At GM's 2004 short lead (no auto journalists over 6 feet tall allowed -- I'm comfortably under that) in San Antonio, there was a lot of buzz (we're sorry, but it's a weak attempt to justify the column's title) over a lot of product. For many in attendance, it was their first chance to drive Chevy's SSR, midsize Colorado pickup or midsize Malibu sedan. On the Saturn side, the Honda-powered Vue was big news, while Saab brought out the new 9-3 convertible. Nothing, however, grabbed our collective attention quite like Cadillac. Offering an expanded number of drivetrains in the CTS, an all-new, forget-about-the-Allante roadster dubbed XLR, and the SRX sport utility, there is life after the Escalade EXT. And that's a fact for which we should all be eternally thankful.

For us'ns, the surprise of the bunch may have been the SRX. In stark counterpoint to Cadillac's truck-based overtures to the SUV crowd, which ultimately are just very well-appointed Suburbans (and nothing wrong with that), the SRX builds on the rather revolutionary lineage first seen with the radical CTS sport sedan. That, of course, was an in-your-face admission by Cadillac management that a cautious approach to the near-luxury segment (Catera) was no longer going to work. With an origami-like profile, Euro-inspired interior and a platform designed to make driving a Cadillac once again recreational, the CTS has been a surprise hit for Cadillac retailers, bringing fans of both Led (Zeppelin) and (Radio)head into Caddy showrooms.

While Cadillac offers the SRX (with an expansive interior, available all-wheel drive and raised ride height) as a sport utility, we're inclined to think of it as a non-traditional take on the traditional station wagon. Were it not for its higher stance, you'd be hard-pressed to identify it as anything other than a conventional, albeit contemporary, take on a traditional kid hauler. There is a huge amount of CTS-like sheetmetal from the front grill to the C-Pillar, while the tail end is pinched in a way to suggest five-door hatch as much as big-box wagon.

Riding on a longish 116-inch wheelbase, you have your choice of V6 (260 hp) or available V8 (320 hp) grunt. With the SRX's relatively modest 4,200-pound curb weight, the V6 is more than adequate; with a light load it almost borders on the recreational. Check the V8 option box, and it's Katy-bar-the-door -- the Northstar-sourced eight cylinder is everything you'd want in an expressive, Euro-oriented GT. And those eight cylinders propelling a family hauler makes it all the more fun. Throw in an all-independent suspension, four-wheel disc brakes and standard StabiliTrak stability control, and you've got just the formula for doing something stupid and living to tell -- or write -- about it.

Inside, we're pleased by the SRX's clean aesthetic elements, while continuing to wonder where the money went. The plastic is undeniably well-executed; there just seems to be a preponderance of it, with little to awaken you from your petroleum-induced coma. Sure, Cadillac's interior team makes available the obligatory touches of wood, but in our test example, the overall feel was more Acura than Audi. Priced at more than $50,000, the SRX should deliver Audi-plus.

Although our test vehicle was not equipped with the SRX's available third-row seating, we've long recognized the value of same in the U.S. marketplace. In this price category, the stay-at-home moms certainly aren't going to subject their kiddies to a school bus; it's entirely too multicultural. If you must ride with the folks, however, this is arguably one of the more hip/happenin' ways. Throw in the optional DVD player, plug in the headphones, and let the folks jam on their one Led Zeppelin CD all they want.