Cadillac CTS: American LuxuryMotoring Channel Staff - 28/August/2008 | 
Cadillac CTS
The CTS sedan will compete with prestige cars like
the BMW 5 Series, boasting a range of luxury items
Cadillac's Grand PlansThe CTS sedan will be
the first Cadillac sold in Australia, but it unlikely to be the last.
Recently the 2010 Cadillac SRX Crossover was unveiled at the Pebble
Beach Concours d’Elegance, and was stated as launching "worldwide
in mid-2009". The SRX Crossover is considered a BMW X5 and Mercedes M-Class rival, a luxury SUV if you like. But
does this 'worldwide' launch include Australia? We asked the GM Premium
Brand's Communications Manager: "We think the vehicle looks
fantastic and would love to have it in Australia. At this point
however, we want to see how the CTS sedan is received following its
launch here in Australia in the next few months and then assess what
other models from the Cadillac range may be suitable for Australia." If
we had a Cadillac wish list, it would most certainly include the
CTS-V, which is powered by the LS9 (6.2-litre supercharged) V8,
kicking out around 410kW and with performance levels comparable to the
BMW M5. - Feann Torr, Editor
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The styling of the Cadillac CTS is a big talking point
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Melbourne, Australia — The Americans are getting a taste of Australian automobilia via the Pontiac
G8 - essentially a rebadged Holden Commodore - and the VE Ute is also winging its way to the States next year. But this is by no means a one-way transaction. General Motors is also bringing a
number of US-made vehicles to Australia and New Zealand. It started with vehicles like the Hummer H3,
and is now extending into luxury territory as the Cadillac brand
prepares to launch Down Under, priced from around $70,000. One
of America's most prestigious and long-running brands (the first Caddy
was built in 1903), Cadillac is hoping to debut its CTS sedan at the
2008 Sydney Motor Show in October. Roughly the size of a BMW 5
Series, Lexus GS, or Audi A6, the new model will compete with these
vehicles in terms of luxury and standard features, not to mention
6-cylinder engine power. It will be the first car in Australia to use GM's new direct injection version of the Global V6 engine. The
Australian-spec Cadillac CTS sedan's motor will displace 3.6-litres and
will feature variable valve timing (VVT). It is based on the same
engine architecture as the Holden Commodore's V6, but outputs much more
power and torque: 227kW and 370Nm. As well as increasing power,
the direct injected nature of the engine also results in a cleaner fuel
burn, which reduces CO2 emissions and fuel use, and GM is quick to
point out that the 3.6-litre engine will run on regular unleaded petrol. It has a stated fuel consumption figure of 9L/100km (26mpg). The
rear-wheel drive model will be coupled with a 6-speed automatic
transmission and pricing will start at around $70,000, though the
official figure will be announced closer to the launch date. Some
of the features of the luxurious American car include hand-cut and sewn
interior trim and the EasyKey system, which allows owners "passive
vehicle and boot entry" according to GM, and alsokeyless ignition. An
ambient interior lighting system provides soft interior light, plus
there's iPod/MP3 player compatibility and a high end stereo system
that can be optioned with a 40 gigabyte hard drive. Cadillac
will deliver 6 airbags as standard, along with its Stabilitrak
chassis/stability control to keep the tyres in contact with the road,
and things like an adaptive forward lighting system that illuminates
around corners a pop-up navigation system are also expected
to be offered. Sales
of the new Cadillac CTS have skyrocketed
in America, and it has garnered a plethora of accolades in the past 12
months, including American magazine Motor Trend's2008 Car of the
Year (akin to the Australian Wheels Car of the Year award). One
of the more intriguing aspects of the Cadillac CTS is it's design. The
visual style is unique in the prestige car market and helps stand
the car apart from its German rivals. It's an angular
design with very few curves. The front end in partcilar, with its
vertically arranged headlight design and dominant front grille, create
a strong aesthetic. There will be no mistaking the Cadillac CTS when it
hits the road. Cadillacs
are sold in more than 50 countries, and the brand has experienced
strong export growth in recent times. Cadillac sales in Europe have
almost doubled, up45.3%, and have increased by 98.4% in the Asia Pacific region in recent times. The
American car maker is confident that Australian buyers will warm to the
new CTS model, and Cadillac believes that it's new range of vehicles
show a trend of "appealing to customers tired of European luxury
brands". Related Links:
- Cadillac Due Down Under (2007)
- Cadillac's Australian Website
- Pontiac G8
(2007)
- Pontiac Sports Truck (2009)
- Pontiac Trans Am (Road Test)
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