Rough diamond

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WE COME IN PEACE: Front-on, the CTS looks like an Autobot from Cybertron. Inside, it’s a transformation.

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Striking looks, rear drive, but Shahzad Sheikh finds the Cadillac CTS frustratingly flawed.

Since the first time I saw it, I've wanted to drive it. The many-faceted stealth styling, exaggerated rakes, sharp edges and aggressive high-waisted stance all look sensational. Front-on, it resembles the head of a Transformer bot.

GM sent us a CTS in silver, with chrome wheels and clear rear lights that don't go with the horizontal red bootlid brake light and spoiler.

It's better in dark metallic hues; go for black or burgundy and ditch the bling wheels. Inside it's cosy and scores remarkably highly on the touchy-feeliness, which will come as a shock to anyone familiar with Detroit metal. The ante has been truly upped with claims that bits of the cabin are 'hand crafted'.

What little plastic there is seems to have been pinched off a Lexus production line along with the slick buttons. Exterior ‘spine' lines have been carried through into the interior and everything has a damped feel including the transmission shifter.

Placing individual controls for the climate control on the lower edge of the console, angled towards the individuals, initially seems a thoughtful touch. The quality and tight build was let down only by a gearshift surround that had come away.

Put the key in the low-mounted ignition barrel though, and things start to go awry. The biggest plipper fob ever to have dangled off a keyring hangs low enough for unwanted intimacy with your right knee.

Start the engine and the menacing growl, and pulsating beat of a potent motor is absent. Instead there is a gentle hum. It's only after 4500rpm that you get an aural improvement.

Once you've reassured yourself that the engine is idling, you'll want to whack up the air con, except that the buttons have vanished.

They haven't really, but as you've moved your knee away from the brick hanging off the key, it's now obscuring the buttons. The footbrake release is too close to the bonnet release, which was embarrassing.

Once underway the smooth ride that Cadillacs were famed for, has also gone AWOL. At low speeds it's fidgety and sensitive to surface irregularities.

GM's Hydra-Matic six-speed auto is easily confused and kickdown is quicker in normal mode than in 'Sports' because it winds up the revs before changing down. More dramatic sure, but slower.

Fortunately it's no slouch, proven by our best 0-100 time of 7.6 seconds (though short of Cadillac's claimed 6.3). The rear-drive chassis is well sorted and it's pleasingly direct and stable in fast corners, and with traction off you can corner Hollywood stylee.

But on an all-out sports saloon the weighty steering would be sharper and more feelsome, whilst body roll would be better contained, and I wouldn't have had muscle ache from having to brace myself during hard cornering.

The styling and improved interior earns the General kudos, but the CTS is flawed and falls in the gap between sports saloon and executive express. Pitting it against German rivals will reveal more, and the 550bhp+ V-spec edition should address some of our concerns. So watch this space.

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