM’s capital spending and product development will be devoted to electric and electric-autonomous vehicle programs, with the automaker outlining a clear directive to eventually offer an EV “for every customer, from crossovers and SUVs to trucks and sedans.”
It is doubtful the age-old Impala nameplate will make it onto any of the EVs that GM plans to launch. That said, the Chevy Impala has been brought back from the dead not once, but twice before. It went on a rather lengthy hiatus between 1985 and 1994 and was not offered between 1996 and 2000, either. And GM has said it will still produce internal combustion engine vehicles as long as demand justifies it.
Other full-size sedans that have joined the Chevy Impala in the dust bin are its corporate cousin, the Buick LaCrosse, discontinued after the 2019 model year, plus the Ford Taurus, also dropped after 2019, as well as corporate cousins Hyundai Azera and Kia Cadenza. The Toyota Avalon’s 2022 model year will be its last.
The Chevy Malibu is still around. Buick currently only makes crossovers. Cadillac produces two sedans, the CT4 and CT5, and recently launched their high-performance counterparts for the 2022 model year, the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing. They are available with manuals no less and are considered the luxury brand’s swan song before it finalizes its transition to EVs that has already started with the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq crossover.
Just think about the nameplates we’ve lost over the years, especially when you consider coupes along with sedans. And even more went away with whole divisions that were axed. We’re looking at you, Oldsmobile and Pontiac.
Car lovers across the fruited plains continue to snap up examples of these icons as an important part of automotive history. Interestingly enough, a 93-year-old man picked up that last Cajun Red 2020 Chevy Impala and added it to his collection, which includes the last ever produced 1996 Impala SS.
Buyers today still wanting a sedan of any size are being left with nowhere to go but a crossover or SUV – or truck, though that’s a different animal altogether.
If you own a Chevy Impala, take our poll and let us know if you are ready to make the switch to one of the Bow Tie brand’s crossovers or SUVs.
Comments
The last time I drove an Impala was a Enterprise rental in 2019. The ride was so smooth that my niece, who had an Infinity, fell asleep in her seat. My nephew and I are six feet tall and weigh over 200 pounds each, so we both fit together in the trunk. That was how good it was! Now sedan drivers can only buy imports.
The Impala and Caprice models went downhill after 1996 and the rear wheel drive was discontinued in sedans
Where are you seeing evidence for interest in sedans? Even Tesla is selling more Model Y than 3.
Evan
Dead Cat Bounce
Yes Ford is bringing back the Fusion sedan & wagon in 2023 as 2024 models, both about the size of the former Taurus, will be director competitor to Subaru Legacy/Outlander. Trying to shoe horn buyers all into trucks was a huge mistake.
The 2024 Ford Fusion is a crossover, supposedly. I’m not seeing anywhere that it’s going to be a sedan.
Google Ford, Fusion Active sedan & Fusion Active wagon.
Right, which isn’t a sedan and I’m not seeing any evidence they are going to build it as one.
It has many shots with a trunk, maybe it will be a hatch on the sedan and a regular tailgate on the wagon.
Just picked up Chevy Impala new body style … Full size sedan with V6 vvt. Full size sedan ride. 2lt optioned. Front wheel drive, should be AWD. Very nice leather swede interior seating … Pull forward back seats. Trunk is big enough to fight in… 19 inch star pattern wheels & Good Year Tires…
Sad to see Sedans disappearing …
I personally never owned a truck or an SUV…
Check the FORD authority site the sedan is on that sight. I really like the tailights.
If you’re talking about the article with the pictures of the Mondeo, you might want to read the text more carefully.
Bought a new Impala 2LT in July, 2014. Love it. I don’t drive much (only 24,529 miles on it) but when I do I enjoy it.
Hopefully Ford smooths it out. That little notch right behind the back seat side windows looks like some guy tacked some sheet metal in his garage.
I have the Buick version of this car (2016 LaCrosse) and it has been a dream since new. 5 years and 61,000 miles later and not a single problem. I also bought a 2019 Malibu – also problem free. Too bad GM gave up on moderately priced sedans since these two examples are superb cars.
Great spacious car . GM doesn’t build cars anymore. It is a Moneysl Driven Company !!! TOO BAD
The 2020 Lumina was something special…
IMO if the Impala returns it should be electric with a larger rwd Malibu doing all the ICE/fleet and sports sedan duties.
Toyota is doing that with the next generation of Avalon which be electric in 2024.
The last real Impala was built in 1996 after that they just watered down front wheel drives built by the bean counters using the Impala iconic name. If Chevrolet was smart drop the slow selling Camaro build a 4 door rear wheel drive Impala, SS and ZL1 model and sale some cars, Dodge Charger is having no problem and need some real competition
Roy,I owned a Silver FWD 2 door 2007 Monte Carlo SS v8, 305hp 325ft lbs tq. I choose the MC over the Impala SS v8 because I wanted a 2 door. These twins could out run a stock 4.6 Mustang GT, and other sport cars. To your point, I was waiting for RWD, but never happened with the twins. Chevys attempt with the 6.2 RWD SS never really got its due with marketing so it failed. If they just would have used the Impala and Monte Carlo as the platform, IMO, they would be on the lots today. Carry 2 platforms, FWD V6 and RWD or AWD V8. This worked for Dodge and still does.
Anyway, it doesn’t matter. gm has moved on and its everything SUV, CUV, TRUCKS, and EV.
My friend still has his yellow NASCAR Edition Monte Carlo that I have driven more than once. It never out ran my 99 35th Anniversary GT and doesn’t stand a chance against my 04 Mystic Cobra I still own today with 30k miles resale wise the Pony Car wins that round too. I’ll pass on the FWD duo AMERICAN Pony and Muscle Cars are rear wheel drives
The Nascar Edition is a v6. The GT should win and lose by bus lengths against a Cobra.
Roy still have that mystic? Wanna make sure it’s in the registry 96MysticCobra.com
Originally Zeta was supposed to go under Impala/MC and Camaro, only Camaro survived the BK.
A five year old ’62 ‘vert was my first car. What a beauty. We bought an ’08 new, traded for a new black ’15 LTZ with Mojave interior which has been flawless. I drive a ’13 XTS platinum, love it, and also own a 91 Caprice wagon.
Actualmente tengo un Chevy Impala 2014 (sedan) maravilloso tremendo auto me enamora
My parents’ first car was a ’59 Impala that I can barely remember. Their next car was a 66 Impala SS. I had a few Impala company cars over the years – 2010 & 2012 that were very plain looking but the ’12 had a nice V6. The last one was the best one, 2017. It looked great and rode & handled really well. The company was too cheap to pay for the V6 and the 4 cylinder engine was the only disappointing thing about the car. Now, we have the cramped, wobbly and underpowered Equinox penalty boxes. I don’t get the appeal of the crossover or SUV. I like the handling of a lower vehicle. Maybe cars will make a comeback.
Yes, please I’m all trucked out!
I hope GM will rethink their position and return the Chev Impala. There are thousands of loyal Chevrolet customers that are going to have to look at other manufacturers for a nice car. The small SUV’s and Crossovers do not fulfil the needs of a lot of people. Try putting a set of golf clubs in a Chev Equinox, without putting a back seat down. We traded it for a Chev Malibu and the cargo space is great, and you still have lots of seating. I understand companies have to make adjustments, but to stop production of an automobile that is known as the Flag Ship of General Motors, is about the stupidest thing GM has done. And when they bring it back into production, hopefully the President of GM will ensure it is not an electric vehicle.
My dad still has his ’94 Impala SS, and I will keep driving my ’14 Impala LTZ as long as I possibly can. My car is more than just a means of transportation for me; it’s an expression of my personality too. The Impala brand is iconic, and today’s SUVs or crossovers have no appeal for me.
The Impala was Chevy`s most RELIABLE vehicle, by far!!!
I feel the sedan market died due to aerodynamics!
As each generation focused on improving the drag coefficient over the previous model the slope of the rear roofline continued to get lower and lower and thus headroom and rear trunk space essentially became nonexistent! I’m 5’8” tall and in the remaining sedans, I find my head hits the roofline constantly so I can only imagine how bad this is for those 6’ +. Also, if you add a sunroof you tend to lose an additional 2” of headspace as well. The trunk space has also gone down dramatically in some sedan models too! Take a look at the Cadillac CT4 and CT5 for example. Under 12 cu.ft. You can’t even fit 2 sets of golf clubs in the back of that! I remember my 85 Caprice with 20 cu. ft. of trunk space. There I could easily fit 2 sets of clubs ( 3 without the full-sized spare tire ) and hand bags too while not to forget 4 grown adults 6’+ in the cabin and had no complaints from anyone as we drove together looking for the best courses to shot a round of 18 !
Now I find myself FORCED into the lifestyle of driving an SUV when I truly long for the days of driving a full-sized sedan again!
SUVs are basically a return to the old panel trucks of the 1940s with side by side rear doors opening outward rather than the one vertical tailgate of today. By 1946 the Chevy Suburban got windows as a choice over enclosed side panels, with extra seats.
Cars evolved and ruled for decades, with abundant choice and styles, but now we
have an era of glorified panel trucks labelled SUVs and CUVs, and huge fancy pickups.
Manufacturers have pushed vehicle buyers into these things, taken away choice, and don’t want to design and build cars anymore. What a sad time for car enthusiasts.
I find it odd how some say GM gave up on the Impala and sedan. The truth is 5he customers gave up on the sedans in America.
How do I know well we went to buy a Impala or Buick for a family member. She wanted a sedan and so we went shopping.
What did I find? A large selection on Impala and Lacrosse models on the dealer lots. Some new some up to almost two years old in new undelivered condition.
I found discounts up to near $20,000.
We finally settled on a fully loaded LTZ Impala with the adaptive Cruise. A really nice car bu5 it had been at the dealer for months unsold so we got a Sweet deal.
I know some people cry for sedans and a few ev3n buy them but their numbers just don’t support the investment.
Imports on the other hand sell their sedans globally and they don’t need the great numbers here. While GM needs to try to live with just this market for the larger cars.
They just see they can invest in a car or they can invest in a CUV and get three times the return on investment. It is just simple business.
If more people would buy they would build.
60 vechicles in my life time.GM,Ford,Chrysler and Dodge.Good luck with all.My Pontiacs and Chevrolets were very good.The secret is to take care of them and service on a reglar basis.My present one is a 2018 Impala.I have owned the longest because not much to choose from in the American sedan.This old guy still likes the full size cars.
I thought the current gen impala was initially a success. GM never tried a refresh, no updated interior. And my only complaint is on the trunk the plasti chrome, I like the side windows brushed chrome look. Other then that they’re still great looking cars
Kirt it sold but the SUV and CUV models just were increasing sales while the Impala did ok but the entire segment is shrinking.
GM could invest 5 billion in a new Impala and struggle to make a couple billion or invest it in SUV models that will, quadruple the investment in a year.
It is all about return on investment.
Honda can do a sedan because they sell it in 60 plus countries globally. The Impala never had that nor could it.
Can’t GM just share platform with impala and a highly sold suv? Or better yet sell the impala platform to Honda for the accord, since they are in a partner group with them?
Make a Accord and put a Chevy bow tie and Impala nameplate on it, could be built on the same assembly line in Ohio, giving GM a reliable sedan.
The Malibu is supposed to be the Accord competition. Too many liking the Impala nameplate want a rwd based chassis. Not enough of an opening. The people liking the fwd final gen don’t realize too many others have payed more and gotten less with something like a RAV4. GM possibly could do a couple more fwd cars, but be ready for the reviewers/blogs/magazines to rank them low, if that really matters to anyone.
All the auto makers have got to stop listening to the “soccer” mom focus groups and listen to mature, seasoned, buyers whose biggest daily decision is coffee from tarbucks or getting 2 different kids to after school “schiff” at the same time. Ford about two years ago when the Maverick was still in the planning stage actually listened to some of us (Ford Social Group) and told them make a truck, but a 21st Century version of the famous Ranchero (more car like as possible) as they are known for. They did listen, today over 24% of Mavericks “delivered” are sold to women. Since there really isn’t a full size sedan anymore I’m looking at the Maverick Hybrid with the 3-lid cargo cover making it into a sedan. It will join the garage right beside by a 9 year old C-Max Hybrid that still delivers over 50 mpg around town.
I know a few overweight couples, 2 that have the newer Impala, 1 that traded a similar size Lucerne for an Acadia. I don’t know anyone considering a hybrid right now, or a Maverick. Cargo in a car should matter; clean/open folded seat pass-through and trunk/hatch opening. Mid-sizers filling the large car role need good rear head room. Keeping CARB/EPA/gov/insurance happy means more expensive stuff hurting things that a real market should decide. And an appliance segment Chevy needs planned to slot in 3rd-5th place.
You nailed it: “It is all about return on investment”. And marketing, or lack thereof, and product development, or lack thereof, produces the low sales that justifies the decision to drop low-profit models.
Too bad GM/FMC have no idea how to sell their sedans globally.
I bought a 2020 Red one in May of 2020. LT2 V-6. My first new vehicles was a Blue 1959 Impala two door hard top. I sold my 2015 to a lady who also loves it.. Great ride and great mileage. I’m 82 and should had never stop building the Impala.
I have a 2017 LT1 with quite a few options. While I do like it, my experience is not what others here are reporting. I’ve replaced 2 wheel bearings, steering components, and a torque converter. The trunk fills with water every time it rains and the blind spot indicator is always on. But, it is sharp looking and fast as L.
I have gone through 7 wheel bearings-every time the relucter wheel has fallen off and the abs quits-this is due to salt and design-the wheel should be inside the bearing out of the salt. Re the water in the trunk that is caused by the drain hoses leaking at the exit-a little sealer will fix that.
That’s too bad – sounds like maybe your Impala was built on a Friday afternoon after lunch. Our 2014 LT1 has 92,000 miles now, has no problems (knock on wood!) and has only been back to the dealer for oil changes and regular maintenance, except in 2014 there was a recall to replace gaskets at the tail lights to prevent water from leaking into the trunk.
There are revised tail lamp gaskets that will stop the trunk leak.
I have a question for the comment posted by C8.E
Please share with the rest of us what Chev Dealers have or had Impala’s sitting unsold on their lots, and what City and State are they located in. If they don’t have any left, they would know what customers might want to sell their cars.
Dave this was in 2018 and there were a number of dealers sitting on old stock.
I had one Buick dealer that offered a AWD Lacrosse for $29,999 that was new and a unsold 2016. They had several.
The car we bought was a year old 2017 that was one of 12 at Doug Chevy in Akron Ohio. They are now Serra Chevy.
The car stickers right around $49,000 and we got it for around $32,000. With the cheap prices they finally got rid of them.
Nothing is left today as production has long since closed.
The dealer would have loved to have seen you several years ago when they gasped these cars sitting around waiting for a buyer.
Bottom line. I am NOT joining the SUV crowd. My garage holds the following GM ‘sedans’.
1962 Export RHD Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan
1965 RHD Chevrolet Corvair Monza convertible
1983 RHD Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
2017 RHD Chevrolet (Holden) Caprice WN Series II sedan (one the last 20 built).
I live in hope that GM might eventually offer sedans again. Simply don’t want to drive a truck based SUV.
That’s fine and no issue with that.
If my father was still alive he would have a difficult time buying a car as he was disabled and would have a rather hard time getting into a CUV.
But I can’t blame GM for not selling a sedan that gathered rust waiting to sell.
My wife has a 2013 Impala fleet ls, the last year before they changed to limited and the last body style. I love it, 35 mpg on the hwy at 75 mph, same power as the last Impala SS, less torque but when you step on it, that engine sounds like an LS V8, and really any more power would be more than the chassis could handle without ruining the amazing ride. Only problems we’ve had are the bad paint on the fuel door, had to replace an EVAP canister, and at low speeds turning sharply the traction control kicks in, but those don’t bother me 105k miles and running strong
I was raised on Impalas. My grandparents had a 1961 hardtop sedan. Later they had a 1981 Caprice. My dad had a 1965 coupe. Then he became a salesman in CA and got a new Impala every 2 years. 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982. I ended up with the 1982 after he bought out the lease. It only had the 6 cyl but it was still a great cruisemobile.
I truly love the last generation Impala. They are actually really fun to drive on the back twisties.
I have a 2006 Impala with 303,000 . No major problems just routine maintenance. Still going strong. Thanks for building a reliable car.
Lol icon??? You mean back in the 60s and 70s? I know you didn’t mean icon over the last 20+ years lmao.
Should have never stopped making the Impala as GM no longer has a true full size car. The Buick Park Avenue was a great car and the Lucerne never came close to matching it. Buick dealers tell me they still have customers asking for it.
The Impala was a safe car and a family car. THEY WOULD HAVE SOLD A LOT MORE IF THE DEALERS HAD MORE ON THEIR LOTS. SOME DEALERS AT MOST HAD THREE.
The cheaper Cadillac is a disgrace to the Cadillac name. it is just that CHEAP.
The last new car I bought was a 2004 Impala LS (3800 Series II/4T65E) because at the time it was the smallest car I could get with the 3800 engine in it. That car is still running for me like a champ, torquey and fuel efficient. Zero body/chassis rust. GM does not make anything of that caliber any more.
Now that the 3800 is long gone, as is the Impala, the next stop for me will probably NOT be GM. Electric Drive? Maybe, but only after the local fire department can figure out how to extinguish Lithium Ion battery fires.
I’ve still got my first new car, a 2005 Impala LS, and it still runs well. I likely would’ve been in the market to replace it with another car, however, I’m planning on going with a Colorado as its replacement at this time.
I use to love hot wiring these honeys back in the day. I miss the good ole days.
I loved my 14 impala LTZ! I wish they would have made it more sporty in a new generation to be a challenger fighter.
Sad.
A great ride. Just needed a refreshed front end and a little marketing love from GM to have been a success. Sadly, another fine product bites the dust.
My most recent car purchase was a new 2004 Impala LS (3800 Series II/4T65E), as it was the smallest car at the time in which the 3800 engine was available. It still runs like a top with absolutely no body/chassis rust and is dead-ass dependable. Having found nada in the GM stable ever since with that combination of dependability, performance, simplicity, maintainability or durability discouraged purchasing any other GM passenger car product. I just keep repairing the Impala.
As a GM retiree after 37 years of service, the current crop of SUCs (Sport Utility Cars) do nothing for me. Unfortunately, when the Impala becomes too long-in-the-tooth a Honda may be in my future. Not too soon I hope.
I have my dads 65 SS Impala he bought off of the showroom floor .. i had to rebuild everything but the numbers match . I get to now experience the Impala like my dad did .. its a great car and is a real head turner .
Loved Impala’s ever since my dad had a blue 2 door 66. I always thought the 65 SS, 63 SS, 67 SS, and the 68 SS were the best looking.
Enjoy that 65!
both the Impala and the Malibu would still be top sellers if GM was not so trying to please their global elites and being PC if they were still RWD and handles well with comfort and spacious. They have no one to blame but themselves. look at the Charger. Same paltform for years, and it stll sells well. It seems as though GM has not learned a damn thing thru the years. They still keep trying to tell us what we will buy, instead of building what we will buy. The GM arrogance continues.
I own the 1996 DCM 96’ impala with 25k No issues with my car. I am old school to say the following. Jeep CJ, Ford Bronco, and Dodge Chargers are 2 door vehicles. I believe consumers are ready for 2 door impalas. A rendition of 2 door impala hit google on Sept 13th. Make that one.
When my son went off to college I got him a 2006 impala ls after comparing all sedans on the market. He moved on in life and I have the car now. I love the power and comfort it has at 80000 miles. Love the bench front seat with seat belts for three. Never had any problems. Just a great car.
The Impala is really a victim of its own success. Until a few years ago, GM was selling over 200,000 Impalas a year. When the market turned to crossovers, the number of used Impalas overwhelmed the market. Distroying the cars resale value.
With 30% of all new vehicles being leased. you need high resale values to keep the cost of the lease down.
I’m very disappointed in GM for discontinuing the Impala, especially when keeping the Malibu that doesn’t rate nearly as well. I have no interest in buying an electric car that still has limited range, the infrastructure is not there to support it with limited few charging stations, it takes several hours to recharge when it takes me only 3 minutes to refill my gas tank, I can’t recharge my car at home, the grid for most neighborhoods is not set up for support ing recharging at home. I still want a full size sedan to drive.
But surely you can understand why they’d keep the Malibu, which was at least selling ok, and not the Impala, which wasn’t?
If you want to be disappointed, then you can be disappointed in the Impala sales.
The Impala ranked 2nd in sales to the Dodge Charger. It beat all others in its field every qtr for 2 yrs and even made 1st too. It was second until its death… But ranked 1st in quality several times with JDPowers.
The quality of the 9th gen Impala ranked 1st. Dodge ranked 1st due to its v8 models sales only. Including Police sales helping the v8. The v6s alone fell below expectations and sales numbers were below the Impala.
Avalon, Maxima, and Taurus, were always below in sales. Avalon was dropped for consistently low sales, same for Taurus.
Know I’ll get bad comments, but the Impala and the Malibu were at one time sold in the humble station wagon variant. GM had the chance to do this … I believe GM would have not been able to build as many wagons to suit demand. Why? When you point blank ask the suv/cross over buyer they bought because they could find/buy anything else. I was a Chevy Astro Van driver, they killed the Astro too. Now if you want room it’s either a suv or what’s left of the mini van segment. In Europe the station wagon still “rules the stool” as they say. GM, Ford an Chrysler have abandoned sedans, what mini vans that are out there are getting too expensive, the only light is Ford’s Maverick (good luck finding one under $25K) for a sensible vehicle. But I guess Hyundai & Kia will save the day … both companies have the knack for doing the impossible.
Last gen Impala was a very good large sedan, the best of the FWD series. Most people I know who have one like their car very much. GM should have had a V8 AWD Impala SS model as a halo car.
I own a 2018 Impala. Drives nice & I get many compliments on the vehicle. It’s the Royal Blue color & it’s very comfortable for guests. The Impala is a very sought out car where I live. It’s big too so it’s not for everyone due to the blind spots.
The Impala should’ve rode on the Zeta platform; it may not have prevented the SUV craze but it definitely would’ve given Chevy a desirable sedan! I too really liked the last Impala, as it was a huge improvement over the prior two generations. But as it was, it didn’t go far enough to boost its appeal in the class! It was simply no better (or worse) than every other large FWD sedan in the segment!
Got my 2014 (bought 07/03/2014) Impala 2LT. Not ready to depart with it yet if ever. Only 26,500 on the clock!
My mom could’ve settled for an Impala because she used to own a 1989 Caprice.