Cadillac CTS

Cadillac CTS - The first thing apparent when approaching the new Caddy is the bold and big-badged grille, leading into the sculpted and angular fenders the CTS shares with its brandmates STS and Escalade. The vehicle’s roofline now hosts an (optional) double sunroof, and trails into a squared and elevated rear end, giving the latest-edition CTS an aerodynamic profile designed to lower the drag and silence wind noise inside the cabin.

The powerplant options are a 3.6-litre variable-valve-timed V6 that will bring 263 hp to the package (and 253 lb.-ft. of torque) as the base model; and another 3.6-litre V6 (this one a direct-injection rig) that ups the ante to 304 horses and 273 lb.-ft. There will be a smaller engine choice for overseas markets, a 2.8-litre VVT, but not here. Cadillac is marshalling the horsepower with two transmissions, either a six-speed Aisin manual or a six-speed Hydra-matic automatic, that in my humble opinion is the superior choice.

This was made apparent to me when I got to take a couple of hot laps with a professional driver Caddy had on hand at the track — a good thing, too, to truly see what the CTS is capable of, something I couldn’t appreciate while driving on my own because, quite frankly, I am afraid of the rather wicked corkscrew turn at Laguna Seca.

But in any trim, it's the interior of the ’08 CTS that is the real story here. A complete reworking of materials and dash gives the car the feel of a number of its European competitors. Outfitted with either a monochromatic interior or a very desirable two-tone scheme, the seating is comfortable up front, and while less roomy in the rear, still adequate for adults under six feet.

The look and feel of the dash is very good, with the cascading centre stack flowing into metal or wood-print accents that lend a premium esthetic to the car. Funky LED lighting available for the CTS (inside and out) impart a uniqueness to the cabin when tweaked and dimmed to a driver’s choice. Indeed, if you test drive a new CTS, I recommend doing it at night to play with the LEDs.

A 40-GB hard drive audio system option allows radio to be recorded in real time and then played back — almost like TiVo for audio — which I find both weird and compelling, this idea of being able to “pause” live broadcasts and resume them later, with the option of doing so with high-end Bose 5.1 surround sound.

For those of you who are wondering, there is no CTS-V model for the 2008 product cycle — Cadillac is holding them back until next year — but the basic price breakdown for the two CTS trims available here runs the MSRP between $38,900 for the base to $41,400 for the direct injection model.