CTS SPAWNS A WAGON; Whatever it is, Caddy's SRX is a great driver.(News)(Cadillac's SRX is a luxury/utility vehicle)

Byline: JOHN D. STOLL

If accommodating four full-size adults while at the same time hitting 60 mph in under eight seconds constitutes utility and sport, maybe Cadillac should have stuck with the more apt sport/utility vehicle moniker rather than dubbing its SRX a luxury/utility vehicle. The EPA classifies SRX as a truck, but we'd argue it's a crossover sport/ute that looks and feels a lot like a CTS station wagon.

Forget labels. Drive the SRX when it hits dealers this summer and you'll know it is built for ripping down long stretches of pavement, turning around and doing it again. With 18-inch wheels, a throaty Northstar V8, an optional targa-like sunroof offering 6.5 square feet of sky, and magneto-rheological ride control, we think the SRX is a significant improvement over the CTS sedan on which it's based. Caddy engineers obviously learned a few lessons from the entry-lux CTS, though we think they still may have snoozed through a few classes (why can't they move that emergency brake to the center console, for instance).

At 195 inches, SRX's overall length outstretches the CTS sedan by five inches, which is great for rear legroom while still accommodating an optional power-folding third row. The wagon's 26-inch hip point is five inches higher than the CTS's, but drivers still feel fairly low to the road, rather than elevated to an Escalade-like command position.

That lower center of gravity may be what sets this Cadillac apart when it comes to driving dynamics. The 4430-pound wagon hugs the road, even when you're putting as much of the 4.6-liter V8's 315 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque into a turn as you dare. Cadillac engineers say the SRX is so quick that it'll beat all similar SUVs to the corner store, save a 4.6-liter BMW X5, and the SRX won't feel as tippy as the ...