Auto & Car Blog

Filed under: Wagons/Estates, Cadillac

Click for a hi-res gallery of the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon

Few icons are as synonymous with the American automobile as Cadillac and the station wagon, so it may come as a surprise that Cadillac has never officially offered a station wagon to American customers in its 106-year long history. Sure, there was the SRX crossover that came rather close, and the enormous Escalade SUV, as well. Cadillac even offers the BLS as a wagon, but that’s only for overseas customers. Depending on which way you look at it, the new Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon may not be it either. Even with its edgy styling, the extended-roof CTS blurs the line between wagon and hatchback.

The initial trio of CTS Sport Wagon shots released last month may not have shown the new Caddy’s best side, but Cadillac has now put out a whole slew of new images which, in our opinion at least, better portray the sharp lines we took in at Pebble Beach and are sure to catch people’s attention in mall parking lots and soccer fields of America after it goes on sale here next spring. Check out the new images in the gallery below, and our live shots from Monterey in the gallery below that to see for yourself.

[Source: Cadillac]

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Filed under: Convertibles, Coupes, Sedans/Saloons, Cadillac, Rumormill

Despite being priced to compete with the smaller BMW 3 Series sedan, the Cadillac CTS is as large as the German marque’s 5 Series. Similarly, the STS competes with the 5 Series in pricing but matches the top-level 7 Series in size. Rumors of a smaller Caddy to zig alongside the benchmark 3 Series in size have been running rampant for over a year and now we hear the sedan may have finally been green-lighted. Expect the new entry-level Cadillac to be built atop GM’s upcoming rear-wheel-drive Alpha platform. We have had nothing but good things to say about the latest Cadillac CTS, so we naturally have high hopes for the new, smaller Caddy sedan, which could also sprout a coupe and a convertible. To this point, GM has never quite hit the sweet spot with the premium division’s smallest offering in Europe, the Saab 9-3-based BLS, and we are anxious to see how the new Alpha Dog can compete. Thanks for the tip, Rob!

[Source: Motor Trend]

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Filed under: Wagons/Estates, Etc., Euro, Cadillac, GM, Rumormill

Put your checkbook away. As desirable as a CTS wagon in hot-rod V trim is, it’s not here yet. The CTS Sport Wagon was developed as a way to offer the European market a configuration that’s sure to sell, and it’s headed to North America by the end of next year. When the Caddy wagon finally gets here, it will have the excellent 3.6-liter V6 providing power. Wagons aren’t great sellers here, though, so the CTS Sport Wagon will likely be a niche model, dashing most of our hope that Cadillac will put its hottest powertrain in the two-box car just like BMW, Mercedes and Audi do.

The hardware port would be mostly a snap. The supercharged V8 is ready to go and the CTS-V has been developed around that engine, so there’s suspension and drivetrain parts already on the shelf, and the V has already set the style direction for bodywork tweaks. While we won’t be holding our breath for a CTS-V Sport Wagon that can rip off 12-second quarters while hauling 120 cubic feet of stuff, Cadillac’s David Caldwell points out that the pre-existing hardware would make it “a relatively easy add.” A high price - though still less than the German SuperWagens - wouldn’t help the sales case, and really, there’s only like ten of us wagon freaks, anyway. It probably won’t happen, but it could, and it would be quite a welcome respite from those high-CG truck-lookin’ things.

[Source: Inside Line]

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Before the highly anticipated debut of the Cadillac CTS later today, pictures and details about Caddy’s newest luxury sedan have surfaced.
The all-new CTS grows both in width and length, with a striking exterior that we’ve only seen parts of up until now. The interior gets a thorough redesign as well, with a new dash, steering […]

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At the recent Convergence Conference held at the Cobo Center in Detroit, General Motors Corp., through luxury brand Cadillac, demonstrated a technology that can revolutionize vehicle safety in the future – vehicle to vehicle communication technology or V2V. This V2V system will enable a vehicle to detect the position and movement of other vehicles on […]

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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons, Cadillac

click above image to view our high-resolution gallery with 52 images

With the way that GM bigwigs have been talking up the 2008 Cadillac CTS, one could be forgiven for thoughts that the car might not live up to the hype; however, one glance at Caddy’s new entry-level sedan should dispel the notion that this car is anything but world-class.

To introduce the next step in Cadillac’s brand revival, GM trotted out approximately 50 members of the design and engineering teams to talk about the work that went into this vehicle. The 3.6L High Feature (HF) V6 will feature direction injection and is good for over 300 HP on regular gasoline. It’ll be backed by GM’s new 6-speed automatic. A large amount of attention was paid to the team’s efforts in reducing NVH and visible panel gaps; given GM’s recent progress in these areas, we expect good things from this vehicle.

Follow the jump for more thoughts on the CTS and no less than three official press releases from General Motors providing more detail, and visit our high-resolution photo gallery for 52 desktop-wallpaper sized images.

For our comprehensive listing of everything from Detroit, click here.

Continue reading Detroit Auto Show: The stunning new Cadillac CTS

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Cadillac, GM

The current SRX looks good, its interior was updated for ‘07, it seats seven, it’s a Crossover with somewhat decent MPG, and for some reason it just hasn’t caught on yet. There were only 22,000 SRXs sold in 2006, which equals about one-fifth of Lexus RX350 sales. Disappointing sales and pushed back updates fed speculation that the vehicle could even be phased out.

However, looking at this mule leaves evidence that there may be more SRX in our future. The large mesh air-intakes up front replace the lower light assembly found on the ‘07 model and the addition of V-Series brakes and wheels look darn cool on pretty much anything. There are some sweetly-revised tail lights and the headlights look tweaked as well, while somebody over at Cadillac has a sense of humor, as the SRX is sporting a set of Buick Lucerne portholes at the A-pillar. The holes could be helping to increase air-flow for a bigger, badder engine. We can only hope, but we doubt they’re meant for production. An earlier Autoblog review of the SRX was very favorable, and we’re hoping to see more SRX Caddy’s in the near future.

[Source: Leftlanenews]

NOTE: The rest of the Autoblog team has weighed in, and we’re 90% certain this is a mule for the high-performance SRX-V.

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Filed under: Trends, Etc., Euro, Cadillac

PHOTOS UPDATED

Cadillac is already on the upswing here in the US, and has been for some time. The image repair that GM has been able to carry out is impressive, and the rebirth is poised to enter phase two. GM Vice Chair Bob Lutz and Cadillac General Manager Jim Taylor both commented at the Geneva Motor Show that Lexus, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are in their gunsights, and that a 3-series-esque family of models could emerge from the CTS. A wagon version of the CTS is getting serious consideration as Cadillac looks at taking the fight to European turf.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req’d]

Continue reading Decision on CTS siblings coming soon

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Supercars, Cadillac

During an interview with David Sedgwick of Automotive News, Bob Lutz, GM’s vice chairman, revealed that plans to offer a Cadillac in the $150,000 to $180,000 realm are still on the table. Although production of the 2003 Sixteen concept has come up in previous conversations, within GM, it has always been more of a styling exercise, built to influence future Caddy designs. That said, the General has researched the idea and came away impressed with the business case.

Another option would be the production of a vehicle similar to the 2002 Cien concept (pictured) that Lutz maintains would cost less to produce, but would sell in smaller numbers.

If such a vehicle would come to fruition, expect power to come from a V12, a V10 or even a hybrid powertrain. The latter may be more appealing, as Lutz admits that federal fuel economy standards are going to have a great deal of influence on future models and GM’s focus is beginning to turn towards more efficient vehicles.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Filed under: Wagons/Estates, Euro, Cadillac

Click image for photo gallery

Cadillac’s just released images and info on its newest European offering: the BLS wagon. Derived from the Saab 9-3, the BLS tries hard to distinguish itself as a Cadillac, with restyled headlamps, fascia and grille. In the back the tailgate gets a thin crease down the center, while the taillights adopt a similar Caddy-centric design.

Sales are supposed to begin this fall, with the BLS coming equipped with either a 2.0L turbo four, a 2.8L V6 or a 1.9L diesel, all pulled straight from the Saab lineup. Pricing is expected to be around £21,500, with DVD sat-nav, Bose sound and other optional equipment sending the price skyward.

[Source: GM]

Continue reading Cadillac BLS wagon revealed!

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Cadillac, First Drive

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V

After decades of decay, Cadillac began a transformation in the waning years of the last century that would allow the brand to compete against modern luxury brands. Decrepit beasts like the late Eldorado and Seville were euthanized and, while the decision to switch mostly to alpha-numeric naming was dubious, Cadillac finally started creating cars that could compete directly with the best from Europe and Japan, and the first generation CTS was one of them.

In spite of this progress, the Germans still had something Cadillac lacked, namely AMG, M and RS models. So Cadillac devised the V-Series, the first of which was the 2004 CTS-V. Just as BMW does with the M3 and M5, Audi with the RS4 and RS6 and Mercedes with innumerable AMGs, the CTS-V had a bigger, more powerful engine; beefier brakes and tires; a suspension to match and an upgraded interior. This, however, is an arms race that has yet to subsie in spite of ever higher fuel prices. With BMW, Mercedes and Audi now offering even more powerful engines, Cadillac has stepped up to the plate with an all-new CTS-V and we had a chance to drive it at the even newer Monticello Motor Club in New York. With a new supercharged LSA engine closely related to the LS9 in the Corvette ZR1, the CTS-V makes some big promises. Read on after the jump to see if it delivers.

Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading First Drive: 2009 Cadillac CTS-V

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Filed under: SUVs, Crossovers/CUVs, Cadillac, GM, Rumormill

MotorTrend reports that GM insiders are saying that the next-generation Cadillac Escalade will jump from its current GMT900 truck platform to the Lambda crossover architecture that underpins the GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook, Buick Enclave, and Chevy Traverse. MT points to the Buick Enclave Super that didn’t happen as evidence that an Escalambda would be able to handle an eight-cylinder engine, which would be a step up from the rest of El Generalissimo’s increasingly-crowded crossover lineup. Edgier, CTS-like styling would likely be a given, too.

Frankly, this is a good idea. The packaging afforded by the Lambda platform is vastly superior to what the GMT900 trucks offer. Remember that in the latter, the 3rd row is bolted to the cargo floor, it doesn’t fold flat, and it’s generally uncomfortable. The Lambda solves that instantly, and is better suited for what’s positioned as a luxury vehicle anyway. Ride quality would be much better, and if GM Design were to deliver an interior on par with what’s now found in the CTS, a Lambda-based Escalade would probably represent a quantum leap forward in terms of styling and refinement over the current vehicle.

As for the Avalanche-based Escalade EXT, MT says that GM’s mulling over the idea of moving to a unibody pickup, a la the Zeta-based GMC Denali XT concept, to replace both of those vehicles. Again, not a bad idea, especially for Cadillac. The downside is that owners of the current vehicles who use them to tow will likely need to look elsewhere to fill that need. Still, if Cadillac’s gig is to sell legit luxury vehicles, moving to more car-like platforms makes all kinds of sense. It’s going to be really interesting to see if any of this stuff actually pans out.

[Source: MotorTrend]

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