Tag Archives: XTS

Report: Akerson says Cadillac will get a larger sedan within two years

July 22, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

It seems that during a recent affair showing off the 2014 Cadillac CTS, General Motors CEO Dan Akerson confirmed reports regarding a new Cadillac flagship sedan. According to USA Today, which Akerson was visiting, he said that a sedan larger than the XTS would debut within the next two years.

This matches up with what we heard earlier in the month about a Cadillac model that will go up against the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class (not a pricier, low-volume sedan also discussed in that article). But this is the first time a high-profile executive name has been attributed to such a report, and the first time a broad timeframe has been mentioned. This article adds that the unnamed car will be rear-, and all-wheel drive with a platform “loosely based” on the new CTS, with styling closer to that car than recent Cadillac concept vehicles. The XTS will continue production of course, as well.

Akerson says Cadillac will get a larger sedan within two years originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jul 2013 17:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Autoblog

Automobiles

2013 Cadillac XTS FWD Tested: One for the DTS Die-Hards

April 9, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Alexander Stoklosa

Dead man walking, make way! Dead man walking! Actually, in the case of the 2013 Cadillac XTS sedan, it’s more like dead car, er, rolling. That’s because the XTS—which shares its bones with lesser GM sedans like the Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Impala—is expected to live for just a single generation. A proper Cadillac flagship riding on a new, premium rear-wheel-drive platform should eventually replace it. Why go through the effort of developing a car with a near-term death sentence? Seniors. The XTS positively drips with the geriatric-express stigma inherent in a V-6–powered, front-drive-based luxo-barge, and that’s no bad thing for Cadillac’s bottom line. This car is intended to hold over DTS owners to finance Caddy’s eventual move to a BMW-like rear-drive-based car lineup. READ MORE ››

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Car & Driver

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Brad Pitt Helps Cadillac Catch On in China

April 4, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By John Rosevear, The Motley Fool

Filed under: Investing

After a holiday-induced dip in February, General Motors resumed its sales growth in China during March. Sales by GM and its Chinese joint ventures rose 12.6% in March from a year ago, the automaker said on Wednesday.

With 290,538 vehicles sold, March had GM‘s second-highest monthly sales total ever in China. It caps a quarter that saw GM‘s sales rise 9.6% from the year-ago period, to 816,373 vehicles – GM‘s best-ever quarterly showing in China.

It was a good showing in several areas, including a bright start for one of GM‘s most important global projects: the elevation of Cadillac — with some help from Brad Pitt.

A promising start for Cadillac’s big car in China
GM said that Chinese Cadillac sales grew 32.2% in March from a year ago. Much of that growth was driven by the new-to-China XTS, Cadillac’s biggest sedan, which sold 2,006 units in its first full month in the Middle Kingdom.

That may not sound like a lot, but it’s a nice showing by luxury-car standards – for comparison, the XTS sold “just” 3,061 units last month here in the U.S., where Cadillac is much more established. The XTS is GM‘s current take on the big cushy old-school Cadillac concept, but loaded with advanced technology like a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system and sensor-driven electronic safety features.

That technology has been a big point of emphasis in Cadillac’s marketing both here and in China, where GM officials at the February launch of the XTS in Guangzhou called it the most technically advanced Cadillac to date – and where television commercials starring actor Brad Pitt (yes, really) in a white XTS have played up the car’s high-tech features.

That’s a game that GM will have to continue to raise in China if it wants to meet its ambitious goals for its luxury brand.

A long-range plan facing daunting competition
Technology, along with Cadillac’s ever more sophisticated styling, may be GM‘s best route for expanding Cadillac’s appeal in China. The Chinese market for luxury cars has boomed in recent years, but so far it has largely been controlled by the big three German luxury brands.

Volkswagen‘s Audi brand, the favored brand of powerful government officials and Chinese bigwigs, led the market with a 29.6% share in 2012. Its German rivals BMW at 23.6% and Daimler‘s Mercedes-Benz at 20.6% were the second- and third-place finishers. The high margins typical in the luxury-car market mean that all three are booking outsized profits from their success in the Middle Kingdom.

Cadillac has been just a bit player in China‘s luxury market so far, but GM would dearly like a piece of that action. Much of the work being done to refurbish and elevate the Cadillac brand is being done with China in mind. GM outsells VW in China, but its profits from the region trail its German rival’s by a wide margin, and the success of Audi is a big reason why. The project to turn …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Analysts: Strong Sales Continue for GM and Ford

April 1, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By John Rosevear, The Motley Fool

Filed under: Investing

Did U.S. auto sales hold strong in March?

We’ll know for sure when official numbers are reported on Tuesday, April 2, but if analysts are correct, March was indeed another solid month for car and truck sales in the U.S.

Analysts polled by Bloomberg expect an average 4.2% year-over-year increase in U.S. sales of “light vehicles” (cars, pickups, and SUVs). At least one high-profile analyst, Edmunds’ Jessica Caldwell, thinks March was likely the best month for U.S. light-vehicle sales since May of 2007.

While Ford will likely come in with an increase above the average, analysts say, the year-over-year growth winner looks set to be General Motors .

A good month as the General gathers strength
GM is expected to post a 12% year-over-year sales gain for March, according to the Bloomberg consensus analyst estimate. GM’s full-sized pickups are likely to have been a big driver of any sales increase – Kelley Blue Book analyst Alec Gutierrez estimates that overall full-sized pickup sales were up 14.9% in March, and GM is known to be aggressively clearing out pickup inventories ahead of the arrival of redesigned models later this spring.

GM’s increasing strength in cars is likely beginning to pay off as well. The Cadillac ATS and XTS sedans, both introduced last year, are set to benefit as GM’s efforts to revive its old luxury brand gather steam. And GM has more new vehicles on the way: The company is introducing 13 new Chevrolets in 2013, as well as another Cadillac, the mid-sized CTS, due at dealers this fall.

Meanwhile, Ford will likely bask in a strong result for its midsized Fusion sedan, introduced late last year. Kelley Blue Book estimates that Fusion sales will be up 24% over year-ago totals for the last-generation model, itself a strong seller.

Tight supply and strong demand at Ford
Ford is probably selling all the Fusions it can make at the moment, as its factories are at full capacity – and in some cases, beyond. The company is adding 1,200 workers at its plant in Flat Rock, Mich., to build additional Fusions starting later this year.

Ford’s production capacity challenges extend well beyond the hot new Fusion. While the impressive utilization of its factories has meant big profits in North America, the company is likely to be facing tight supplies for a few more months as it works to squeeze more production out of its existing North American factories.

That will likely keep the Blue Oval’s sales increases relatively subdued, at least for a few more months, even as new models bring nice gains to GM. But Ford shareholders can take comfort: Those busy factories should continue to drive strong North American profits for the Blue Oval.

Worried about Ford?
If you’re concerned that Ford’s turnaround has run its course, relax — there’s good reason to think that the Blue Oval still has big growth opportunities ahead. We’ve outlined those opportunities in detail, in the Fool’s …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Automobiles

2014 Cadillac CTS Debuts with Twin Turbo V6 and Striking Design

March 26, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Malcolm Hogan

Cadillac is poised to make a bold statement while facing its direct competition head-on with the introduction of the all-new 2014 Cadillac CTS. Aimed directly at the Germans, the new 2014 CTS puts fort Cadillac’s future vision and design inspiration in a forward momentum off of the heals and inspiration of the new ATS and XTS.

The new 2014 Cadillac CTS, debuting this week at the New York Auto Show, inspires design cues from the Cadillac Ciel Concept and what is found its smaller ATS sibling along with the larger XTS. The forward motion does not stop with its new exterior and interior, the CTS gets new powertrains added to the current 3.6-liter V6 engine. How a new 2014 CTS can be had with twin turbo power in the form of a 420 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6 mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

The new twin turbo V6 engine will be available in the top-level CTS trim called Vsport. The Vsport version is much like BMW’s M Sport models having many additional features and sport-esq options. Hopefully this will keep us happy until the new CTS-V arrives. The new 2014 CTS will also get the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4-cylinder engine found in the ATS, producing 272 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The current 3.6-liter naturally aspirated V6 will still be offered with 321 horsepower and 272 pound-feet of torque.

A manual transmission won’t be offered on any of the new 2014 CTS models. That is not to say we won’t see a manual transmission for the forthcoming 2014/2015 CTS-V. Mated to the 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine will be a 6-speed automatic installed of the 8-speed auto, which is reserved for the twin-turbo and NA V6.

As a side note, we would not be surprised at all to see the CTS’ new 3.6-liter twin turbo V6 engine in an upcoming ATS-V. No information has been confirmed but we will continue to keep our fingers crossed.

EPA fuel economy numbers have not been finalized but for now GM estimates that the RWD CTS 2.0T will get 19 mpg city and 30 mpg highway. An all-wheel-drive CTS 2.0T model will yield about 1 mpg less while a RWD NA 3.6-liter V6 will come in around 19 mpg city and 28 mpg highway and 18 mpg city / 27 mpg for the AWD NA V6. On the twin-turbo V6, rear-wheel-drive is the only available drive getting 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.

Much of the body engineering and rigidity comes from the ATS platform for the new 2014 CTS. Now, as a first, GM’s touted magnetic Ride Control real-time dampening is available on the non-V-badged CTS with 18 or 19 inch wheels. The CTS gets standard 17 inch wheels.

Of course on the inside of the new …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Automotive Addicts

Automobiles

Image Leak: The 2014 Cadillac CTS Is Gonna Be Pretty [2013 New York Auto Show]

March 25, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Austin Lindberg

We’re mere days away from a major auto show, which means an inevitable slow and steady leak of photos and information covering highly anticipated reveals. (We’ve already seen the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG courtesy of Russian website AutoWP.ru.) This particular batch of leaked images posted by Flickr user upcomingvehiclesx (you can see a couple of additional frames at the link) have ripped the sheet from the 2014 Cadillac CTS—and the Alpha-platform car going to be a stunner.

OK, so none of the photos posted thus far show the full car, but it’s clear that the new CTS’s front end takes cues from its smaller platform- and stablemate, the ATS. But the larger CTS, which will grow larger to better take on the BMW 5-series and others, features sharper detailing, which could make its little brother look weaker and slightly flabby in comparison. Even so, the design features fewer straight lines than the outgoing CTS, and is a clear evolution of the Art and Science styling language Cadillac initiated a little more than a decade ago.

While similar in design, the CTS’s LED signatures are more prominent than the ATS’s—at least on this presumably up-level trim—and extend more cleanly into the lower front fascia. The grille frame is softened from before, and features two horizontal chrome strips versus the current three. We learned last week that the maw will feed air to an engine lineup that includes a new 420-hp, 3.6-liter twin-turbo V-6. Rear- and all-wheel drive will be available. We also note that this car wears Kumho Escsta SPT high-performance summer tires, which now you do, too.

Compared to the aggressive front end seen here, what we can see of the rear end is decidedly tamer. Creases from the body sides flow into the decklid and create some of the surface contours of the taillight units. We’re digging the classy execution of an Easter egg in those same lamps—look closely and you’ll spot a subtle script “Cadillac”.

One of the leaked images shows the new car’s front passenger door panel, and it features similar shapes to those seen in the ATS and XTS. Contrast stitching provides a visual break between the full-grain hide on the doortop and the faux suede below. The wood trim here is open-pore stuff, and it looks great. If the rest of the interior delivers on the style and implied material quality seen here, then we should be in for a treat.

Should more photos of the 2014 Cadillac CTS leak out on Flickr, an eastern European website, or via …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Car & Driver

Automobiles

Breaking: 2014 Cadillac CTS images leak from somewhere

March 24, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By John Neff

Filed under:

The redesigned 2014 Cadillac CTS will be unveiled this Tuesday on the eve of the New York Auto Show, but as often happens, some images of the car have leaked onto the web a few days early. Previously, the only information we had on the 2014 CTS concerned the all-new twin-turbo V6 engine that will be found underhood, rated at 420 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque.

While none show the new car in its entirety, the images do show much of the front end, particularly the headlights that feature vertical bars of LEDs that start down low as foglights and continue up to the top of the front fenders. They’re similar to the lighting design first shown on the XTS and ATS, except the lower portions are much taller.

There are also views of the rear end and one of the taillights, as well as an interior shot of the front passenger door. The latter image has us most intrigued, as it shows some very high end materials being used in the new CTS interior. The low-gloss wood trim, in particular, looks very premium.

We found these images at GM Inside News, which claimed they surfaced on Cadillac’s official Flickr account. We tried to source them there, though GM Inside News provided no link and we couldn’t find an official Flickr account for Cadillac (the brand only lists Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts on its consumer site).

2014 Cadillac CTS images leak from somewhere originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Is (Part Of) The 2014 Chevy Camaro SS

March 21, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Kurt Ernst

Chevy teases the 2014 Camaro SS – image: GM Corp

Chevrolet looks like it will have a pretty epic year in 2013, thanks to the introduction of the 2014 Corvette Stingray and the 2014 Chevrolet SS sedan. While these two enthusiast-oriented vehicles are all-new, Chevrolet doesn’t want its fans to forget about the Camaro, either.

Calling it “the most significant change for the fifth-generation Camaro,” Chevrolet will unveil the updated 2014 Camaro at the New York Auto Show. It isn’t releasing any details (aside from the teaser image seen here), but it’s safe to expect a few styling tweaks, as well as a potentially updated interior.

We don’t see any major changes to the Camaro’s engine offerings, but GM could pull a fast one on us here; after all, it just announced a twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6 for the Cadillac CTS and XTS, and that engine would fit nicely in the Camaro’s engine bay. Who wouldn’t want SS power with better fuel economy?

It’s worth pointing out that this face-lifted Camaro won’t be all-new. The next generation Camaro will reportedly use a smaller and lighter platform (which we view as a good thing), meaning that production won’t begin until Camaro assembly moves from Ontario, Canada to Michigan. The earliest that move will take place is 2015, meaning that an all-new Camaro isn’t likely to appear before 2016.

Automobiles

2014 Cadillac CTS To Get Twin-Turbo V-6 Option

March 19, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Kurt Ernst

Cadillac’s new 3.6-liter twin-turbo V-6 – image: GM Corp

If we had to sum up the new engine philosophy of automakers in a simple phrase, it would be “bigger is smaller,” or perhaps “less is more.” To reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions, automakers are turning to four-cylinder engines to replace six-cylinder power plants, and eyeing six-cylinder engines to take the place of V-8s.

While enthusiasts are quick to point out that “there’s no replacement for displacement,” the average buyer likely can’t tell the difference between a V-8 and a forced-induction six, except when it comes to his weekly spend on gasoline (where the V-6 has a decided advantage).

Even enthusiasts won’t be complaining about GM’s latest twin-turbo V-6 engine, set to launch in the 2014 Cadillac CTS sedan. It may only have a displacement of 3.6-liters, but at 118 horsepower per liter it’s the most powerful V-6 ever produced by General Motors. Peak output is rated at 420 horsepower and 430 pound feet of torque, which is good enough to get the 2014 Cadillac CTS sedan (which also boasts an eight-speed automatic transmission) from 0-60 mph in just 4.6 seconds.

In normally-aspirated form, a variant of this engine is already used in the Cadillac SRX, XTS and ATS. To handle the additional stresses of forced induction, the twin-turbo model gets a new block casting, new head castings, stronger connecting rods, domed pistons with friction-reducing skirts, a forged steel crankshaft and oil spray under the pistons.

To help the engine reach this impressive power density, it gets a 10.2:1 compression ratio, direct fuel injection, dual turbochargers and a charge air cooler (intercooler) system.

For now, GM says the new V-6 will appear in the Cadillac CTS and XTS models, but we hear it may be the engine of choice for the ATS-V as well. We wouldn’t be a bit surprised if it turned up under the hood of the next Camaro either, though muscle car fans amy have a hard time accepting the twin-turbo V-6 as an alternative to the V-8.

Automobiles

Cadillac Announces 420-hp Twin-Turbo V-6 for 2014 CTS, XTS [2013 New York Auto Show]

March 18, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Alexander Stoklosa

Cadillac has formally announced and detailed the twin-turbocharged, 3.6-liter V-6 engine we’ve known about for some time, as well as a new eight-speed automatic transmission. The engine seems to have been worth the wait, as the direct-injected V-6 makes a meaty 420 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. As we predicted, the new engine will make its way under the hood of the 2014 Cadillac CTS set to debut next week at the 2013 New York auto show, as well as the 2014 XTS coming later this year. It could spread to other GM models like the next-gen Chevy Camaro, next-gen SS sedan, and the forthcoming Cadillac ATS-V.

The twin-turbo V-6 essentially is the same as the naturally aspirated 3.6-liter six that powers a multitude of GM vehicles, although it has been thoroughly reworked for forced-induction. The cylinder block casting and cylinder heads are unique to the twin-turbo version, which also gets beefed-up connecting rods, its own set of machined pistons, and a lower 10.2:1 compression ratio. (The naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V-6 in the 2013 CTS sedan has a 11.5:1 compression ratio.) Cadillac claims that the new six has 90 percent unique parts, including the top-mounted intercooler and the Mitsubishi-engineered turbos. The car’s impressive 118 horsepower per liter of displacement, Cadillac says, bests all other six-cylinder engines in the mid-size luxury segment. In fact, with 420 horsepower, the twin-turbo V-6 packs nearly the same output as BMW’s 445-hp, twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 found in the 2013 5-series, 6-series Gran Coupe, and 7-series and matches the power put out by the twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V-8 in Audi’s S6 and S7.

2014 Cadillac CTS (spy photo)

Cadillac believes that the engine will be powerful enough to propel the rear-drive version of the next-gen CTS sedan from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 170 mph. We’re thinking we’ll be able to improve on the predicted acceleration time once we get to test the new CTS, but the 4.6-second figure is within 0.7 second of the time posted by the current CTS-V sedan, which is powered by a supercharged small-block V-8 making 556 ponies. Cadillac didn’t elaborate on the potential performance of the front-drive-based XTS equipped with the twin-turbo V-6—or whether it will be de-tuned—but we assume that it will be paired exclusively with all-wheel-drive in that car.

In the CTS, the engine will come with a new, Aisin-sourced paddle-shifted eight-speed automatic transmission. (The force-fed XTS will make do with a six-speed auto.) Besides the twin-turbo V-6, the new CTS also will be available with a 272-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and the same naturally aspirated, 3.6-liter engine found in the current model, albeit …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Car & Driver

Automobiles

2014 Cadillac CTS Sedan to Debut in New York [2013 New York Auto Show]

February 11, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Alexander Stoklosa

Cadillac is in the midst of an overhaul of its car lineup, having recently released the new ATS and XTS sedans—and now the brand’s CTS sedan is coming in for a redesign. The 2014 CTS is expected to go on sale later this year, but an Autoweek report has revealed the new Caddy will make its big debut next month at the 2013 New York auto show. A Cadillac representative has confirmed to us that this is the case.

The new CTS is expected to arrive with a turbo four-cylinder engine and a range of V-6s spanning 3.0–3.6 liters in displacement; a twin-turbo V-6 is a strong possibility, as well. Cadillac is stretching the CTS lengthwise to better position it against mid-size sports-sedan competitors from Germany and Japan, leaving the smaller ATS to go head-to-head against the compact luxury sports-sedan competition. (The outgoing CTS was closer in size to sedans like BMW’s 5-series or Benz’s E-class, but priced closer to the 3-series or C-class.) Don’t expect big changes to the car’s styling—it should be fairly evolutionary—but prepare to lament the loss of the super-cool CTS wagon, which won’t return for the CTS’s third generation.

Automobiles

Report: Cadillac rushing update for laggy CUE infotainment system

February 6, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Jonathon Ramsey

Filed under: Sedan, Technology, Cadillac, Luxury, Infotainment

BMW’s innovative iDrive was introduced in 2001, and a dozen years later, automakers are still learning hard lessons about what consumers want in their infotainment systems. In response to owner feedback – and a few media drubbings – about the delayed and occasionally fickle responses of its CUE (short for Cadillac User Experience) system, Cadillac has told Wired that it’s going to issue an update this year.

Coming for the XTS and ATS, the new software will mean quicker haptic feedback to driver inputs on the touchscreen and the buttons, and snappier responses on screen. Down the road, Cadillac’s VP of marketing says that a different mix of screen controls and hard buttons is “something you’ll be seeing in the future” – the system is presently a mix of touchscreen-based controls and capacitive-touch switchgear – there are no knobs or physical pushbuttons to speak of, and the omission of both has proven to be a divisive issue among consumers and industry pundits.

Cadillac hasn’t provided a date for when the CUE update will be issued, but it has indicated that the service will be performed by dealers, not sent wirelessly.

Cadillac rushing update for laggy CUE infotainment system originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Autoblog

Automobiles

Review: 2013 Cadillac XTS [w/video]

January 30, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Jeffrey N. Ross

Filed under: Sedan, Cadillac, New Car Reviews, Luxury

The Cadillac Of Stopgaps

As confusing as most alphanumeric car names have gotten in recent years, at least one constant has been that the letter “X” is generally indicative of a crossover. Then why did General Motors use this letter on its new 2013 Cadillac XTS luxury sedan? Well, for that, we’ll have to look to the world of mathematics where “X” stands for an unknown variable or a placeholder. Now we’re talking. The XTS is just an interim product sitting at the top of Cadillac’s four-door food chain until the brand gets a true flagship in place. That sounds like a lot of resources to spend on what will likely be a one-and-done model, but the automaker needed to get something – anything – to replace the DTS.

So here you have the 2013 XTS. A big luxury sedan that was created to bridge the gap between Cadillac’s recent past and its pending future. Going into our week with this XTS knowing that it was a stopgap measure proved to be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, we know (or hope) that this car will act as a baseline for future high-end Cadillac models, but at the same time, we couldn’t help but be mindful of past stopgap models, albeit in more entry-level segments, like the Cimarron and Catera.

Continue reading 2013 Cadillac XTS [w/video]

2013 Cadillac XTS [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Autoblog

Automobiles

2014 Cadillac ELR Extended Range Electric Debuts In Detroit

January 15, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By Kurt Ernst