1995 Cadillac Seville Powering its way up the prestige ladder By Professional Test Driver, New Car Test Drive .com

There isn't much doubt that Cadillac is, slowly but surely, disentangling itself from its overstuffed, undersprung past.

Yes, there are still traditional dreadnoughts in the lineup, cars such as the Fleetwood and the ponderous Fleetwood Brougham, the biggest car sold in America. But their days are numbered, and Cadillac's newer cars - the Seville in particular - are much more in step with the times. They're leaner, meaner, technologically advanced and much more responsive.

It can certainly be argued that the Seville doesn't pack the kind of prestige associated with Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus. But it packs a potent punch - and in the luxury market, that's certainly a key ingredient.

Both versions of this car - the Seville Luxury Sedan (SLS) and Seville Touring Sedan (STS) - have power to spare. The STS, our test car, is the sportier of the two, as well as the more potent, as a price of $46,750 might just indicate.