Designed with a chiseled look, the four-door STS features what Cadillac says is a "faster profile" with "more rake" than the CTS. All told, it's considered "more sophisticated, a little smoother, a little cleaner, a little more grown up" than the CTS, according to lead designer Kip Wasenko.

Cadillac styling touches include a wide "airfoil" grille with dual horizontal slats, a "dihedral-shaped" hood and vertically stacked headlights that consist of twin projector units. Bodysides are devoid of decoration. LED taillamps bring up the rear and have indirect optics to provide a more even lighting pattern than traditional LEDs.

Built on a 116.4-inch wheelbase, the STS is 196 inches long overall, 72.6 inches wide and 57.6 inches tall. Body-panel gaps promise close tolerances, and the deck lid is made of aluminum. The STS comes with either 17- or 18-inch wheels.