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We’ve been hearing rumblings of a wagon variant of the Cadillac CTS as far back as the original debut of the second-generation sedan at the 2007 Detroit auto show. Since then, though, we haven’t gotten any proof that one was in the works beyond confidential conversations and whispered promises.

Until now.

Fresh from our spies’ digital cameras come these shots of a CTS wagon caught testing—evidence that one will join the CTS coupe as the second derivative of Caddy’s bread-and-butter sedan.

From its front bumper to its B-pillar, this prototype is clearly identical to the four-door; the front camo and stripped front badge are little more than a half-hearted attempt at concealing the car’s provenance, especially given the instantly recognizable fender vents.

Word is that production will begin about a year from now at Cadillac’s Lansing, Michigan Grand River assembly plant, with most of an estimated 10,000 units per year headed for European garages where they love their wagons. The Lansing plant will make both right- and left-hand-drive versions of all body styles of the new CTS, as well as rear- and all-wheel drive models with manual and automatic transmissions and a choice of gasoline and diesel engines to appease all global markets.

Notice that we said Europe gets “most,” of the production, however, since the CTS wagon (it could be called the CTS Estate or CTS Touring) is expected to make it to U.S. dealers as well as part of a strategy to replace the aging SRX crossover with this car and the upcoming BRX crossover.

If Cadillac follows the lead of foreign manufacturers who offer luxury wagons here, expect to find only the base gasoline engine under the hood. That would mean a 263-hp, 3.6-liter V-6—the 304-hp direct-injection version of the same V-6 is possible—but no 550-hp CTS-V variant or diesel.

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Since blowing the minds of 2008 Detroit auto show goers with its sensational, sculpted CTS coupe concept, Cadillac has been relatively quiet about its production plans.

These first spy shots tell us is that not only is the coupe well into its development cycle, but that much of the concept’s striking styling will make it to the production car, too.

GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz himself said that when he and his team saw the proposed bob-tail styling of the coupe during its earliest design phase—with its radically sloping roof and rear window; chopped rear; tall, spear-like taillamps; and razor-thin windows—they knew they had to bring it to life. However, Lutz stopped short of making a formal production announcement (though we had sources that winked and nodded and more or less confirmed it for us).

We recently blew past a convoy of Cadillacs that included two CTS coupes, their behinds covered in tarps, so naturally we elbowed our way in and started snapping away.

Athough we were only able to catch the coupe from a rear three-quarter angle, we’d seen enough: the severely canted roofline, cropped tush, big wheels, dual center-mounted exhaust, and parking assistance sensors (which will probably come standard, given the trunk height and poor rearward vision inherent to the design).

In other words, it appears that what we saw and loved so much on the CTS coupe concept will make it to the showroom. But that may not be until the end of 2009, which for many of us here, can’t arrive soon enough.

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In its earlier years, Cadillac had little interest in making smaller cars. When market conditions finally convinced the company’s managers that the brand had to have them, the resulting products elicited little favorable reaction from consumers. The modern Cadillac CTS, however, is one entry-level Cadillac that has bucked that trend.

With a cutting-edge design and extensive development work on Germany’s famed Nürburgring test track, the CTS sport sedan is aimed squarely at the class leaders in one of the industry’s most competitive segments. It’s also a bit larger than many of the cars that it competes against in terms of price and design philosophy.

There have been two generations of the Cadillac CTS. Despite some obvious shortcomings in terms of interior design and quality, the first CTS went on to be one of Cadillac’s most popular models as well as the only main domestic entry to truly compete against the top European and Japanese entry-level luxury cars. It’s worth a look as a used or pre-owned model. For the second-generation CTS, Cadillac made substantial improvements regarding to interior design and materials quality. It’s an excellent luxury sport sedan, and consumers interested in this type of car should give it serious consideration.

Current Cadillac CTS

The second-generation Cadillac CTS sedan debuted for the 2008 model year. Compared to the original CTS, the new model is more refined and powerful. Overall body dimensions are similar to the original CTS, but there are an additional 2 inches of track width to give the sedan a more powerful stance. The first CTS’s lackluster interior has been remedied via a substantially higher level of quality and a more attractive design.

Two V6 engines are available. Standard power comes from a 3.6-liter V6 generating 258 horsepower, while the available 3.6-liter direct-injection (DI) V6 puts out 304 hp. Both engines can be equipped with either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic. The CTS is also offered in both rear-wheel and all-wheel-drive (AWD) configurations, though AWD models are limited to the base engine and automatic transmission.

Standard equipment for the Cadillac CTS is decent, and a full complement of the latest safety technology is standard as well. There are a variety of luxury options, including leather seating, a premium audio system and a hard-drive-based navigation system that can store digital music files. Two sport suspension packages are also available to further the CTS’s handling capabilities.

Overall, the upgraded interior and spirited powertrains have pushed the CTS into top-tier status for a luxury sport sedan. While it might not qualify for “Standard of the World” status just yet, Cadillac’s entry-level model has evolved into a much more capable car all the way around and can now more than hold its own against the best cars in this segment both in terms of luxury appeal and driving prowess.

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