the new CTS Sport Wagon as a bookend to and from our first drive of the Cadillac SRX Turbo earlier this month. But we're willing to lay on the other pretend itinerary to point out how not-American the Sport Wagon seems--let's be clear, that's "not-American," not "un-American."Why that? In between commutes in the Sport Wagon, we hammered the SRX crossover ute around Milford in a revealing back-to-back comparison. The two cars might land on top of each other in price and vaguely in shape, but they're dimetrically opposed in their appeal. The 2010 Cadillac SRX is a crossover based on front-drive parts, with optional all-wheel drive and an expanded cargo area, and it's aimed at the crossover crowd also shopping tall, all-weather utes like the Land Rover LR2, BMW X3, Benz GLK, Audi Q5 and Volvo XC60.
In sharp contrast--just look at the D-pillar and low, low roofline, will you?--the CTS Sport Wagon bears the hallmarks of the rear-drive CTS family, which includes the CTS sedan, CTS-V sedan, and next year, the CTS Coupe. It also offers all-wheel drive and an expanded cargo area, but it's taking a direct shot at the BMW 3-Series and Audi A4 Avant wagons that hang on to what remains of that compact class. It's a far smaller niche than true crossovers, and it's not growing--but the CTS Sport Wagon's a necessity as Cadillac tries to push its away into Europe's consciousness.
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