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The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday March 22, 2006 - 25 Genetic engineering - a positive step for Impala Continued from page 24 family sedan ... and gives it an added selling point against its main family-car rivals like the Camry and Accord, which only offer V6 propulsion. In SS guise, the Impala is fire breather, but the 4-wheel independent suspension and rack and pinion steering are tweaked sufficiently well to add a mod icum of sportiness to your progress through suitable sections of the roadscape. Let the eight cylinders vent their full 325 cubic inch lung capacity and, once the 235/50R18 tires get a grip on things, you're happy compensating for a noticeable dose of torque steer and a decent am ount of forward thrust, accompanied by a satisfying snarl ema nating from big, Corvette-inspired, dual exhaust outlets. We did detect some front-end plow if entry into corners proved a shade too enthusiastic. The standard 4-speed autom atic transm ission, though smooth enough on the job, lacked a sport shift mode and might also benefit from an extra top-end cog to keep up with its market competition. Visually, the SS brings its own dis tinct identity, with a front-end appear ance that's separate from other models. It includes a dual-split grille with SS trademark, black-diamond crosshatch pattern, the tweaked FE3 suspension with sporty 5-spoke alloy wheels, unique badging and a standard rear spoiler (the latter also on the LTZ ver sion). Inside, the SS^comes with what Chevrolet terms a "technical" trim pat tern. Otherwise, all Impalas get a fresh new exterior look, highlighted by big, jewel-look headlamps, a solid stanceand tight body panel gaps. The previous model's four round taillamps have been replaced. A big pair of triangular rear lamp housings now dominate the rear end. Inside, you'll find an array of thoughtful features, including clever flip-fold rear seats (a segment exclu sive). The forward-flip rear seat cush ions create a covered storage area beneath the seats with cushions down and offer convenient grocery bag hooks when the cushions are flipped forward. The seatback also folds down to create a generous pass-through from the trunk. An all-new instrum ent panel that wraps around into the door panels has a double-hump design that instills thoughts of early Corvettes. The base LS, LT and LTZ models have a nice, pre sentable wood trim med appearance, while a sportier, brushed metal-style trim is also available. Moving the firewall forward slightly has also freed up more interior room in an already generously sized passenger cabin. All seats feel a little firmer and increased lumbar support was appreci ated during a long day at the wheel. The seating looks cleaner and simpler too, with a more tailored appearance that adds to the overall upscale ambience inside. An 8-way, heated, power driver's seat is another new addition -- if you opt for the up-level Nuance leather seating. A 6-way, heated front passenger seat is also available. It's not a big thing, literally, but the glove box is 20 per cent larger than on the previous model, too. Other developments include a new fam ily of wheels (from 16- to 18-inches), big ger brakes across the line, enhanced ABS (standard on the LTZ and SS, but optional on LS and LT) and traction control sys tems, a new family of audio systems (including a standard auxiliary input jack to let you plug-and-play your iPod or MP3) and standard side-curtain airbags for front and rear passengers. In the case of the new Impala, genetic engineering has turned out to be a very positive step. The rebirth of an available V8, missing from the gene pool for too many years, plus the technical tweaks to the Impala's DNA strands have given Chevrolet something to work with in an increasingly competitive m arket segment. 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