DETROIT – Cadillac is packaging safety technologies to help ease the rigors of the daily commute from the driveway to crowded parking structures and congested freeways.

The new ATS sport sedan is one of three 2013 Cadillac models with Driver Assist technology that uses cameras, radar, ultrasonic sensors and automatic braking to help make common traffic situations safer. In certain low-speed conditions, the car can even brake automatically to help prevent collisions.

“The mall parking packed with cars making it difficult to see what’s coming, or the parking deck at work, or the stop and go of a freeway commute – these are hassles that drivers navigate every day,” said James Bell, General Motors head of consumer affairs. “Cadillac Driver Assist can help make these situations less treacherous and maybe more bearable.”

Some of the Driver Assist features designed to ease the everyday commute include:

• Full Speed Adaptive Cruise Control extends traditional cruise control to more situations, such as managing the car’s acceleration and braking automatically from a driver-set highway “cruising” speed down to a full stop, such as at a toll booth, while maintaining a safe following distance.
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert – Scanning areas adjacent to the car on each side extends driver vision such as when backing out of a parking spot with vehicles on both sides. Cadillac’s Safety Alert Seat warns the driver of traffic approaching from the left or right using directional seat vibration pulses.  This patented warning approach is tied to all of the on-board crash avoidance systems.
• Rear Vision Camera with Dynamic Guidelines allows the driver, when in reverse, to view objects directly behind the vehicle via the eight-inch monitor on the center stack. A set of red and yellow guidelines appear on the display to mark the vehicle’s turn radius, allowing for easier parking and backing maneuvers.
• Automatic Front and Rear Braking will apply emergency braking automatically in certain driveway, parking lot and heavy traffic conditions if it detects a vehicle in front of or behind the car.
• Forward Collision Alert uses the Safety Alert Seat’s haptic warning to vibrate both sides of the driver’s seat when the car approaches a stationary or moving vehicle ahead too rapidly.

In addition to the ATS, the Driver Assist package is available on the all-new XTS luxury sedan and the revamped SRX luxury crossover.

“Most of us think of driving a luxury car on open roads, and of course cars like the new ATS sport sedan are right at home doing that,” said Bell. “But traffic and parking situations are way more common. A great car should help you in those conditions, too.”

Cadillac has begun production of the new Cadillac XTS for the Chinese local market.  XTS production in China will be to the same exacting quality standards and of the same supplied high quality materials as the US production.  The Cadillac XTS, which is priced from RMB 349,900 to RMB 569,900, is available in five variants with two engine options (a 2.0T engine and a 3.6L engine) (RMB = renminbi, or Chinese Yen)

DETROIT – Cadillac this week began production of the new XTS luxury sedan in China,   the latest and most important milestone in the brand’s growth in the world’s largest auto market.

Shanghai joins Oshawa, Ontario, as an assembly location for the XTS, marking the brand’s biggest step in its expansion since arriving in China in 2006.

“We are reaching the next level of Cadillac growth in China,” said Bob Ferguson, vice president Global Cadillac. “This expansion in localized assembly for our brand in China coincides with the strong momentum of our new product portfolio and significant growth in the dealer network.”

Cadillac China’s dealer network has grown to more than 150 locations, roughly doubling in the past year. It is planned to reach 250 outlets in the next two years. The brand sold 30,000 vehicles in China in 2012 with a goal of topping 100,000 annually by 2015.

The Cadillac XTS marks an important addition to China, redefining the large luxury sedan via advanced technology such as standard Magnetic Ride Control, the breakthrough CUE system for connectivity and control and advanced safety systems.

The elegant and spacious interior of the XTS is a good fit in China, where luxurious space is highly valued.

Local assembly and a smaller displacement 2.0L Turbo powertrain in the XTS help the car reach a more compelling market position in China.

“We’re poised to move to the next level,” Ferguson said. “Growth in the Chinese market is essential to any top-level luxury auto brand, and it boosts our brand and our business everywhere including in the U.S.”

Traditionally Limo companies have preferred rear wheel drive vehicles as easier to modify for stretch limo service, perhaps for ease of maintenance and repair.

It strikes me that with more reliable models, and reduced maintenance, that perhaps is less of a concern. FWD models also seem easier to stretch conceptually since you don’t need to extend the drive train.

Certainly in terms of handling and performance the XTS is plenty capable.  Starting a Limo or Black Car mod based on a higher end XTS package makes perfect sense — I expect a limo to be all-in.

The 2013 Cadillac XTS luxury sedan includes a W20 package specifically tailored to lift the levels of luxury and technology typically experienced in the livery and professional vehicles industry.

DETROIT – Cadillac is now selling more than nine of 10 all-new XTS models to individual luxury buyers, but the new luxury sedan is also outfitted with a special package that  redefines how fleet and car service operators transport their more than 400 million customers.

With the new W20 Livery Package, Cadillac XTS-based limousines no longer take a back seat to showroom models. The package, which includes elements of the XTS Platinum Edition, is exclusively offered to livery companies through Cadillac’s Professional Vehicles program.

“XTS represents a new approach to luxury, centered on advanced technology and design,” said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac marketing. “This same approach extends to Professional Vehicles, where we are bringing a new formula to the livery customer. Every experience in a Cadillac, front seat or rear seat, meets a higher standard for luxury, performance and technology.”

Unlike many of the cars built for the livery and fleet industries in the past, the special XTS model is at the higher-end of the product range, including 19-inch wheels, exterior door handles with LED illumination, safety technology such as a rear vision camera, and a micro-fiber suede headliner included in the XTS Platinum Edition.

An available rear seat comfort package includes heated seats, window sun shades and a power inverter to charge mobile devices. Navigation, offered through Cadillac’s CUE system for connectivity and control, is also available in the W20 Livery Package.

Carey International, the world’s largest livery company, was one of the first companies to sign on, purchasing 150 new Cadillac XTS W20 Professional Services Sedans.

“Our customers wanted approachable luxury and enabling technology,” said Gary Kessler, president and CEO of Carey International. “We chose the XTS as the cornerstone of the Carey brand because it represented the perfect combination of power, luxury, technology and sophistication that our customers desire and demand today.”

Carey conducted extensive research into 24 vehicles before choosing the XTS W20. “In the end, the decision to go with the XTS was a no brainer,” Kessler said.

Cadillac’s Professional Vehicles program includes a select number of coachbuilders authorized by Cadillac to convert vehicles for use in commercial or fleet duties according to a specific set of standards. Click here for more information on this program.