Rental-king image to shed aimed by Retooled Chevy Impala

NEW YORK -- General Motors today will unveil the long-delayed redesign of the Chevrolet Impala at the New York auto show, hoping to transform a rental-fleet stalwart into a showroom head turner.
The next-generation Impala, the 10th version of the nameplate introduced in 1958, is an effort to take the car decidedly more upscale and accelerate retail demand while dialing back fleet sales. The 2014 Impala will mark the car's first redesign in eight years and its first platform change since the late 1990s.
The Impala has soldiered on despite being a few years past due for a redesign, a victim of deep cost cutting during GM's bankruptcy and restructuring. Last year's U.S. sales of 171,434 far exceeded those of its large-sedan competitors but were lubricated by fleet sales, which accounted for roughly three-quarters of its volume.
"This is GM staking out their claim for this large-car segment with a significantly better product," said Aaron Bragman, an IHS Automotive analyst. "This is not a fleet special. You're looking at a higher-priced car, a higher-positioned car, a higher-margin car."Automobile News