2008 Chevrolet Impala

large car / 4-door sedan

2008 Chevrolet Impala 4-door sedan
2006 Chevrolet Impala shown

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Head restraints & seats

Other available safety features

  • Standard daytime running lights

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2006-10 models built before January 2010

Tested vehicle: 2006 Chevrolet Impala SS 4-door

The Chevrolet Impala was redesigned for the 2006 model year. Frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by General Motors as part of frontal crash test verification.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID VTF0502
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 14
Left (cm) 16
Center (cm) 15
Right (cm) 11
Brake pedal (cm) 4
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 8
Right (cm) 9
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) -1
Rearward (cm) 6
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 8

Driver injury measures

Test ID VTF0502
Head
HIC-15 530
Peak gs at hard contact 87
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.8
Extension bending moment (Nm) 19
Maximum Nij 0.27
Chest maximum compression (mm) 30
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 0.9
Femur force - right (kN) 3.6
Knee displacement - left (mm) 0
Knee displacement - right (mm) 1
Maximum tibia index - left 0.79
Maximum tibia index - right 0.98
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 2.2
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 3.9
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 91
Right 112

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2006-08 models

Tested vehicle: 2006 Chevrolet Impala LT 4-door with optional front and rear head curtain airbags

The Chevrolet Impala was redesigned for the 2006 model year.

In 2006-08 models, side airbags were standard, except in cars sold to fleet buyers that could be ordered without side airbags. Caution: This means that when fleet vehicles without side airbags are eventually sold, they will be available to retail purchasers. Beginning with 2009 models, side airbags were made standard for retail and fleet buyers.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbag and damage to the occupant compartment.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side curtain airbag.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was protected by the side airbag.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES0618
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -11.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES0618
Head HIC-15 417
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.9
Compression (kN) 0.5
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 53
Lateral force (kN) 3.2
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 40
Average deflection (mm) 29
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 5.40
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.74
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 2.1
Acetabulum force (kN) 3.0
Combined force (kN) 4.8
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.8
L-M moment (Nm) 101
A-P moment (Nm) 33

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0618
Head HIC-15 195
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.3
Compression (kN) 0.4
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 46
Lateral force (kN) 1.5
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 33
Average deflection (mm) 28
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.10
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.45
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.3
Acetabulum force (kN) 3.0
Combined force (kN) 3.4
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.5
L-M moment (Nm) 130
A-P moment (Nm) 43

How the side crash test is conducted

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Manual cloth seats

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Manual cloth seats
Geometry
Backset (mm) 72
Distance below top of head (mm) 75
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Fail
Max T1 acceleration (g) 10.9
Head contact time (ms) 101
Force rating 2
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 205
Max neck tension (N) 736

How the head restraint & seat test is conducted
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.