2006 Chevrolet Impala First Drive

GM has moved the needle on safety with the 2006 Chevrolet Impala, starting with the use of thicker gauge high-strength steel and a strengthened safety cage for improved crashworthiness. Standard side-curtain airbags for both rows are a plus – Ford, Chrysler and Toyota offer this important supplemental restraint as optional. Deploying from the roof, the Impala’s side-curtain airbags provide upper body and head protection to outboard passengers during a side-impact or rollover collision. Dual-stage front airbags are also standard, but side-impact airbags that deploy from the front seatbacks are not available. Chevrolet did, however, improve the Impala’s side impact protection by adding new structural dynamic impact tubes under the front seats, and a center tunnel crash box, both of which are designed to absorb and deflect crash energy from the cabin. Notably, antilock brakes are not standard on base LS models, even though the curtain airbags are fitted throughout the lineup, and stability control is not available on any 2006 Chevrolet Impala.

Chevy’s remote start system, standard on all Impalas except the LS, first appeared on the redesigned 2004 Chevy Malibu. Remote ignition is a rare factory-installed feature, and the Impala’s system allows starting from up to 200 feet away so that you can cool the interior of warm days and warm the interior on cool days.