2008 Cadillac STS

Unlike the Escalade and CTS which spearheaded Cadillac's recent renaissance early in the decade, the STS isn't quite ready for a complete revamp yet. Redesigns given to the flagship models and sagging sales put the larger sedan in a tight spot, however, and something needed to be done. Enter the 2008 STS, set to make its debut next week at the New York Auto Show.

Prominently featured on the front of the 2008 STS is a variant of the Cadillac Sixteen Concepts's oversized trapezoidal grille first seen in production on the 2007 Escalade. Although the rest of the front end remains unchanged, with the head and fog lights remaining the same, the radical change in grille styling gives the STS the much-needed injection of style that will keep it going until the next-generation is ready. Other styling touches include fender gills, narrower side marker lamps, chrome-plated door handles, and lower rocker moldings. The rear end remains virtually unchaged, although Cadillac did add 3-inch aluminum exhaust tips.

Inside, the interior features a redesigned steering wheel and a revised center stack made of wood surrounded by metal trim to give a more modern appearance. A heads-up display system becomes available on V-6 models, as do HID headlights.

On the business end, the STS receives the new 298-horsepower, 268 lb-ft of torque direct injection variant of GM's 3.6-liter V-6. It will be mated to the same six-speed automatic transmission currently found in V-8 STS models. The V-6 STS will continue to be offered in both rear-drive and all-wheel drive variants.

New on the 2008 STS will be an advanced StabiliTrak system that has the ability to turn the wheels into a skid when the vehicle loses traction. Other advanced safety features include a lane departure system that uses cameras mounted in the rear view mirrors and gives out visual and audible warnings if it detects the car straying from its lane without a turn signal on and a radar-based blind spot alert system.

The 2008 STS is set to arrive in dealer showrooms in the middle of the summer. Pricing has not been announced, but is unlikely to be significantly more than the $42,995 base price of the 2007 model.