We’ve nearly reached Peak Crossover SUV, which means great cars like the 2018 Cadillac CTS seem hopelessly off-trend. It’s too bad.

With the brilliant CTS, Cadillac puts itself on par with the Mercedes E-Class and Audi A6, whether it’s a base model, or one of Luxury trims, or a CTS VSport. No need for a concealed-carry permit here, the CTS lets you know what it’s packing. The crisply pressed sheet metal wears LED lighting that runs down right to the pavement, the rear end a stack of exhaust ports. The cabin’s subdued, almost to the point of sobriety. Performance comes from a 268-horsepower turbo-4, a 335-hp V-6, or a 420-hp turbo V-6 (we cover the CTS-V separately). Start with the 6-cylinder and you won’t leave unimpressed. It’ll run to 60 mph in 6 seconds, with grand-touring confidence.

The VSport wants blood; it hammers down the 60-mph mark in 4.7 seconds. An 8-speed paddle-shifted automatic clips off clean shifts in all models. All but the VSport can be configured with all-wheel drive. Since it shares a structure with the smaller ATS, the CTS has deft steering and unerring highway tracking, and the optional adaptive shocks are more than worth their price. What the CTS doesn’t have is a huge back seat, or trunk. Firm and thick-bolstered front seats serve up regal comfort, but back-seat riders will have to duck under the low roof to get in, and may find head room snug. The NHTSA says the CTS is five-star safe, but the IIHS gives it a “Marginal” rating in its toughest test. Cadillac offers blind-spot monitors and forward-collision warnings, but the CTS doesn’t yet have automatic emergency braking. It gorges on other tech gear. A 12.3-inch digital display houses virtual instruments, while an 8.0-inch screen displays infotainment including Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. A rear-camera mirror and a power cupholder grace the most expensive models. For 2018, Cadillac’s added an automatic heated steering wheel. The earth hasn’t shaken. The CTS will remain an extremely underappreciated car.

Unless you listen to us, that is. Cadillac must have dibs on the GM corporate straight-edge. Other brands have to wait their turn while cars like the CTS cut an angular but lithe shape in the air. We give the an 8 out of 10 for its crisply pressed sheet metal and its handsome cabin. The CTS hasn’t been touched much since it was new in 2014. It hasn’t needed any dramatic changes. The shape’s as sleek and seductive as Cadillac has. The taillights are taller, the front end hugs the ground a bit closer. It’s still the CTS that dropped jaws with its Le Mans-style LED lighting three years ago.

That signature lighting is every bit as evocative as the ring of fire on every Dodge rear end, or the eyebrows on the Audi lineup. Cadillac has made one change that drives purists batty: the badge no longer wears a wreath around its crest. The cabin quiets down the outside world, without the abrupt angles. A single drape of trim caps the dash, and leather mingles with wood on top versions to club up the CTS atmosphere. It’s handsome and can be dramatic with one of Cadillac’s two-tone interior options. Big screens are the dominant feature of the CTS' cabin: the 8.0-inch touchscreen twins with a 5.7-inch monitor between the gauges or, on higher trims, a 12.3-inch panel that replaces the gauges. All lit up, the cockpit strikes a futuristic note.

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