Photo: Riccardo Pezzetta via Behance
Honda announced it would only sell electric vehicles in the North American market by 2040, city centers are closing for ICE cars all over the world, gasoline and diesel car sales are dropping while BEV and PHEV are on the rise. The future is going to be electric and it's either adapt or die.
The Chevrolet Impala is one of the GM brand's oldest nameplates, first used as a top-end version of the Bel Air sedans and coupes, then as a standalone model. With the sedan market declining in recent years, GM was finally reluctantly forced to end Impala's production in 2020 after ten generations and more than 50 years.
However, the switch to electric power could provide Chevrolet with the perfect excuse to revive the moniker as a Tesla Model S competitor, though we should expect to see more focus on comfort and practicality than on performance.
While Tesla may have built the company around the Model S sedan, the current state of the market suggests the public favors crossovers. Take Tesla, for example: the more expensive Model Y has outsold the Model 3 sedan in the past months, despite offering worse everything except for cabin room. Fighting the SUV/crossover trend makes as much sense as opposing the electrification one, it seems.
Still, Riccardo Pezzetta, an automotive designer from Italy, feels the next-generation Impala should either transition to electric power or not bother showing up at all. With that in mind, his view of Chevrolet's next flagship takes strong cues from the company's current crop of EVs, be they planned or already in production (like the Bolt EV and Bolt EUV, for example).
The rendering makes it perfectly clear that the current design would definitely fit a sedan giving it presence, character, and the right dose of aggressiveness to match its hopefully decent performance. The size and outline comparison between the last-gen Impala, this concept, and the Model S reveals why Riccardo's attempt, in its current form, would be condemned to fail, though.
The 2022 Impala EV copies the wheelbase and height of the Model S almost to a tee, yet the front end is massively taller than that of the Tesla, being on par with the 2020 Impala's. Considering there's no need to shove a bulky combustion engine under the hood, that would only harm its aerodynamics and, therefore, its efficiency and maximum range.
If the Mercedes-EQ EQS has shown us anything, it's how important it is to slip unnoticed through the air to maximize the battery output, especially as the vehicle starts to gain pace. The vertical front of the 2022 Impala, even if perfectly closed thanks to the absence of a grille, would still cause lots of resistance. From there, extending the range requires measures that generate a chain of unwanted consequences (larger battery, more weight, worse performance, more wear for the consumables, and so on).
Another aspect that leaves us somewhat baffled is the rendering's rear end, particularly that very impressive departure angle. Why would an executive/family sedan need that kind of an overhang is anyone's guess, but it needs to serve a practical purpose because it sure doesn't make the car look any better. Could its purpose be to make the Impala look more like a crossover and trick more people into buying it? If that's the case, then while it's still sore on the eye, it might just also be a brilliant touch.
However, the switch to electric power could provide Chevrolet with the perfect excuse to revive the moniker as a Tesla Model S competitor, though we should expect to see more focus on comfort and practicality than on performance.
While Tesla may have built the company around the Model S sedan, the current state of the market suggests the public favors crossovers. Take Tesla, for example: the more expensive Model Y has outsold the Model 3 sedan in the past months, despite offering worse everything except for cabin room. Fighting the SUV/crossover trend makes as much sense as opposing the electrification one, it seems.
Still, Riccardo Pezzetta, an automotive designer from Italy, feels the next-generation Impala should either transition to electric power or not bother showing up at all. With that in mind, his view of Chevrolet's next flagship takes strong cues from the company's current crop of EVs, be they planned or already in production (like the Bolt EV and Bolt EUV, for example).
The rendering makes it perfectly clear that the current design would definitely fit a sedan giving it presence, character, and the right dose of aggressiveness to match its hopefully decent performance. The size and outline comparison between the last-gen Impala, this concept, and the Model S reveals why Riccardo's attempt, in its current form, would be condemned to fail, though.
The 2022 Impala EV copies the wheelbase and height of the Model S almost to a tee, yet the front end is massively taller than that of the Tesla, being on par with the 2020 Impala's. Considering there's no need to shove a bulky combustion engine under the hood, that would only harm its aerodynamics and, therefore, its efficiency and maximum range.
If the Mercedes-EQ EQS has shown us anything, it's how important it is to slip unnoticed through the air to maximize the battery output, especially as the vehicle starts to gain pace. The vertical front of the 2022 Impala, even if perfectly closed thanks to the absence of a grille, would still cause lots of resistance. From there, extending the range requires measures that generate a chain of unwanted consequences (larger battery, more weight, worse performance, more wear for the consumables, and so on).
Another aspect that leaves us somewhat baffled is the rendering's rear end, particularly that very impressive departure angle. Why would an executive/family sedan need that kind of an overhang is anyone's guess, but it needs to serve a practical purpose because it sure doesn't make the car look any better. Could its purpose be to make the Impala look more like a crossover and trick more people into buying it? If that's the case, then while it's still sore on the eye, it might just also be a brilliant touch.
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