The CTS-V is also extremely accommodating inside. It's a much larger car than any of its similarly priced rivals, with greater

The tuned Cadillac's interior is much larger car than any of its similarly priced rivals. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press)

rear seat room and a bigger trunk. The interior design, mind you, is still as controversial as the original V6-powered CTS. Sure, Cadillac has improved the plastics quality a bit, added some nice satin finish metal, a modified gauge package, and equipped it with an excellent steering wheel, but I'm still not a big fan of the overall design. I did like the way Cadillac integrated its driver information center (DIC) into the instrument cluster. It's now easier to view while driving. Regular trip computer information is featured, and the system also adds performance information such as peak and momentary lateral acceleration, oil, transmission and coolant temperatures, as well as tire pressure.

While the quality has improved somewhat, the overall design of the CTS interior isn't for everybody. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press)

It's fun to play around with, especially when testing lateral acceleration. I have to admit to appreciating the suede seat inserts and impressive side bolsters during extreme lateral forces too. The rest of the seats are finished in leather.

The CTS-V also features a standard in-dash 6-disc CD changer. Being a music hound I'd really have to be enamored with a car's performance to buy one that didn't offer a multi-disc dash-mounted system, a lesson that the car's imported competition needs to learn. The Caddy's sound system performed extremely well, although I noticed myself turning it off more often just to get more of the engine note, as it moved up and down the rev range between gear intervals.