Cadillac is back in Britain, and this time it means to stay. Europeanised styling, seriously superb General Motors V6 petrol engines and all the traditional opulence of the marque is present. But will it be enough?After sampling the entry-level CTS sports saloon I think Cadillac has a real chance. There's still a heavy hint of hedonism in the car; overbearing flamboyance and glitzy trim. But the CTS is an impressive executive from "over there" which might just cut the mustard over here provided the price and quality are right.The body has a chunky heavyweight appearance with deep flanks and sharp angles. To some it looks ugly, but I like its no-nonsense styling. It delivers a large cabin and a good-sized boot with a space-saver tyre living underneath. Cadillac's designers have got the body proportions right, for once. It looks good on the road and turns heads - and that's what this car's target audience wants: attention.Last time the tarnished American luxury badge attempted to foist their cars on Britain I described their tawdry offerings as "cars for the man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing". The front-drive STS of the day was an over-priced barge costing up to £40,000. It was dreadful. (Editorial interjection: No it wasn't!) Badly assembled, cheaply trimmed and with all the handling poise and refinement of a cardboard box on pram wheels.Not any more. Cadillac has reverted to the kind of driveline it does best: rear-wheel drive. The suspension is firm, braking is powerful and while the steering lacks feel it allowed me to pilot this fairly large saloon around without much effort.I'm no lover of American cars and for the CTS to impress me it has to be good. It's a far better product than I had expected. Despite its near neutral weight distribution - 53% to the front - handling is not as sharp as Audi or BMW and some dash and interior trim plastics are poor and ill-fitting, but at £24,850 for the well-appointed 2.8-litre V6 Elegance there is no denying its value.Despite the odd squeak and groan from the dash, the interior is well assembled. The headlining is one of the best I've seen in an executive car with a surprisingly solid feel which had the dual benefits of deadening sound and providing a safe impact absorbing surface for heads in an accident.The car is built at GM's award-winning Lansing plant in Michigan, but its petrol engines are imports. The excellent 215bhp 2.8-litre V6 petrol I'm testing here, and its silky-smooth 257bhp 3.6-litre sister, are built in Canada and Australia. They have four cams and controlled by a drive-by-wire throttle. I've already driven the 2.8 in Saab's new 9-3 SportWagon and was impressed. Saab turbocharged its version to produce 250bhp, but the normally aspirated CTS application is more relaxed and perfectly up to the job.I expected blunted performance in the 1.7-tonne car but it felt lively with a relaxed cruise. With peak torque of 193lb/ft at 3300rpm acceleration is good. Rest to 62mph came up in just seven seconds - and that's linked to a standard five-speed automatic transmission with no sequential option. Cruising at the legal limit is effortless and spoiled only by some intrusive wind and road noise. The CTS swallowed the miles easily and offers great comfort in an airy and well-appointed cabin.The petrol engines are well up to the mark, but there's a gap to be filled. To succeed in Europe Cadillac needs a diesel. As yet there is none.The boot is large and every model has a split-and-fold rear seat system. Six airbags are standard as is Cadillac's Stabilitrak stability control system which has been adapted from the quite mad six-litre V8 Corvette coupé. It works well to tame wheelspin and keep any rear-drive waywardness in check. All three CTS models - the 2.8 Elegance, 2.8 Sports Luxury and 3.6 Sports Luxury - also get a German-made Nivomat self-levelling rear suspension.Standard equipment levels are up to American standards. Air-conditioning, cruise control, alloy wheels (16" on the Elegance, 17" on the Sports Luxury), electric seats and large drinks holders are just some of the features. Move up to the £27,350 2.8 Sports Luxury or its 3.6-litre big sister at £29,850 and you get even more goodies plus full leather.Cadillac's UK Managing Director, Malcolm Wade, says the CTS offers "affordable luxury with no compromise". He also thinks the CTS is a "prestige alternative" to rivals like the Audi A4, Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3-Series.Realistically the Cadillac's dynamics fall short of its European rivals, but Wade has a point. Cadillac will not sell a huge number from their relatively sparse British dealer locations, but the CTS will make its mark. It will appeal to buyers looking for something stylishly different to "boring" German offerings. What's more, they will get a better deal and not drop far down the quality ranking. Engine 2792 cc, 6 cylinders Power 215 bhp @7000 rpm Torque 193.3 ib/ft @3300 rpm Transmission 5 speed auto Fuel/CO2 24.1 mpg / 278 g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 8.4sec Top speed 140 mph Price From £24001.00 approx Release date 01/05/2005