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During a recent soiree at a Valley Cadillac dealership, I was graphically reminded of a dilemma clouding the future of General Motors’ luxury division.

Among the groups of people milling about, checking out the new Caddys and sampling fancy snacks, my 40-something self was one of the youngest people in the showroom. By a long shot.

Cadillac’s customers are aging. For people younger than 50, Cadillac just doesn’t possess the luster that made these land yachts so much a part of our parents’ vision of the American dream.

So what happens when that generation fades away? Does Cadillac go with it?

That’s where the all-new Cadillac Catera enters the picture. The idea is simple: to offer middle-age buyers of BMWs, Acuras and other sporty luxury marques from overseas a European luxury car that’s branded as a Cadillac.

In that way, Cadillac marketers hope to hook a new generation, moving them up into redesigned Eldorados and Sevilles as they move up in age and affluence.

The Catera is not actually a Cadillac, though. It’s an Opel Omega, a highly regarded automobile built by General Motors’ division in Germany. There’s nothing very Cadillac-like about it, either, in terms of styling, image or performance.

Beneath the sedate exterior styling is a competent sports sedan with the unmistakably German attributes of solid engineering, build quality and poised handling. But other than the sweep of the dashboard and the Cadillac crests on the front grill and steering-wheel hub, the Catera bears no family resemblance, and there’s no way to guess that this is the new entry-level Caddy.

As a means of bringing drivers into the Cadillac fold as loyal customers, I have to wonder. And there’s that whole “Caddy that Zigs” campaign. Isn’t the Seville, with its mighty Northstar engine and trick suspension, supposed to be a sports sedan, albeit a huge one? It zigs pretty darn good, too.

At this point, I need to make the obligatory mention of Cadillac’s last stab at an entry-level model, the woebegone Cimarron, an episode that Cadillac considers is best forgotten. A lowly Chevrolet Cavalier with a fancy interior, Cadillac insignias and premium price, the Cimarron was a shameless piece of badge engineering that failed to do anything but molder on showroom floors.

In that light, the Catera demonstrates the improved maturity and honesty of the car business in general. Cadillac is right up front about the Catera’s Germanic roots and the buyers they hope to attract with it.

Anyway, the Catera performs up to expectations, accelerating briskly and cornering with finesse. It is heavy for its size, which cuts some of the throttle response, but which helps make it a stable and comfortable long-distance tourer.

The Catera is the only rear-driver of the group and has the only V-6 engine, instead of an all-American V-8.

Although the styling is rather bland – as a Cadillac, it could use a shot of verve – it is a good-looking car, nicely fi nished, with a splendid interior. The leather seats are very cozy, the dashboard and gauges are very well-designed, and legroom and headroom are above par for a midsize automobile.

The optional Bose stereo is terrific, including a 12-disc CD player in the trunk. The CD player does have one of those fussy disc-carrier systems that require you to mount each disc in a flimsy plastic rack before inserting it. Caddy might look to systems used by Ford and other domestic automakers for a simpler design.

The Catera comes with a complete range of standard luxury features and power goodies. Our tester had a full load of options, including leather seating, a $1,200 set of chrome wheels, and an electric sunroof.

In its base-model form, with cloth seats and unchromed wheels, the Catera starts at $30,000, a relative bargain for a well-equipped European. As an import fighter, the Catera (a word, by the way, with no meaning) is right on the mark, offering drivers of BMW 5-Ser ies and Acura Legends a whole lot of value and driveability, well worth checking out.

And maybe draw in a new generation of Cadillac loyalists.

1997 Cadillac Catera

Vehicle type: Five-passenger, four-door sedan, rear-wheel drive. Base price: $29,995. Price as tested: $37,950. Engine: 3-liter V-6, 200 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, 192 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 rpm. Transmission: Four-speed automatic. Curb weight: 3,770 pounds. Length: 194 inches. Wheelbase: 107.4 inches. Safety features: Dual air bags, anti-lock brakes. EPA fuel economy: 18 mpg city, 25 mpg highway. Highs: Poised handling. High build quality. Roomy interior. Lows: Bland exterior styling. Lacks Cadillac image. Fussy CD carrier.