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Cadillac’s midsize CTS sedan remains one of the bright spots in a year that has been less than kind to General Motors Corp.

Sales of the CTS are up nearly 25 percent through September compared with the same period last year, aided by a redesign for 2008 that vastly improved an already very nice car.

Our tester, the CTS V-6 DI Performance Sedan (2009 base price $37,080 plus $775 freight) is a serious premium sport sedan that proves an American car can compete on the same field with European and Japanese luxury models.

Extensive improvements in styling and performance of this second-generation CTS have put it on the same plain with those Mercedes, BMW and Lexus competitors that populate the driveways of upscale suburban neighborhoods.

While performance is one of the key attributes of the CTS, the interior probably impressed me the most. For the first time in the recent history of the brand, this is a Cadillac with a truly world-class interior.

Careful attention to detail is evident throughout the cabin, with generous use of quality materials. The front bucket seats are as comfortable as the best living-room recliners. The cockpit has such features as hand-cut, sewn and wrapped surfaces, with detail such as French stitching.

There is even state-of-the art interior lighting. GM designers studied architectural lighting in such venues as upscale nightclubs, restaurants and retail stores, and used what they learned to help give the CTS a high-tech ambiance, the company said.

Inside the cabin are 15 individual light sources, concealed from direct view, much like lighting found in modern buildings. Among these are six fiber-optic light bars that illuminate the instrument panels and create a glow across the four doors.

Nine LED spotlights are located throughout the cabin, focusing on such areas as foot wells, the gearshift and the lower part of the instrument panel.

Outside, the CST has changes that made it look more like its bigger sibling, the STS. The hood and rear deck have the longer, sleeker look of the STS.

GM said the new design was intended to help the CTS appeal to a younger group of consumers, which is what the car has been about from the start. The CTS gave Cadillac its first midsize sedan aimed at consumers under 50, replacing the imported Catera, whose advertising seemed to position it as a car for seniors.

Since its arrival for 2003, the CTS has been a hit with the younger baby boomers and Generation X, and Cadillac wanted to continue that success with this newest model. The idea is to bring young people into a brand that, until just a few years ago, was on the shopping lists of only older buyers.

The CTS has about the same dimensions as mass-market sedans such as the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, two vehicles that attract a broad range of consumers. But it’s a direct competitor to the near-luxury midsize sedans such cars as the Lexus ES 350, Mercedes-Benz C-class, BMW 3-series, Audi A4, Acura TL, and Infiniti G35, among others.

The previous generation had a variety of available engines, beginning with a small V-6, later discontinued, that didn’t really allow the car to live up to its GM billing as a sport sedan.

But with the redesign, there is no doubt about the “sport” aspect, especially in the DI performance version we tested.

Under the hood of this model is a 3.6-liter V-6 engine with direct fuel injection, rated at 304 horsepower.

The base CTS model ($34,780 plus freight) is no slouch, though. It comes with the same 3.6-liter V-6, but without the direct injection. That gives it 263 horsepower, up from 258 in the previous generation.

For super-sportiness, the CTS-V model returns to the lineup for 2009, this time with a 556-horsepower V-8 engine replacing the 400-horsepower engine of the previous V model. We haven’t tested this one yet.

Also coming early next year is a wagon version of the CTS.

Even with all of its power, the CTS V-6 models have decent fuel economy. Ratings for either V-6 engine are 17 miles per gallon in the city and 26 on the highway.

Direct fuel injection “delivers fuel more precisely to increase the efficiency of combustion,” GM said. “This means less fuel is consumed – and lower emissions created – compared [with] conventional combustion systems doing the same work.”

The CTS comes with a choice of rear- or all-wheel drive, and either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.

Our tester had the automatic, but for the real enthusiast, the manual would be the most fun.

The automatic will be the choice of most buyers, but the manual makes the CTS a true sport sedan. The six-speed automatic does allow for manual shifting, though. You just don’t have to worry about a clutch.

Our car came with the base rear-drive system, rather than the optional all-wheel drive. It’s the first all-wheel-drive system to be offered in the CTS. But enthusiasts will enjoy the rear drive almost as much as the all-wheel drive.

Some of the other entries in this segment, including the TL and ES 350, have front-wheel drive, which is not considered to be the best arrangement for a sport sedan.

Craftsmanship is evident throughout this car. New exterior touches include a vertical, dual-textured grille that GM says was inspired by its Cadillac Sixteen design concept vehicle; and sculpted fenders, designed to emphasize the car’s wider track and enhanced chassis dynamics.

New touches include air vents on the front fenders, also from the Sixteen concept; optional high-intensity-discharge xenon headlights; and low-energy LED “light pipes” on both the front and rear.

The roofline was designed to make the sedan look more like a coupe, another way to draw younger consumers. The optional Ultra-View double sunroof, not included on our test car, was taken from the SRX crossover/wagon.

Inside, the CTS is extremely quiet, the better to hear the Bose premium audio system. The windshield has no visible rubber seals or joints, and the doors are triple-sealed to help reduce noise.

Standard safety features include four-channel antilock brakes and electronic stability control system, along with driver and front passenger side air bags, roof-mounted side-curtain air bags for both rows of seats, a tire-pressure monitoring system, front seat-belt pretensioners, and a body reinforced with high-strength steel.

Our test vehicle came with the Performance Collection package ($3,705), which added such extras as a leather seats, 18-inch alloy wheels, sport suspension, high-intensity-discharge headlights; headlight washers; a limited-slip differential; heavy-duty cooling system; fog lights; heated front seats, with a power-adjustable front passenger seat (the base car already has a power driver’s seat); and heated windshield-washer fluid.

Also included was an audio/entertainment/ navigation package ($3,145), which included a Bose Surround Sound 10-speaker system, a 40-gigabyte hard drive, and XM satellite radio. An additional $1,450 brought a panoramic sunroof.

Total sticker was $46,155, including freight and options.

The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III have appeared regularly in the Star-Telegram since 1995. Contact him at 210-250-3236; chambers@ star-telegram.com.

At a Glance:

2009 Cadillac CTS sport sedan The package: Midsize, four-door, five-passenger, rear- or all-wheel-drive, V-6-powered, premium sedan.

Highlights: Redesigned for 2008, this is Cadillac’s entry level car, aimed at younger buyers. The newest model has lots of improvements, including a sporty new optional 304-horsepower V-6 engine and a choice of manual or automatic gearboxes. For 2009, a new V-8 model joins the lineup.

Negatives: Can get pricey with all the options.

Engine: 3.6-liter V-6; 3.6-liter V-6 with direct injection; 6.2-liter V-8.

Transmission: Six-speed manual or six-speed automatic.

Power/torque: 263 HP/253 foot-pounds; 304 HP/273 foot-pounds (direct injection engine); 556 HP/551 foot-pounds.

Length: 191.6 inches.

Base curb weight: 3,845 pounds (rear drive); 4,090 pounds (all-wheel drive).

Brakes, front/rear: Disc/disc, antilock.

Trunk capacity: 13.6 cubic feet.

EPA fuel economy: 17 miles per gallon city/26 highway (V-6 engines).

Fuel capacity/type: 18.0 gallons/unleaded regular.

Major competitors: Mercedes-Benz C-class; BMW 3-series; Lexus IS 350, Lexus ES 350, Acura TL, Infiniti G35/G37, Audi A4.

Base price: $34,780, plus $775 freight.

Price as tested: $46,155, including freight and options (DI Performance model).

On the Road rating: 9.3 (of a possible 10).

Prices shown are manufacturer’s suggested retail; actual selling price may vary.