With its Humpty Dumpty styling and bland personality, the Caprice has never caught on with the

public as Chevrolet hoped.  But you still see them by the thousands as fleet cars and taxicabs,

and many cities in Texas use Caprice Police cruisers.

Chevy has been looking for a way to infuse the Caprice and the rest of its model line with some sparkle,

and, like a call to 911, the Caprice Police car rode to the rescue.  Someone at Chevy had a brilliant 

idea - to pull a few thousand of the heavy duty, Police-spec Caprices off the assembly line and
 convert them into mean-looking hot rods.

   Designers cleaned up the styling of the Police Caprice, added a couple of performance enhancements, laid a

black-on-black paint job on it and handed it to the marketers to sell as an Impala SS.  At first cynical glance

the Impala's creation seems a reiteration of a tired automobile marketing strategy - slapping a new name
and ad campaign on an existing model that's not meeting sales goals.

   Regardless, developing the Impala SS will probably turn out to be a wise move for GM, and it's 

Page One news to the guys who love big, fast, V-8, rear-drive sedans from Detroit.

   The Impala SS, which hasn't been sold since 1969, was one of the hottest muscle cars of the Sixties 
with Chevy 409 and 427 V-8s that produced as much as 425 horsepower off the showroom
floor. That kind of power in a street car is unachievable with today's fuel economy and emissions

restrictions. But the '94 Impala SS is lively enough for the times.

   A detuned, 260-horsepower version of the Corvette's 300-horse, 350 cubic-inch V-8 moves this two-ton, 
18-foot sedan from a stop to 60 mph in about seven seconds.  And it is thriftier with fuel than a vintage
  Impala SS, although not as thrifty as the 17 city, 25 highway EPA estimates suggest.  Moreover, 
 the Impala for the '90s has modern safety features and amenities like dual airbags,

anti-lock brakes and, if you want, a CD player.

   The new Impala SS, made at the General Motors plant in Arlington, is remarkably sleek and

youthful-looking considering its Caprice parentage.  Stylists lowered the Caprice body, added a

modest trunk spoiler, revamped the bumpers and grille, added black emblems and moldings,
 subtly reshaped the rear quarter window, and shod it with 17-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels and
low-profile tires. The new Impala SS even rated a thumbs-up from a couple of local
 Police Officers while I was driving it.

   Unfortunately, the new Impala SS's sporting persona disappears inside. If it wasn't for the

leather-wrapped steering wheel and Impala SS emblems on the leather bucket seats, this could

be your grandfather's (or Police Chief's) Caprice.  All Impala SS's have digital speedometers
 and tachometers aren't available, and all are fitted with four-speed automatic transmissions
 with column shifters. The interior is comfortable but not sumptuous, with more than enough room
 for five large adults. Cupholders, plenty of inside stowage, and a commodious trunk are provided,

so this can be a family hot rod.

   All that bulk represents the Impala's major failing as a sports sedan. The Impala is a jet, but like a
 football defensive lineman it's quick off the line and impressive in a straight-ahead sprint but not
 light on its feet for those quick cuts. The Impala SS shock absorber modifications and tires
eliminate most of the standard Caprice's wallow in corners, but the Impala ride is stiffer than the
Caprice's and those huge tires (replacement cost: $173 each) don't miss many bumps.

   The real downside is apparent in narrow city alleys and Austin's miniature parking lots, where

such a large vehicle can be ponderous to maneuver. The Impala SS is a West Texas highway
kind of car.

   Still, the new Impala SS has sound dynamics and it moves smartly and authoritatively for its
 weight. And it can lay some rubber - dark, smoking, stinking patches of it.  Bigger disc brakes
 than even the Police Caprice give the Impala SS impressive stopping ability, too, but the power
 steering felt disconnected from the road and anesthetized.

   Waiting for the price?  That's the pleasant part, about $23,000for the base Impala SS and a heavy
 load of options.  The price is roughly the same as a standard Caprice with leather seats, a decent 
sound system and power accessories, and the Impala SS will probably depreciate slower.

   The Chevy plant in Arlington can't get enough of the Impala SS's alloy wheels delivered, so

production will be limited to about 6,000 units this year, with a goal of 15,000 in 1995.  Fact
is, Chevy will be able to sell twice that many.

   Consumer information

   Base price: $21,290

Options on test car (including power seats, remote entry, rear defroster, power antenna,

automatic headlights, heated mirrors, stereo with single disc CD player): $1,116.

Freight: $575

Total: $23,611

Tax, title, license: $1,600

Sample financing:  Down payment $5,042 (20 percent), interest rate 6.5 percent.
Term 48 months. Payments $478 monthly.

Assembly point: Arlington, Texas

EPA mileage: 17 city, 25 highway

Consumer information on the 1994 Chevrolet Impala SS was provided by Chevrolet Motor Division
and Austin Municipal Federal Credit Union. Payments are based on prevailing interest rates for a
four-year new car loan. Highs:  Aggressive appearance, potent engine.

Lows:  Frumpy interior, too big to be truly sporty.

Bottom line:  A real buy if the power, personality suits you.

GRAPHIC:  Unfortunately, the new Impala SS's sporting persona disappears inside.
If it wasn't for the leather-wrapped steering wheel and Impala SS emblems
on the leather bucket seats, this could be your grandfather's Caprice.