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Impala Stop/Start Technology to be Standard for 2015 Base Model

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Impala stop/start technology will be featured on the 2015 model.

Impala stop/start technology will be featured on the 2015 model.

According to a report today from General Motors, Impala stop/start technology will be standard on the base 2.5-liter ECOTEC® engine for the 2015 model year. The addition of this technology will boost fuel efficiency by five percent—or 1 mpg. The Impala will be the second model in the Chevrolet lineup to boast stop/start technology, joining the all-new Malibu.


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The four-cylinder engine, on which the Impala stop/start technology is offered, will be the standard powertrain for the 2015 model. Currently, the four-cylinder accounts for more than 30 percent of all Impala retail sales, and with good reason: it gets high mpg ratings in the city and has a lower starting cost than competing, V6-powered models. With the stop/start technology, the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine will get 22 mpg in the city, 31 mpg on the highway, and 25 mpg combined. The optional 3.6-liter V6 engine will not be offered with stop/start technology.

“Stop/start system customer research indicates they want the engine to start up as quickly and smoothly as possible after a stop,” said Mark Meyers, Chevrolet Global Vehicle Performance manager.

GM developed a team of software engineers to overcome all the hurdles of such a technology while also ensuring it was catered to drivers’ needs. For example, the engineers perfected the technology against “change-of-mind events,” in which a driver may begin to stop but then quickly accelerates. The team also ensured that the system won’t engage if the car doesn’t hit 6 mph (so that stop-and-go traffic on the freeway doesn’t become a problem) and that things such as cabin temperature and battery charge would be taken into account before the engine shuts down.

The 2015 Chevy Impala will go on sale this summer, starting at $27,735 for the four-cylinder LS and $30,960 for the six-cylinder LT. (These prices include destination charges.)


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