All shook up; X-MEN-STYLE FACELIFT FOR ELVIS'S USA CLASSIC.

Byline: Richard Hammond

YOUR Cadillac has arrived. Sounds good, doesn't it - a bit Elvis Presley?

Because for most of us, Cadillac is a name that comes up in songs and when there's a programme on about Elvis. You don't see many on the roads.

There have been several attempts to sell Cadillacs in the UK but the brand has never really taken off.

We expect chrome, fins and brakelights like Madonna's most famous bra but all we got is a rather poorly-made motor that made most bosses give up trying to be different and settle for a Merc instead.

The new Cadillac CTS is different.

For starters it looks cool.

Modern pedestrian-impact laws mean you'll never see a car with 3.5 tonnes of chrome bumper hanging off the front so Cadillac's designers have gone down the X-Men road rather than the road to Graceland. In black the CTS looks dangerous, edgy and probably driven by someone with underworld connections.

Which is good, because a Caddy should be a bit wide.

The best bit is the rear lights, with tall, clear lenses that are a nod to the winged Cadillacs of the late 1950s.

Under the bonnet of this CTS is a 209bhp 2.8-litre V6. The other option is a 3.6-litre V6 with 308bhp. What's really needed is a big diesel - it's coming next year.

The good thing about the smaller V6 is that the car doesn't have the bigger engine's sports suspension, which is a bit on the stiff side. You don't want a car that wallows all over the road like a hippo after happy hour but a Cadillac should be extremely comfortable.

Unfortunately, the smaller engine is almost as thirsty as the bigger one so you won't save at the pumps. With a combined consumption of 25.7mpg and a rating in the highest car tax band, I can see lots of people waiting for the V6 diesel. As you'd expect with only 209bhp and a six-speed automatic gearbox, the CTS isn't particularly fast. It'll do 0-62mph in 9.0sec and 127mph. Not very impressive.

The Americans get a monster version called the CTS-V with a 550bhp V8 but we're not getting it because General Motors reckon Europeans wouldn't want it. Maybe not, but there's one bloke in Gloucestershire who does.

The inside of the CTS is classic barber shop. Dark materials, a sprinkling of shiny bits and a lovely hand-stitched slice of leather on top of the dashboard.

Americans expect lots of kit with their cars and don't like the business of adding thousands to the price, so the CTS comes with loads of gear as standard: sat-nav and an easy-to-use infotainment system. My iPhone liked it because the two mated immediately, which is unusual - I usually have to do a bit of swearing to get it to dock in most cars.

The dashboard is a really interesting design.

For example, the heater vents are thin and deep and either side of the centre console.

The design looks a bit similar to the new Fiesta's mobile phone-inspired facia.

I don't like fake carbon fibre but on the Caddy's dash it looks all right. The quality isn't quite up to German standards but if you focus your eyes on the lovely stitching on the leather dash you won't notice the plasticky bits.

Handling isn't as sharp as a BMW 5-Series and there's more body roll and vaguer steering but it's not outclassed.

I like really different cars that you don't see on every high street - which is why I have several silly Land Rovers, an Opel called Oliver and an old Mustang.

At last, Cadillac has come up with a car that knows what it is. For 30 years they've messed about with re-badged frontwheel drives and wonky attempts at building the post-Presley Cadillac.

Finally, I think they've cracked it.

THE RIVALS

BMW 525i SE

Brilliant car - but common. Also, look at the price next to the CTS.

Citroen C6 2.7 HDi

Wacky and comfortable big Citroen.

Rare, and not cheap.

Great secondhand buy.

Mercedes-Benz

EUR200K

Can't compete with Caddy on price or power, but it's more spacious and better quality.

THE FACTS

Cadillac CTS 2.8

Four-door saloon

Price: Contact dealer

Engine: 2.8-litre V6, 208bhp

0-62mph: 9sec

Fuel consumption: 25.7mpg

CAPTION(S):

GOOD CALL Dash-ing looks