Five First Impressions: 2016 Chevrolet Camaro 2.0-Liter Four Turbo

The 2016 Chevrolet Camaro is the most surprising car of the year, though, not that it was expected to be bad.

Born 50 years ago this fall, the Camaro was the plusher, burlier answer to the pony car Ford Mustang and the start of the big, brash muscle cars that showed up in the late ’60s and were reborn in the late ’00s.

Athleticism, however, has found the Camaro in its sixth iteration. Being based on a compact Cadillac may be one reason, but the other may be a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine on offer.

I’ve been driving the 2016 Chevy Camaro 1LT with the base 2.0-liter turbo four. Here are some initial thoughts.

Light transformation
You only notice the changes to the 2016 Camaro when parked alongside a 2015 model. And that’s when the slimmer size and more chiseled appearance really show. It does look more athletic, and I was generally a fan of the old one. My test car benefits from the optional RS package, which includes the LED accents on the HID headlights and some other cosmetic trinkets. I could do without the black 20-inch wheels, however.

Oh, and pick the Bright Yellow paint and you’ll never hear the end of the Bumblebee references.

Unplugged

A photo posted by Zac Estrada (@zacestrada)” style=”font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;”>Jul 8, 2015 at 12:49pm PDT

Nothing to see here
Unfortunately, you still sit in a cave when you get into the Camaro. I assume tanks have similar sightlines. There is no three-quarter vision to the left and the side mirrors are so small that parallel parking is way more work than it should be. The Camaro was made for middle America, where lanes are wide and parallel parking is an urban legend.

Wants to be a V8 when it grows up
Many will argue a Camaro isn’t a Camaro without a V8, but I insist they try this 2.0-liter turbo four. In addition to being plenty punchy, if a little silent about it, the 2.0T also rumbles a bit like a V8 would. This wouldn’t happen in a European hot hatch. Not that I’m complaining.

Shift show
As perky as the turbo four is, the whole shifter-clutch relationship could be better. The engine works well with the standard six-speed manual, but jumping into this from the 2016 Chevy SS and I long for the Aussie’s short throws. And the clutch feels just as springy and uncertain as the one in the SS, which conflicts with the light feel of the rest of the car. It’s harder to drive the Camaro smoothly than I expected.

Light done right
Also light on this Camaro 1LT is the list of options, but at $30,425 mark, I don’t see much reason to change it. I’d skip the black wheels and yellow paint and push the price below 30 grand.