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Cadillac is almost back. The new STS is the latest model line to revert to rear-wheel drive. The lone front-drive holdout is the DeVille, and it is slated to share the STS's platform for 2006. When that happens, the entire Cadillac lineup will feature engines up front and driving wheels in the rear just as God intended luxury cars to be. Based on GM's rear-wheel-drive Sigma architecture, which also is the foundation for the Cadillac CTS, CTS-V and SRX, the STS is designed to compete head-to-head with world-renowned prestige sedans in global markets.

There's no mistaking the STS as anything but a contemporary Cadillac, with its vertically stacked headlamps and light-emitting diode (LED) taillamps, signature LED CHMSL, wire-mesh airfoil grille, horizontal spline lines, and dihedral-shaped hood. Doors-into-roof construction enables more tumblehome, and the sides are sculpted inward. It's the Art & Science school of design first seen with the CTS and now spreading across the model range. Whether you like it or not, it IS distinctive and gives Cadillac models a common "look" that is all their own. The STS — which replaces the Seville — is the largest sedan offering in the Sigma-based family.

Special attention has been given to fit and tolerances inside and out. The STS has a crisp exterior appearance in part thanks to precisely executed body and exterior dimensions and tight radii on major body components, such as the hood and decklid. Interior gaps achieve exceptionally close tolerances, enabling a tight, well-crafted appearance throughout. Eucalyptus wood and aluminum trim appear on the steering wheel, center console, instrument panel and door armrests.

The interior also features premium materials and fabrics. The optional dual-firmness Tuscany all-leather seats are specially tanned for a softer feel. Natural grained surfaces on the door and instrument panel ensure an inviting, tactile touch, as do the headliner and interior pillars, which are soft backed and covered with a Monaco woven fabric. It all comes off looking a bit bland for our taste, but that, too, is in keeping with the Art & Science approach.

In terms of performance, the STS is available with a 255-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 VVT in a rear-drive configuration, or the 320-horsepower Northstar 4.6-liter V8 in rear- or all-wheel drive. Both engines incorporate variable valve timing (VVT) and are mated to widely acclaimed five-speed automatic transmissions with Driver Shift Control. The vehicle we tested was a six. Performance was actually quite good, but we're going to reserve final judgment until we can get our hands on a Northstar V8-equipped model. The Northstar is expected to deliver 0-to-60 mph performance at around 6 seconds. With the V6, Cadillac claims 0-to-60 mph performance of under 7 seconds.

Road impacts and other harsh inputs are effectively absorbed and dissipated through ride-tuned tires, dampers, suspension components and bushings, as well as improved structure in body-to-chassis interfaces and additional refinements in the engine mounts. Integrated chassis control technologies include two-mode Magnetic Ride Control with performance or touring selections, an available high-precision ZF steering gear and four-channel StabiliTrak.

StabiliTrak assists the vehicle in maintaining the driver's intended path by applying a brake force at any corner of the vehicle independent of the driver's use of the brake pedal. It uses an accelerator pedal position sensor, a brake master cylinder pressure sensor and a steering wheel angle sensor as inputs to interpret the driver's desired path and whether to accelerate or decelerate the vehicle. It also uses these sensors plus a lateral accelerometer and yaw rate sensor to determine the vehicle's actual path.

If the difference between the driver's desired path and the vehicle's actual path becomes great enough, StabiliTrak takes appropriate action to assist the driver with maintaining the desired path. If the vehicle begins to "snowplow," or understeer, it applies the inside rear brake to help turn the vehicle. If the vehicle begins to fishtail, or oversteer, it applies the outside front brake to straighten the vehicle. StabiliTrak is integrated with the traction control and ABS systems.

Technological appointments on the STS are plentiful and driver oriented. Applications include a Keyless Access system with a push button start, Adaptive Remote Start system (not available in Europe or Russia); Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC); reconfigurable, four-color head-up display (HUD); Automatic Advanced Crash Notification through OnStar; heated and ventilated seats; and heated steering wheel and Intellibeam, which automatically switches headlamps from high- to low-beam and back again when oncoming headlamps or forward lighting elements are sensed.

Cadillac is also going all out with an optional uplevel infotainment system in which the cabin is immersed with fifteen speakers from Bose. The Bose 5.1 Surround Sound system also has an integrated six-disc CD/DVD changer capable of playing DVD-A, CD and MP3. It includes an 8-inch (203 mm) VGA quality touch screen and advanced navigation. In addition, the system has Bluetooth capability, advanced voice recognition and OnStar.

Like its Sigma-based siblings, the STS is being built at GM's state-of-the-art Lansing Grand River assembly center. It arrived in Cadillac showrooms in late 2004 in the U.S. and Canada. By the time you read this, it will be available in Europe, Japan, Russia, the Middle East, South Korea, Taiwan and Israel.

The base price for the STS 6 is $41,220. The Northstar version goes for $50,565.00. We were favorably impressed with the six and are anxious to get our hands on the eight. Cadillac has been trying very hard to design and build luxury cars that can compete on the world stage and those efforts are clearly starting to bear fruit. R&D