Impala provides quality at every turn

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Impala Provides Quality at Every Turn

"Some measure value in terms of quality, extensive safety features, roominess, convenience and a long list of innovative features," said Impala Brand Manager Don Parkinson. "Impala offers a thoughtful blend of all these characteristics."

Impala's solid structure is a primary enabler of excellent quality. Structural highlights include:

A one-piece door ring and rear quarter stamping that provides greater dimensional accuracy for excellent door fits. It's also more rigid than a comparable welded unit, which lends additional strength and solidity to the overall body
Thicker-gauge steel where it makes sense, such as the rear-end panel and the beltline of the B-pillar

Product simplification is another of Impala's quality enablers. Compared to the high-quality Lumina, Impala features a reduced number of build combinations, even though a greater number of features are available to Impala customers.

Impala requires 15 percent fewer parts, on average, than comparable Lumina models, and benefits from a dramatically simplified electrical system.

"Impala uses fewer electrical connections than Lumina," said Impala Electronics Engineer Judy Kines. "And the remaining wiring hardware is packaged to be more efficient and more reliable. We've achieved an 8 percent reduction in total wiring mass and a 31 percent reduction in wiring gauge size."

A quiet and serene vehicle interior is another primary measure of quality. To this end, Impala's engineers scrutinized every area of the vehicle to help identify and reduce potential sources of road noise, wind noise or bothersome vibration.

Specific noise reduction measures include the following:

An extensive network of noise- absorbing patches, decouplers and foam insulation
Window seals have been improved, relative to previous designs, for enhanced isolation of wind noise
Multec II fuel injectors operate more quietly than previous designs
Impala's HVAC system also utilizes a new, shrouded cooling fan, which achieves a 10 percent noise reduc- tion, relative to previous designs

Using Technology to Redefine Value

By integrating sophisticated technologies, Impala will offer customers high levels of functionality, dependability, security and convenience.

For example, approximately every two seconds, Impala's Class II electrical system executes a comprehensive diagnostic survey of all the vehicle systems to ensure that they are operating properly.

"Should the system detect anything out of the ordinary," explained Kines, "the data is either stored for later retrieval by a technician or displayed on the instrument panel."

Located within Impala's instrument panel is a reconfigurable telltale display. This is a small liquid crystal display that provides the driver with a continuous flow of information relative to Impala's operating condition. This feature communicates 17 different messages, many of which can help the driver take action to enhance the long-term durability of the powertrain and other critical vehicle systems.

Impala's audio systems also feature added functionality.

Impala features RDS-capable audio systems. RDS stands for Radio Data Systems, a new technology for transmitting digital signals encoded with multiple levels of information such as a radio station's format, signal strength, text messages, current time and traffic or weather bulletins.

Impala's audio system allows the customer to interface with the vehicle to tailor various functions that contribute to the vehicle's overall environment. For example, the driver may program the horn chirp that accompanies the remote power lock/unlock function, the length of time the dome lamp remains illuminated (from 0 to 60 seconds), and the volume of Impala's many warning chimes.

Impala's remote keyless entry option with vehicle locator also comes with an innovative twist: the system comes with two key fobs. Each key fob will recall the audio system and vehicle environment settings (chime volume and interior lighting) programmed by the respective drivers.

A Very Smart Car

The following is a partial summary of the smart features that add up to enhanced convenience and peace of mind for the Impala customer:

Battery Rundown Protection automatically shuts off courtesy lights to help protect the customer from inadvertently draining Impala's battery
Content Theft-Deterrent System will activate the lights and horn if the doors are opened without authorized use
Coolant Loss Protection will help Impala reach service (within up to 50 miles, depending on conditions) in the event of a loss of engine coolant
Electrical Load Management. If the electrical system detects that the battery is not being properly charged, it automatically begins a process of selectively disabling low priority electrical components (such as air conditioning and the audio system) to ensure that the ignition system continues to operate as long as possible
Lock-Out Protection will not allow the power door locks to lock the driver's door if the keys are left in the ignition
OnStar®. Available as a dealer- installed option, OnStar® combines cellular phone and Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite technology and a 24-hour OnStar® Center to provide Impala customers with added convenience and security
Starter Interrupt will prevent the starter from engaging if the engine is already running, thereby preventing potential damage to the component

Impala Brings it All Together

As Chevrolet's first car of the new millennium, the 2000 Impala is a flagship four-door sedan that Americans will be proud to own and will love to drive. As Parkinson explained, the new Impala represents the ultimate evolution of the Chevrolet formula. "Today's sedan buyers expect just one thing - everything. And they want it at a fair price. That's what Chevrolet Impala is all about. It's the car that sedan buyers want. It's the car they need. It's the car they deserve."