Category Archives: XTS

2013 Cadillac XTS — the world at your fingertips

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Cadillac has more details available for the Cadillac XTS.   It is arriving with every gadget possible, and some new ones.  The basic car appears to be a larger , all-wheel drive model with the LFX 3.6L V6 for 300 hp.  The show car was a hybrid, so hopefully we’ll see that to follow.  Releases posted here and here.

Please click on images to zoom in, then hit back to return here.

A key feature will be a 12.3″ reconfigurable cluster — the part where the gauges are is all an electronic screen.  Cadillac CUE is the highly customizable user interface that exemplifies XTS’ blend of advanced technology and artistic design. The heart of CUE, which stands for Cadillac User Experience, is the standard eight-inch (203 mm) screen in the “center stack,” the faceplate below the screen and the steering wheel controls. CUE features several industry firsts, including capacitive-touch control with proximity sensing, gesture recognition and natural voice recognition.

Two levels of control-and-alert protection are offered in the XTS’ Enhanced Safety Strategy (ESS) packages.

ESS I includes:

  • Lane Departure Warning
  • Forward Collision Alert
  • Safety Alert Seat
  • Side Blind Zone Alert
  • Rear Cross Traffic Alert
  • Reflected LED display.

ESS II includes all ESS I content plus:

  • Head-up display (in color)
  • Front and Rear Automatic Brake
  • Adaptive Cruise Control
  • Automatic Collision Preparation

The  Cadillac XTS will be priced above the CTS.  Initial pricing has not been announced but it will perhaps start at $44K.

Cue the Possibilities in your Cadillac

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Cadillac introduced their new Cue Technology this week, or Cadillac User Experience.  More info and a video at the full release.

What if the entire dash board becomes a touch sensitive electronic display?  In the short term it means visually better and more entertaining instruments.

But what can it mean in the long term?  More customization of the instruments available.  I like to know a great deal about what is going on in the Cadillac.   What if I could choose which instruments are displayed, and which information is included — design my own dash display?  I may choose to have a very busy, information intensive dash display.

You may only want to know speed and gas remaining.  What if you could opt for only those pieces of information?  Suddenly use of an electronic display gives many options that were not available before — if Cadillac chooses to empower Buyers to select them.

More displays — bring back onboard diagnostics on all models.  What about 2-way video with OnStar, so I can see the operator as we talk about my destination?  Possibilities; the new CUE technologies bring more possibilities.

Don’t under-estimate the value of beauty and functionality rolled together.  It is these touches that make Cadillac a luxury marque.  But when the new technology opens the way to more control, more easy user-customizations and personalization, and opens our imaginations to what could be, I know Cadillac is on the right path.

New Cadillac Flagship?

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The upcoming Cadillac XTS will notionally replace both the Cadillac DTS and the Cadillac STS.    Certainly it seems a numeric replacement for the Cadillac DTS, as a FWD or AWD model with perhaps similar ride, handling and all-weather traction.

Replacement of the STS, originally intended to be Cadillac’s S-Class or BMW 7-Series Competitor by the upcoming XTS is more problematic.   Although the AWD variant of the XTS can be tuned to have some rear-wheel drive dynamics, it is difficult for such a vehicle to have the control, predictability, and performance of a true rear-wheel drive sedan.

Once more Bloomberg reports that GM CEO Ed Whitacre has charged the team to do a business case analysis for Cadillac to develop a new high-end rear-wheel drive flagship:

The company has also started work on a flagship sedan for Cadillac, two of the people said. Designers are looking at several prototypes that differ from the XTS concept car on display at the Detroit auto show in January, they said. If GM’s board approves funding for the luxury car, intended to compete with BMW AG’s 7 Series, it wouldn’t be built for several years, they said.

It is not clear if this model would impact development of the XTS itself; I hope Cadillac moves forward with the release of a hybrid power-trained XTS while considering development of a new model.   Production of the XTS really seems a no-brainer, building on the advantages and sales base of that platform and offering a high-end replacement for DTS buyers.    Meanwhile, penciling in a high-end sedan above the CTS works.  It would even make sense to plan a high-end variant of the next gen Alpha-platform CTS and make that the flagship.

There are still on-the-shelf technologies such as a hybrid power plant, Heads-up Display, lane departure warning, and blind-spot alert that are not available in the CTS family.  Moreover, the magnetic suspension used so well in the current CTS-V could be offered in a high-end sedan as standard equipment.

I am excited if Cadillac brings on a high-end sedan stable-mate or Flagship.  I hope that the Team does not take their eye off the ball however and send indecision to the showrooms instead of new models.  Bring the XTS along and continue to work the business case for a high end RWD flagship.