2011 Impala (photo:GM)

As we anxiously wait for the current FWD Impala’s replacement due out for the 2014 model year, enthusiasts are speculating (and hoping) it will be based off of the same V8, RWD architecture that is currently being used with the Caprice PPV.

But the word on the street suggests it will more than likely utilize a stretched version of the FWD Epsilon platform that is now being dubbed the “Super Epsilon II,” thus replacing the current midsize Impala with a more full-sized model similar to that of the upcoming Cadillac XTS. Many believe that the reason for this is due to the overlap in price and similarity in size with the current Malibu model, and we would have to agree.

The result of this would mean that the Malibu and Impala would be able to go toe-to-toe with Ford’s Fusion and Taurus models, and that the Impala would also come standard with more features and a higher price tag. All we know for sure is that the current model, despite its mild “freshening” for the 2012 model year, is really starting to show its age.