When Chevrolet sent the first Impala off the assembly line in 1958, it was meant to be "a prestige car within the reach of the average American citizen." It would seem that the company was successful; nearly 50 years on, the Chevrolet Impala has gone on to become one of America's most well-known nameplates.

Throughout the '60s, the Chevy Impala dominated the sales charts, culminating in 1965 when more than 1 million were sold. Though the popularity of smaller, midsize muscle cars slowly ate away at sales of the Impala, it continued to sell in big numbers, registering as the best-selling car in America in 1973.

The Impala nameplate languished in the early '80s, eventually getting dropped in 1986 in favor of the Caprice designation. To the delight of enthusiasts, however, a Caprice-based Impala SS briefly returned in the mid-1990s with a Corvette-derived V8 and a monochromatic color scheme that made the car a bad-to-the-bone, rear-wheel-drive family sport sedan.

Since the new millennium, the modern Impala has served as Chevrolet's main full-size sedan, capable of transporting up to six people. With front-wheel drive and V6 power on most trim levels, the current Impala isn't exactly a tribute to the past, but it does continue the tradition of large, affordable Chevrolet family sedans.

The move to smaller, more efficient engines gives buyers enough power when they need it while still providing respectable mileage -- never one of the Impala's strong points in the past. And for buyers who truly desire a V8, the latest Impala SS does indeed have one under its hood.

The latest Chevrolet Impala has been available since the 2006 model year. It's a bit bigger than the typical family sedan, and with a front bench seat can accommodate six passengers in a pinch. There are four available trim levels: entry-level LS, mid-grade LT, premium LTZ and performance-oriented SS. Improvements on this model compared to the previous-generation Impala include new engines, more composed handling, a higher-quality interior and updated styling.