The Newsletter of the Napleton Fleet Group

Editor: Rick Nicoletti

November 26, 2012

In This Issue: 

All New Chevrolet Impala

 

2014 Chevrolet Impala

The all-new 2014 Impala, Chevrolet's flagship sedan, will go on sale this spring with a starting price of $27,535, including an $810 destination charge. Impala was America's best-selling full-size sedan in 2011, with sales of more than 171,000, which made it one of the 10 best-selling cars in the United States

 

Chevrolet's latest MyLink radio debuts in the 2014 Impala. The in-vehicle entertainment system adds an eight-inch color display screen that is customizable. The system also adopts natural voice recognition - a first for Chevy.

 

The 2014 Impala has several new features, including Adaptive Cruise Control and crash-avoidance technologies like Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Side Blind Zone Alert. Ten standard airbags are included as well - among the most in the segment.

 

Three direct-injection engine choices will be available to customers: a 3.6L V-6, a newly designed 2.5L four-cylinder and a 2.4L four-cylinder with fuel-saving eAssist technology that is estimated to deliver 35 mpg. All engines are matched to a six-speed automatic transmission.

 

The 2014 Impala will be offered in LS, LT and LTZ trim levels.

 

The 3.6L, 305-horsepower-engine will come to market first, with a starting price of $30,760 for the LT

and $36,580 for the LTZ, including destination charges. The 2.5L engine is priced as follows: $27,535 for the LS; $29,785 for the LT; $34,555 for the LTZ.

 

Pricing for the 2.4L engine with eAssist will be announced later.

 

The new Impala will be built in the Oshawa, Ontario, and Detroit-Hamtramck, Mich., assembly plants.

 

Fleeting Tidbits

Check out our 2013 MY Final Fleet Order Dates page for the latest information regarding final order dates for all manufacturers. We update this page weekly as information is released.

 

North American assembly plants for the vehicle manufacturers will close for the holidays the week of December 24^th and reopen on Wednesday January 2^nd. Most manufacturers will continue to ship vehicles from the plants during the holiday shutdown.

 

2013 is the final model year for Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid Crew Cab and GMC Sierra Hybrid Crew Cab.

 

Chrysler has released unpriced Code Guides (order guides) for the 2013 Ram 2500/3500 pickups and the Ram 3500/4500/5500 cab chassis. Production is scheduled to begin in January.

 

Ford announced that the new 2014 Ford Fiesta which will go on sale next year will be the first vehicle available in the United States with Ford's 3 cylinder 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine. Though the car has not yet undergone EPA testing, it is expected to be certified as the most fuel-efficient non-hybrid car available in the United States. The smallest engine available in its class, Ford's patented 1.0-liter EcoBoost won't be short on power, torque or refinement. The smooth, quiet-running engine is projected to produce 123 horsepower and peak torque of 148 lb.-ft.

 

Speaking of the 3 cylinder Ecoboost 1.0 engine, the following photo shows the Ecoboost 1.0-liter engine block being transported to the LA Auto Show in carry-on luggage!

 

 

Chrysler is adding a third shift at its Warren Truck plant to meet demand for the new 2013 Ram pickup. Also with tight supplies of its Pentastar V6, the company is also boosting output at its Mack Engine plant.
The expansions will add 1,250 jobs and are part of a $238 million investment by Chrysler in the Detroit area. Warren's third shift will begin work sometime in the spring, a Chrysler rep told Automotive News. Mack's increased Pentastar production could include both 3.6 and 3.2-liter engines. The company says it also plans to invest $40 million in its Trenton Engine plant to allow for production of a 3.2-liter V6 as well as the Tigershark inline-four for the upcoming Jeep Liberty replacement.

 

Earlier this month, Nissan released pricing for the 2013 Titan pickup.

 

Taillights

If you've ever wondered how automakers know their paints will stand up to the test of time, a field in Florida may have your answer. Manufacturers routinely turn to Q-Lab, a facility situated on a 20-acre open field just outside of Homestead, Florida for durability testing. There, the company's engineers apply automotive paint to twelve-inch by 4-inch metal panels and leave them to bake in the unforgiving sun. The facility's location next to Everglades National Park is ideal for testing paint fade and durability due to the high humidity, heat and sunlight.

Owner Mike Crewdson says the samples may spend as long as seven to 10 years baking in the elements before they ever get sprayed on a production vehicle. Technicians receive a staggering amount of data on weather and paint conditions every day-up to 40,000 readings. Various manufacturers participate in these evaluations, but General Motors says it has been testing paint like this since the 1920s.

 

Check out this link for a report from Fox News Tampa Bay.

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/20049031/2012/11/08/car-colors-tested-in-field-of-fenders

 

Napleton Fleet Group   1 E. Oak Hill Drive   Suite 100   Westmont, IL 60559

630.530.0250
www.napletonfleet.com