Impala

Make
Chevrolet
Segment
Sedan

This year saw the sad but unsurprising departure of the Chevrolet Impala, with the final model rolling off the production line in February. The Impala is just the latest traditional three-box sedan to fall victim to not only SUVs but the arrival of more modern electric vehicles. To give us an idea of what could have been if the Impala lived on, the official General Motors Design Instagram account shared an Impala concept that was completed by Geoffrey Richmond.

If ever there were a reason to bring back the Impala, this stunning render is it. The last production Impala was a neat but not especially exciting design, but Richmond's render is something altogether more adventurous.

A sleek and much lower roofline with a narrow glasshouse is more akin to a modern sports car than a sedan and the wheels are typical concept-car in their size and styling. At the front, the Chevy bowtie emblem is finished in blue - perhaps Richmond envisioned this as a hybrid or fully electric Impala?

Angular headlamps, a massive indent on the sides, and doors without visible handles are other intriguing styling features. At the back, an eye-catching fastback design with a rear deck couldn't be more different from the Impala we all know so well.

With these proportions, the Impala would battle to offer the same amount of interior space as the now-discontinued production version, but does that even matter when it looks so good? With signs that another Chevrolet sedan, the Malibu, could be discontinued as well, maybe Chevrolet could turn to more expressive design before it gives up on the sedan entirely.

Then again, all that automakers can really do is respond to market demand. In China, Volkswagen still enjoys strong sales of its various compact sedans, but those same cars simply wouldn't fare as well stateside. For now, we'll just have to enjoy the stunning Impala that could have been.