The Chevrolet Camaro has always had a tough time in terms of sales, but things have been especially tough for General Motors’ sports car. In the first quarter of 2021, the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger outsold the Camaro by approximately two to one. On the heels of announcing sales figures for the Camaro, Chevrolet, according to Muscle Cars and Trucks, will reportedly pull the 1LE performance package for four-cylinder- and V6-powered sports cars for the 2022 model year.
The available 1LE performance package for the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and 3.6-liter V6 will not be available after the 2021 model year. Once again, the track-oriented 1LE package will become exclusive for sports cars with the V8 engine. That’s how it was before 2017, which is when Chevy launched the 1LE package for V6. The 1LE package for the four-cylinder engine became available in 2019.
Muscle Cars and Trunks found General Motors’ fleet order guide for the 2022 Camaro, which does not list the 1LE package as an option for the smaller engines. In a statement to CNET’s Roadshow, a Chevy spokesperson said that the automaker “is retiring the Turbo 1LE and V6 1LE from the Camaro line when the model year 2021 concludes in order to produce more in-demand models like the LT1, which has risen to be nearly a quarter of Camaro sales since hitting showrooms in model year 2020.”
Chevrolet’s decision to discontinue the 1LE package for the turbo-four and V6 is understandable, but sad. The 1LE Performance Package costs $4,500 and brings a black front splitter, black rear spoiler, black 20-inch wheels, summer-only tires, a black hood, a flat-bottom steering wheel, and special badges. Performance features with the package include Brembo four-piston brakes, performance suspension, heavy-duty cooling, a limited-slip differential, and a dual-mode exhaust system. These parts brought extra performance to more affordable Camaros, but it sounds like the vehicles weren’t popular enough to keep around. It’s a shame, because affordable sports cars are disappearing from the market.
For consumers, this means they’ll have to move up to one of the V8-powered Camaros to get the 1LE Package. For the 2022 model year, it will continue to be available with 1SS and ZL1 trims. On those trims, the 1LE Package costs $7,000 and $7,500, respectively. These vehicles come with more performance features, including six-piston Brembo brakes, red brake calipers, GM’s Magnetic Ride Control suspension, an electronic limited-slip differential, Recaro bucket seats, and a head-up display.
In addition to canceling the 1LE package for the turbo-four and V6 engines, Chevrolet has also been offering some great deals on V8-powered cars recently. At the end of last year, we saw that the Camaro V8 was actually cheaper to lease than models with the turbocharged four-cylinder engine so upgrading to the V8 models may not necessarily be a bad choice.
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