High-Res Photos: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu

Get out of the fast lane, Toyota Camry. Move aside, Honda Accord. For the first time in a generation, General Motors is back with a game-changing mid-size sedan. And the imports better be worried, when they see the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu pull up in their rearview mirror.

There was a time when Detroit, GM, in particular, dominated the mid-size market, but that's so far back, many of today's buyers likely won't even remember anything but the more lackluster offerings that followed, like the Chevy Lumina or the various Chrysler K-car variants.

We got a signal GM might be ready to get back in the game at last January's Detroit Auto Show, when the automaker revealed a new version of the Malibu . There was no denying the visual impact of its taut, dynamic exterior, and unexpectedly upmarket interior. But the big question was how would it drive? Would it stand up to the best of the imports - read Camry and Accord - which overwhelmingly dominate the segment's sales charts?

After spending time in the '08 Malibu , the answer is unabashedly, "yes." For the first time we can remember, there's no reason to make excuses for a mainstream Detroit sedan, no reason to explain away the compromises. Chevy's new entry stands up solidly on its own four wheels.