Grampa's Caddy goes high-tech
LOS ANGELES, California - It's been several years since Cadillac offloaded its image of being Grandpa's favourite automobile company, and I'll admit to being rather impressed with what the company has managed to achieve in recent years. Take the stunning CTS, a vehicle which, in my opinion, is more than capable of taking on the best from the Europeans.
Although Cadillac is now widely recognised as a manufacturer of luxury and performance vehicles (think CTS-V), its history has predominately consisted of luxurious large-scale sedans, which brings us nicely to the company's latest offering, the all-new 2013 Cadillac XTS. Now if I'm being totally honest with you, when I first heard of this vehicle, the whole project sounded a tad questionable, to say the least. For a start, Cadillac was talking of building a rather sizeable front-wheel-drive sedan, and we've all witnessed how that idea's panned out in the past! I'd also heard rumours of standardized Magnetic Ride suspension, not often seen on a vehicle priced under $50K. The MSRP is actually $48,995, with the top-of-the-line Platinum AWD model running at $64,975. So, I had to question how this could be achieved without digging even further into the piggy bank. Then of course, last but not least, we'd heard that Cadillac had plans to release an infotainment system to end all such systems. Sure, like I've not heard that one before! Well, with that said, I am now happy to report to you that Cadillac has pretty much achieved everything it set out to do. In fact, after experiencing the XTS for myself, I'm going to go out on a limb here and declare this the most surprising vehicle I have driven thus far this year.
So, I had to question how this could be achieved without digging even further into the piggy bank. Then of course, last but not least, we'd heard that Cadillac had plans to release an infotainment system to end all such systems. Sure, like I've not heard that one before! Well, Cadillac has pretty much achieved everything it set out to do. In fact, after experiencing the XTS for myself, I'm going to go out on a limb here and declare this the most surprising vehicle I have driven thus far this year. The new XTS is a striking vehicle, especially when you consider its starting price. The interior oozes quality and, while other manufacturers offer choices of wood, aluminum or piano black finishes, Cadillac has chosen to fill its XTS with a subtle blend of all three. It's a good look and, coupled with contrasting color schemes, it rather begs the question why so many luxury car manufacturers today appear to have an ongoing love affair with the somewhat boring black on black. Cadillac's new CUE (Cadillac User Experience), standard on all models, is pretty much exactly what the company promised us. Controllable like the now familiar iPhone & iPad, the system's touchscreen allows for simple finger swipe or push access to all features. However, whereas others have chosen to bundle everything into one, often awkward, mouse-like controlled unit, Cadillac has chosen to retain traditional control over items such as heating, fan speed and seat heating. This means that rather than search through endless screens to select a desired setting, you simply touch a button on the console. The company has also wisely included a CD unit in the glove box, as not everyone is yet into iPod, SmartMedia and USB music. If you are, then you'll be happy to discover not one, but three USB ports available to you. Simply insert your stick and the system automatically downloads and categorizes your music. This is then totally controllable via the numerous programmable buttons on the steering wheel.
What's that? You don't like buttons? No problem, because real language voice control is also available. In fact, I could go on and on about how ingenious this system is, but I'll sum it up like this... most manufacturers attempt lip service to the idea of helping drivers keep their eyes on the road, whereas Cadillac is actually making this a reality. Now to the drive, and the first thing which becomes obvious is that larger vehicles can now be powered via the front wheels without detriment to the handling and feel of the vehicle. The new Magnetic Ride suspension does exactly what you'd expect it to, and apart from perhaps a tad more tire noise than I'd have wished for, driving the XTS is a highly pleasurable experience. The direct-injected, 304-hp 3.6L V6, although not a powerhouse, provides ample power for both front- and all-wheel-drive versions. Coupled to a 6-speed automatic transmission, which includes paddle shifters, the XTS supplies decent fuel economy: 12.1/7.2 L/100km city/highway for the FWD version, 12.5/7.7 L/100km with AWD.
The total features list, both standard and available for this vehicle, would border on a novel in itself. However, with innovations such as Cadillac's Safety Alert Seats, together with front and rear automatic brakes as well as Rear Cross Traffic Alert, you can be sure that this vehicle lives up to what the company describes as the most technologically advanced car it's ever produced. In fact, the only similarity I could find between the new XTS and Grandpa's old Caddy is the size of the trunk. With a whopping 509 litres of available volume, you could even fit a couple of man-sized objects in there if you so desired. The new 2013 Cadillac XTS will be built right here in Oshawa, Ontario, and we can expect to see them rolling into dealerships over the next few weeks. So if you're looking for full-size luxury, this one's worth placing on your looksee list. Key Competitors
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