2019 Chevrolet Camaro: 1LE for all, plus a 10-speed and a fresh face.
The refreshed Camaro brings the 1LE package to the Turbo 4 and the 10-speed automatic to the SS.
The 2019 Chevrolet Camaro is here with a new grille, new front and rear fascias and a 10-speed automatic transmission. The new coupe was revealed at an event in Las Vegas alongside other new vehicles from GM. The biggest news for the enthusiast is the addition of the 1LE performance option for the turbocharged I4 Camaro.
For those unfamiliar, the 1LE package for the turbocharged 2.0-liter is available exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission and adds four-piston Brembo brake calipers up front, Goodyear Eagle F1 tires and the FE3 Camaro suspension. Basically, that translates into a 275-hp entry-level track car.
We took the new turbo 1LE out for a quick hot lap and there was a noticeable increase in agility compared to the regular I4 Camaro, mostly due to the tires and brakes. We really couldn’t evaluate the suspension on our single lap, but the car stayed flat despite a deliberate attempt to upset it on corner curbing.
As for the new automatic, note that the 10-speed auto in the SS Camaro is not the same as the 10-speed in the ZL1. The internal transmission code for that spec trans is 10L90E, whereas the '19 SS gets the 10L80E, or the same as the Chevy Silverado. The folks at Chevy assured us that the transmission has a different calibration than it does in SUV and truck duty. For instance, the engineers add extra fuel on full-throttle upshifts to give some snap and crackle while ripping around canyons or racetracks.
The cosmetic changes to the Camaro are minimal, with the reshaped bumpers making the biggest aesthetic impact. The SS now gets a functional heat exchanger in its hood, and the optional “Flow tie” logo finally makes an appearance on this generation Camaro. The new tail lights are LED on most Camaro trims: You’ll find them on the LS, LT, SS, RS and ZL1 badged cars.
New technology, like the new Chevy Infotainment 3 media system, is standard across the board. Optional safety tech, like the Rear Camera Mirror, is standard on the 2SS and ZL1 trimmed cars, which makes backing up far easier given the Camaro's limited outward visibility.
The new Camaro goes on sale this fall, and we expect the prices to stay about where they are now. The new LS models will start around $26K, and the I4 turbo 1LE will probably start around $30K.