One of the last remnants of the muscle cars that dominated the 1960s and 1970s, the Chevrolet Camaro has been idolized by many speed enthusiasts. The Camaro has a rich legacy that began in the late 1960s, as Chevrolet saw the opportunity to compete with the incredibly popular Ford Mustang. The original Camaro, with its quintessential pony car looks, was the result. After more than forty years and five generations, the 2013 Chevrolet Camaro has gotten a lot sleeker, but remains the same powerful muscle car at heart.
New For 2013
The Camaro LS, LT, and SS get new 18- and 20-inch wheel designs, standard hill-start assist, and a ZL1-style shift knob on manual-equipped models. The SS can now be equipped with a dual-mode exhaust and the 1LE performance package. All V-8 models receive electric steering, revised rear suspension geometry, and a smaller steering wheel. The ZL1 is now available as a convertible.
Exterior
The exterior of the 2013 Chevrolet Camaro follows the same retro theme that became a big hit when the fifth generation was introduced in 2009. This theme, which includes a short rear deck and a long hood, calls back to the classic Camaro. At the same time, the fifth-generation model still retains an aerodynamic, sleek look that gives it a modern feel.
The front-end of the 2013 Chevrolet Camaro gets the signature honeycomb grille that has become a defining feature of the model. The rear of the car features aggressive fenders with gill-like slits. Four rounded taillights at the end of the Camaro give it a look similar to the Chevrolet Corvette.
The 2013 Chevrolet Camaro is available with the RS Appearance package, which comes with some exterior additions. This package adds high-intensity-discharge headlights with integrated halo rings, unique taillights, a rear spoiler, and 20-inch alloy wheels.
Other available wheel diameters include 18-inch and 21-inch wheels. Standard exterior additions include a rear spoiler and power mirrors. Optional features include fog lamps, an auto-dimming driver-side mirror, and power heated mirrors.
Interior & Cargo
Most American performance coupes are not known for their comfortable, feature-filled interiors. The tradition of ignoring interior decorations can be traced back to the muscle car era, when performance was all that mattered. However, the 2013 Chevrolet Camaro takes a much-anticipated break from this tradition. One look inside the interior of this car, and it is clear that Chevrolet has paid some attention to the cabin.
The interior of the Camaro follows the same retro theme of the car’s exterior. Small touches like square bezels surrounding the instrument gauges give the car its retro but stylish look, despite the fact that the plastics used are a little too hard for comfort.
The MyLink display interface forms the center of the console up front, and it is efficient and user-friendly for the most part. It has a clean, intuitive menu structure that does not take much time to master. It also offers additional controls over smartphone radio apps, which is a pleasant addition. On the downside, the interface can get a little frustrating to use because the touch input tends to get a little slow and sloppy at times.
Visibility for the driver would have been good, but the low roofline cuts off a lot of the driver’s view. The thick roof pillars make matters worse by disrupting rear visibility considerably. The front seats are comfortable and offer a decent amount of legroom and headroom, but the rear seats are almost completely useless. This is not such a surprise considering that it is a coupe, but it is worth noting that the Camaro’s rear seat is the smallest in its segment.
The space in the trunk is not that great, either. With just 11.3 cubic feet of space and non-foldable rear seats, the cargo space of the 2013 Chevrolet Camaro is next to abysmal. The small trunk opening makes things much worse by making loading and unloading items a difficult experience.
Safety
The 2013 Chevrolet Camaro is fitted with standard anti-lock disc brakes, front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, and electronic stability control.
The OnStar telematics system also comes standard, and this includes on-demand roadside assistance, automatic crash notification, remote unlocking, and turn-by-turn navigation.
The Camaro received a full five-star rating for frontal crash and side-impact safety as per tests conducted by the NHTSA.
Driving Experience
The Camaro is available with three engine options depending on the model chosen. The base models LS and LT get a 3.6-liter, V-6 engine that delivers 323 horsepower (hp) and 278 lb-ft of torque. This engine is combined with a six-speed manual transmission as standard and can be fitted with an optional six-speed automatic shift.
The 2013 Chevrolet Camaro SS model gets a 6.2-liter, V-8 engine that delivers 426 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. This engine also comes with the same transmission options, although the automatic transmission drops torque output to 410 lb-ft.
The top-end Camaro ZL1 gets a supercharged version of the same 6.2-liter, V-8 engine, boosting output to 580 hp and 556 lb-ft of torque. The same transmission options are available for this car as well.
The 2013 Chevrolet Camaro can hit 60 mph from a standstill in just five seconds with the naturally-aspirated V-8 engine. With the supercharged engine, the Camaro hits the 60-mph mark in an impressive 4.4 seconds.
Regardless of engine choice, the Camaro is not a slow car in any respect. The V-6 Camaro offers quick throttle response and an incredible exhaust note. However, the V-8 engine fits the persona of the Camaro better, with the huge amount of power it offers and the downright threatening exhaust note.
Key Competitors For The 2013 Chevrolet Camaro
- Dodge Challenger
- Ford Mustang
- Hyundai Genesis coupe