Good news for those who like their midsize luxury vehicles sporty but not too sporty, the 2012 CTS will no longer offer a 6-speed manual transmission for its improved, top-tier, 3.6-liter V6. Instead, buyers will have to satisfy themselves with the 6-speed automatic for the bigger V6 in the family. Larger valves and new port and camshaft designs add 14 hp over last years’ numbers, pushing the 3.6 up to a 318-hp total, and a new integrated head and exhaust manifold, lightweight front accessory drive cover, plastic intake manifold and new connecting rods drop over 20 pounds from the engine’s weight. Big changes for the CTS’s biggest engine, but that’s not all the CTS gets for 2012.

Cosmetic changes are evident too, if not obvious. The grille gets a few new finishes, and the mesh now extends more fully to the edges of the frame, perhaps an attempt to highlight the new Caddy logo, with its newly recessed and brightened colors. You’d definitely have to be paying attention to notice any difference. CTS sedans and wagons all get standard Bluetooth for 2012 as well.

However, buyers who choose the smaller 3.0-liter V6 will still get the choice of 6-speed transmissions, and either engine equipped with the automatic will get the option of AWD, as opposed to the standard RWD.

Regardless of engine or body style, there’s a new Touring Package to help dress up your CTS. Either engine gets a new dark-finish grille that’s even more special than the already more specialer new grille in the 2012, as well as dark Sapele interior wood trim, metal pedal covers and suede trim for the steering wheel, shifter and seats. If the 3.6 is to your liking, you’ll also get polished 19-inch wheels and Recaro seats, but they’ve been criticized for being too bulbous and unstable. The 3.0-liter does better by keeping the standard perches and covering them in suede, and it rolls on pearl-nickel-finish 18-inch wheels that are more understated and fit the aesthetic better.

Not that any CTS you choose won’t be well optioned, with standard features like OnStar, dual-zone climate controls, Bose stereo with satellite radio, automatic headlights, heated power mirrors and an 8-way power driver’s bucket. Moving up from the Base trim, the Luxury CTS gives you leather, heated seats and a memory system, while the Performance trims get you a sport suspension, steering-linked xenon headlights, foglights and 18-inch alloys with the 3.0-liter engine. Any CTS with the 3.6-liter V6 just builds on these options, adding options like a rear-view camera, upgraded Bose stereo, navigation, heated and ventilated seats, and a power sunroof as you move up through the trim levels.

While the loss of the 6-speed manual is regrettable, it’s hard to argue the numbers, and Cadillac buyers weren’t clicking the 3-pedal option often enough to warrant its continued inclusion. While more power and fewer pounds are always welcome changes, it’s hard to call such a small pack of changes a full refresh. Sales saw a small bump in 2010, but they still fall far short of their peak in 2005. If this warmed-over refresh doesn’t boost sales for the CTS again, perhaps GM can find another Matrix movie to shoehorn it into.