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The word around Oldsmobile Division these days is “out with the old and in with the new.”

Out, car-wise, is the division’s best seller, the Cutlass Ciera. It’s being replaced by a newly designed 1997 Cutlass Sedan.

Out, management-wise, is longtime General Motors Corp. executive John Rock who is retiring as of Nov. 1. Taking Rock’s place as Oldsmobile’s general manager is Darwin Clark, who has come up through the GM executive ranks.

Clark, an auto racing enthusiast who will enter 1997 with a new Cutlass and a new Olds Aurora-type V-8 for the Indy Racing League program, will endeavor to establish a new identity for the division.

Building on a long heritage of previous Cutlass models, the ’97 is designed to attract import owners who once drove Oldsmobiles. While the exterior styling doesn’t break new ground, Olds feels that the car will appeal to those who want something new without getting too far away from the Oldsmobile design.

Fundamentally, exterior styling embraces state-of-the-art aerodynamics with a low front end blending into curving body lines and a relatively short rear deck.

The five-seater, front-wheel drive Cutlass is pretty close to the same size as its predecessor. The Cutlass’ wheelbase at 107 inches is about a 1/2-inch shorter than the holdover ’97 Cutlass Supreme series. The new model’s overall length is 192 inches.

While the size hasn’t changed much, designers have taken a quantum leap in making the car more user-friendly.

The interior layout begins with a cockpit that has instruments and controls within easy reach. A shroud over a four-gauge instrument cluster (speedometer-tachometer-fuel-temperature) sweeps right to encompass the dash with the center console. Subtle wood paneling embellishes the interior trim, and face-level air vents are integrated into the windshield pillars.

An interesting touch is the ignition switch, which harks back to the 1930s and 1940s. The switch is dash-mounted so that there is no awkward twist of the wrist necessary to start the engine.

In addition, the lock module has been specifically designed to be tamper- resistant, with a PASSlock II system that prevents the engine from starting in the event any attempt is made to start the car without the proper key.

Another owner protection feature is a system designed to prevent battery rundown. Twenty minutes after the ignition is turned off, any interior light inadvertently left on is automatically switched off.

Olds’ engineering people spent time in combining the aspects of a stiff body structure with the ease of ride. Increases in body rigidity have translated into improved overall performance.

Increases in resistance to torsional (twisting) and bending forces have been achieved by such design innovations as a one-piece inner wheelhouse that is strengthened by a heavier rear strut cap. Different thicknesses in the steel of the upper and lower segments of the center pillar also add resistance to bending and twisting the body.

This solid unibody structure works in conjunction with a MacPherson strut suspension in the front and multilink independent suspension in the rear to provide a stable and easy ride.

In the initial pre-production Cutlass that made the auto- show circuit early in 1996, the base engine was Oldsmobile’s 2.4-liter double overhead cam, 16-valve four-cylinder motor, with GM’s 3100 Series V-6 as an option. The V-6 now is the standard engine.

Possibly figuring that there weren’t too many race drivers who would buy a midsized sedan with a dual-cam 4 in it, the larger overhead valve 3.1-liter V-6 is being offered as a smoother and more powerful motor.

XPower ratings are 155-horsepower and 185 foot-pounds of torque. Fuel consumption figures also get good marks, being pegged at 20 mpg city and 29 mpg highway.

Indianapolis Oldsmobile dealers are hoping to get the new sedan by the latter part o f next month. Prices will be revealed at that time.