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PRICE :
MODEL MSRP RWD MSRP AWD
CTS Sedan 2.0T Standard $46,025 $48,025
CTS Sedan 2.0T Luxury $51,925 $53,925
CTS Sedan 2.0T Performance $58,325 $60,325
CTS Sedan 2.0T Premium $62,725 $64,725
CTS Sedan 3.6 Luxury $54,625 $56,625
CTS Sedan 3.6 Performance $61,025 $63,025
CTS Sedan 3.6 Premium $65,425 $67,425
CTS Sedan Vsport $59,995 N/A
CTS Sedan Vsport Premium $69,995 N/A
It all begins with an exterior that's at once elegant and assertive, sophisticated and sporty. Separate but aligned LED running lights in the swept-back headlights and lower front fascia provide a unique bit of flair, while a broad grille and elongated hood hint at the sedan's handling capabilities, which were honed on the Germany's challenging Nurburgring course.
The cabin blends a modern design with high-quality furnishings, with trim choices including anodized aluminum, carbon fiber and numerous selections of wood. None need be qualified by an "imitation-" prefix - they're the real deal...
Soft semi-analine leather is available, as are a wide variety of upholstery colors. A conventional instrument cluster with a 5.7-inch information screen flanked by analog gauges is standard, and a 12.3-inch reconfigurable TFT gauge cluster can be spec'd for a more high-tech and customizable experience...
As with all modern Cadillacs, the CTS is fitted with the controversial CUE infotainment system, which is operated through an eight-inch touchscreen interface in the center stack along with capacitive-touch controls. Similar to tablet devices, it lets users tap, flick and swipe to control Bluetooth connectivity, entertainment and navigation functions while also providing access to weather information, local fuel prices, Pandora internet radio and more...
However, the system has faced criticism for delayed responses to control inputs, confusing design elements and a lack of conventional buttons for frequently-accessed functions. At least a natural voice recognition system provides an intuitive alternate means of controlling CUE, allowing users to place hands-free calls, enter navigation destinations and select songs without clunky and cumbersome memorized phrases...
The CTS provides stretch-out space for front occupants, though it should be noted that the rear seats and 13.7-cubic-inch trunk are slightly small for the class...
EXTERIOR
The demur side profile continues with a simple character line to draw your eye from front to rear. One thing you’ll notice during that eye-movement is the distinct RWD proportions that separate the CTS, E, 5, GS, XF and Q50 from the long-nosed Audi A6 and near-luxury FWD options. Out back the CTS’ rump is a bit less exciting but employs all the latest luxury cues from hidden exhaust tops to light piped tail lamps. I was hoping Caddy’s fins would be further resurrected, but the “proto fins” on the XTS are absent. Pity. Obvious from every angle is an attention to build quality absent from earlier generations with perfect panel gaps and seams...
Structurally, the CTS has jumped ship to a stretched version of the Alpha platform the smaller ATS rides on. Thanks to the automotive taffy-pull, the CTS is now 2.3 inches longer than a BMW 5-series. However, because of the Alpha roots, the CTS has actually shrunk for 2014 by 3 inches in length while getting 2 inches wider and a 2 inch roof height reduction...
INTERIOR
Because of the way Cadillac chose to stretch the CTS’ donor platform, cargo and interior space aren’t the primary beneficiaries. This means that rear legroom actually shrinks for 2014 to the smallest entry in this segment by a hair. Trunk volume also drops from a competitive 13.6 cubes to 10.5 which is a 20% reduction compared to the Lexus and BMW and 30% smaller than the Mercedes. The CTS makes up for some of this with comfortable thrones all the way around and when equipped with the optional 20-way front seats the CTS ranks #2 in the segment just behind BMW’s optional 24-way sport seats in comfort. Taller drivers and passengers beware, dropping the CTS’ roof height made the profile sexier but cuts headroom to the lowest in the segment...
There is one glaring flaw. The decidedly dowdy base instrument cluster is shared with the ATS (pictured above) and the XTS. Our Facebook followers were so put-off by Caddy’s base dials, the fervor spawned a Vellum Venom Vignette. While the ATS is saddled with the four-dial layout, the CTS and XTS have a savior: the most attractive LCD disco dash available. (My tester was so equipped.) Perhaps it is this dichotomy that is so vexing about the base CTS models. If you don’t fork over enough cash, you’ll constantly be reminded that you couldn’t afford the Cadillac of displays...
The 12.3-inch cluster offers the driver more customization than you fill find in any other full-LCD cluster. Unlike the Jaguar and Land Rover screens that simply replicate analogue gauges, you can select from several different views depending on whether you feel like analogue dials or digital information and the amount of information overload you prefer. (Check out the gallery.) My preferred layout contained a high res navigation map, digital speedo, fuel status, range to empty, average fuel economy, audio system information with album art and track information and the speed-limit on the road I was traveling on...
SPECIFICATION
► Model:Cadillac CTS
► price:$45100
► Engine:inline-4
► Horsepower @ RPM:272 @ 5500
► Torque @ RPM:295 @ 1700
► Displacement:2.0 L
► 0-60 time:6.1 sec.
► Top Speed:155 mph
PERFORMANCE
The CTS Vsport also features:
► 18-inch aluminum wheels with Pirelli summer-only performance tires (19-inch wheels with all-season tires are available)
► Sport-tuned suspension with enhanced spring rates and stabilizer bars
► One-inch-wider rear wheels with P275/35R18 tires
► A quicker steering ratio with sport-tuned steering efforts and response
► Brembo disc brakes with aluminum calipers and available high-performance brake pads
► Heavy-duty track cooling package
► Driver-selectable track mode with specific steering rate and Magnetic Ride Control calibrations for greater track performance
► Electronic limited-slip differential that enhances capability on the track – including optimal acceleration out of turns.
The Cadillac Twin-Turbo is SAE-certified at 420 horsepower (313 kW) and 430 lb.-ft. of torque (583 Nm), making it the most power-dense six-cylinder engine in the segment. A pair of smaller turbochargers helps provide more immediate power on demand, with approximately 90 percent of peak torque available from 2,500 rpm to 5,500 rpm. That gives the engine a broad torque curve that customers will feel as strong, willing power in almost all driving conditions – and helps the CTS Vsport reach 60 mph in an estimated 4.6 seconds...
The 2014 CTS is also available with a naturally aspirated 3.6L V-6 rated at an estimated 321 horsepower and also matched with the new paddle-shift eight-speed automatic in rear-wheel-drive models (or six-speed automatic with all-wheel drive; and a 2.0L turbocharged engine rated at an estimated 272 horsepower and paired with a six-speed automatic...
Cadillac’s new, paddle-shift eight-speed offers efficiency and performance advantages over a six-speed transmission, including 1.5-percent greater fuel economy...
Excellent power-to-weight ratios and racetrack-honed suspension geometries established with the development of the ATS enabled engineers to advance CTS’s performance with greater feelings of feedback, control and response. The comparatively low curb weight helps make the most of the driving experience by allowing the use of lighter-weight chassis components, which reduces unsprung weight to enable more precise handling without compromising ride quality...
The CTS sedan’s low mass and optimal brake sizes are expected to give it braking performance that is among the best in the segment, with standard Brembo brakes...
Suspension and driver control highlights also include:
► Multi-link MacPherson strut front suspension with a double-pivot design
► Five-link independent rear suspension
► Available all-wheel-drive
► Premium electric, variable-assist power steering gear from ZF Steering Systems
► Available Magnetic Ride Control real-time damping system
► Choice of 17-, 18- and 19-inch aluminum wheels.
A number of aluminum components are used with the suspension system, while the rear suspension is mostly steel. That helps offset the weight of the engine and transmission at the front of the vehicle, helping the CTS deliver its near-perfect weight balance and reducing noise and vibration.
ACCELERATION
For the Vsport, Cadillac throws in its all new, 3.6 liter, direct injection, twin-turbo V6 with 420 horsepower. This is a quick car. It's not CTS-V levels of fast, but it is BMW 550i levels of fast. It's a responsive engine, with great punch in the mid-range and little discernable turbo lag...
The power of the Vsport is mighty impressive, but my money would go to the 2.0T. It's better than you'd expect and is definitely the secret sauce in the CTS recipe. Though it is the base engine, which I guess makes it less of a secret sauce and more like a tasty bottle of three cheese marinara...
HANDLING
COMFORT & QUALITY
The 2014 Cadillac CTS sedan is much longer than the four-door it replaces, and for good reason. The previous-gen CTS was a "tweener," a car balanced between compact and mid-size interior space. No more: the new CTS is a head-on competitor for the likes of the 5-Series, E-Class, A6, and XF...
By the numbers, the 2014 CTS measures 4.1 inches longer this year, at 195.5 inches from grille to taillamps. Its wheelbase has soaked up 1.1 of those inches, at 114.6 inches. The roofline's lower by an inch, to 57.2 inches...
The rearranged interior space doesn't alter front passenger room by much. The CTS has comfortable knee and head room--at least, without the sunroof that's sure to be a popular option. We've driven examples with Cadillac's fantastic new 20-way adjustable seats; like the buckets in the ATS, and even the Chevy Malibu, they're formed with real care to upper-back support without giving in to the firm-is-best philosophy...
The back seat is better than it was, but it's not palatial like the rear bench in an E-Class. The cushion's mounted low--and so is the rest of the car. Climbing in and out isn't simple, even though the door cuts are larger than the puny ones in the previous CTS sedan. The low roofline requires a duck, and once you're in, the cushion height will leave most adults with less under-leg support, and less knee and head room, than in the Benz or BMW. It's very Jaguar-like, in fact--a conscious choice to split the difference between a sleek roofline and a truly large back seat...
While you're planning a long golf weekend, know too that the trunk's on the slim side, too. It's 13.7 cubic feet, adequate in the luxury realm, but nowhere near the cubes offered up by a Passat or a Taurus...
Quality is a subjective term, but we've been impressed by the fit and finish on Cadillac's ATS and now, in this CTS sedan, too. The cars we've driven so far have been pre-production prototypes, with production-ready finish. Cadillac's treatments are more glamorous than the woods and metals in an E-Class or a 5-Series; the combination of those big, bright screens and glossy wood finishes contrast sharply with the softer tones in a BMW or a Benz, in the right way...
Managing noise inside the CTS has become a science. GM actively modifies the noises that enter the CTS' cabin, piping in the exact opposite frequency of those it wants to eliminate, cancelling them out. It helps the four-cylinder the most; it's not as purely happy at high engine speeds as BMW's turbo four. On the CTS' twin-turbo six, some engine noises from ahead of the firewall are piped into the cabin, doubling the intensity of good sounds. Before you start a complaint letter, know that BMW does the same trick in some models. If you care about authenticity, it's an issue; if you care more about cutting weight and boosting performance as a result, noise cancellation is a cool solution made possible by rapidly advancing technology...
SUSPENSION & BRAKE
The CTS’ suspension system is far more advanced than we had expected. The main goal of GM engineers was to keep the suspension’s weight as low as possible via the use of aluminum on the front and steel ion the rear...
Up front, the CTS receives a multi-link MacPherson Strut system that has a double-pivot design. Out back, the CTS has a five-link independent setup. A ZF Steering Systems-built electric, variable-assist steering gear helps keep the luxury sedan as agile as possible. A set of 17-inch rims are standard, while 18- and 19-inch rims are available as options. Also optional on the CTS is a Magnetic Ride Control with real-time damping system and all-wheel drive...
If you opt for the CTS Vsport, you get 18 inch wheels with sticky high-performance Pirelli tires, quick-ratio steering, Brembo disc brakes with aluminum calipers, “Track Mode” with steering rate and Magnetic Ride Control calibrations and an electronic limited-slip differential..
DRIVETRAIN
Unfortunately, the first thing you’ll notice out on the road is the coarse sound from under the hood. GM’s 2.0L engine is no less refined than BMW or Mercedes’ four-bangers, but the difference is you can hear the engine in the CTS. In fact, based on the overall quietness of the cabin (a competitive 67 dB at 50 MPH), I can only conclude that Cadillac designed the engine to be heard. I don’t mind hearing the 3.6L V6, but most luxury shoppers would prefer not to be reminded they chose the rational engine every time they get on the freeway. On the bright side, because GM does not offer start/stop tech, shoppers are spared the inelegant starts and stops that characterize 528i city driving...
While I’m picking nits, the 6-speed found in the 2.0T and most 3.6 models lacks the ratio spread and shift smoothness of the ZF 8-speed automatic found in most of the competition. While I prefer GMs 6-speed to the somewhat lazy 7-speed automatic in the Mercedes E-Class, the rumored 8-speed can’t come soon enough. The 8-speed used in the V-Sport (optional on the 3.6L) solves the ratio and marketing issue, but the Aisin unit feels just as up-shift happy and down-shift reluctant as it does in the Lexus LS 460. As a result when you use the shift paddles, your actions feel more like suggestions than commands...
ENGINE
The standard engine in the 2.0T model (base price $46,025 including $925 destination) is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder (pictured above). The powerplant is shared with the smaller ATS sedan, but for duty in the slightly heavier CTS, it has been tuned to provide an additional 35 pound-feet of torque, bringing its rating to 272 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 295 pound-feet from 1,700-5,000 rpm. Consumers will be offered the 2.0T with either rear- or all-wheel drive, but both drivelines will be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Thanks to strong torque off the line, this standard model will run 0-60 in just over six seconds...
Those seeking a bit more power will likely opt for the 3.6 model, a badge that hints at its naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V6 (pictured below), The six is also offered in the ATS, where it develops an identical 321 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 275 pound-feet of torque at 4,800 rpm. Cadillac mates the engine to an eight-speed automatic in the rear-wheel-drive model, but the all-wheel-drive version retains the six-speed automatic like the 2.0-liter. The V6 will hit the 60-mph benchmark in about six seconds flat...
The range-topping Vsport (base price $59,995 including destination) receives Cadillac's all-new twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 that pumps out 420 horsepower at 5,750 rpm and 430 pound-feet of torque at 3,500 rpm. The engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic and is only sold as a rear-wheel-drive model. The Vsport is exceptionally quick; expect a 0-60 time of about 4.5 seconds...
So the new CTS will offer three engines, two transmissions and two drivelines that can be mixed and matched to make six powertrain combinations that can handle all weather conditions and keep enthusiasts beaming - Cadillac has covered the bases mechanically...
TECHNOLOGY & SAFETY
The CTS sedan seamlessly blends comfort, convenience and safety technologies with the interior’s hand-crafted appointments and flowing design. Active safety features provide alerts and intervene when necessary to help avoid crashes...
At the core of the car’s intuitive technologies is CUE, Cadillac’s infotainment system that uses smartphone- and tablet-influenced controls and commands to access information and entertainment data. An eight-inch, high-resolution color touch screen with haptic feedback allows users to swipe and drag preferences. Bluetooth connectivity with natural voice recognition is standard with CUE, along with USB and SD card ports...
An available 12.3-inch high-resolution, configurable LCD instrument cluster display complements the CUE display and supports the active safety features. It offers drivers four layouts – from basic to performance-oriented – each delivering bold, crisp graphics tailored to the level of vehicle information desired. A full-color, configurable head-up display is also available...
CTS technologies also include:
► Cadillac’s first 20-way adjustable front seats
► Motorized cup holder lid in the center console
► Heated and ventilated front seats and heated steering wheel
► Electronically locking glove box
► Electronic park brake
► Adaptive remote start feature that also activates the climate control system
► Standard Bose eleven-speaker sound system and available Bose Centerpoint Surround Sound system with 13 speakers.
The new CTS sedan offers Automatic Parking Assist, which enables the car to park itself in parallel spaces. It uses ultrasonic sensors to locate a suitable space and maneuver the car into the space, with the driver only required to engage reverse and apply the accelerator and brake pedals. Ultrasonic rear park assist is standard...
Ultrasonic sensors, as well as radar and cameras, support the CTS’s advanced safety features to help prevent crashes. Among the most sophisticated is Fr ont and Rear Automatic Braking , which relies on short-range radar technology and ultrasonic sensors to help the driver prevent front and rear low-speed collisions via a progression of alerts that extend to complete braking, if necessary...
A Driver Awareness Package includes Cadillac’s patented Safety Alert Seat technology. It uses vibrating pulses in the driver’s seat to alert the driver to an imminent collision or to vehicles in the car’s blind spot. The seat vibrates on the left or right side, or both sides simultaneously, depending on the direction of the risk...
GM’s first application of automatic safety belt tightening is offered in the new CTS. It automatically takes slack out of the safety belts when buckled and offers real-time, active adjustments during driving to ensure optimal tension and comfort. Additional available safety features include:
► Full Speed Range Adaptive Cruise Control
► Panic Brake Assist
► Forward Collision Alert
► Automatic Collision Preparation (with brake prefill)
► Lane Departure Warning
► Side Blind Zone Alert
► Rear Cross Traffic Alert
► Rear Vision Camera With Dynamic Guidelines
► Adaptive Forward Lighting
► Active pedestrian protection system (in global regions where required).
The new CTS sedan also features 10 standard air bags, including front-passenger dual-stage low-risk deployment, which makes the most of the air bag trajectory and inflation rate based on the occupant’s size, position and severity of the crash...
Additionally, OnStar is standard for one year. It can use GPS and cellular phone technology to automatically call for help in the event of a crash. OnStar service also includes myCadillac and OnStar myCadillac mobile apps, whichoffer vehicle information, controls and OnStar services via the customer’s iPhone or Android smart phone...
Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. In recent years, Cadillac has engineered a historic renaissance led by artful engineering and advanced technology.
FEATURES
Cadillac has positioned the new 2014 CTS sedan as more of a direct competitor to the mid-size German luxury sedans, and it's equipping the four-door with features that outpoint most of that transatlantic crowd. The new CTS will start from $46,025 including the $925 destination fee; the 420-horsepower, twin-turbo V-6 2014 Cadillac CTS Vsport will start from $59,995...
By way of comparison, the CTS' $46,025 base price is $1,800 lower than the 2013 5-Series Sedan's; $5,875 lower than the 2013 E-Class Sedan's; and $3,825 more than the 2013 A6 Sedan's starting price...
All CTS sedans will be sold in one of three trim levels--Luxury, Performance, and Premium--and each one will come with standard automatic climate control; AM/FM/XM/CD audio; Bluetooth with audio streaming; and power windows, locks, and mirrors...
At the center of the CTS' infotainment system will be the most recent version of CUE, the touchscreen-enabled infotainment system that uses haptic feedback and proximity sensors to help users cruise through its menus and functionality. It's a dazzling-looking system with some of the usual downfalls common to MyLincoln Touch and other touchscreen and voice-activated systems: it looks quite dramatic but voice recognition can be spotty, and it can be cumbersome to swipe and tap through functions that formerly lived in a single button. CUE's beautiful 8.0-inch center screen is paired with a smaller screen inset between the gauges; on some CTS sedans, the entire gauge display is swapped out for a 12.3-inch screen that morphs its look as it cycles through driving modes, from comfort to sport...
A navigation system that integrates with CUE is an option on base CTS sedans. Other key features include a head-up display; parking assist, which steers the car into parallel spots while the driver keeps a foot on the pedals; ambient LED lighting; Bose Centerpoint audio; heated and ventilated front seats with up to 20-way adjustment; remote start; and a cupholder with a power-operated cover. Forget what the GPS says--that's the signal you've arrived. ..
PRICE SPECS
Like its midsize sport-luxury rivals, pricing for the 2014 Cadillac CTS lineup spans a fairly broad but very competitive range that still starts around $40,000 for the carryover Coupe and Sport Wagon and runs to roughly $65,000 for the CTS-V Coupe/Sedan/Wagon power trio. With its new emphasis on raising image, the redesigned CTS Sedan moves the window up a modest notch...
The standard-spec 2.0-liter Turbo variant opens just over $46,000 and the CTS Vsport Premium commences a few dollars shy of $70K – although the standard Vsport brings the same performance for $10,000 less. Historically, the baseline CTS models have retained slightly less value over time than their BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class rivals, but the new CTS Sedan could reverse that trend. CTS-V models are expected to maintain residuals slightly below those of the BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG but slightly above those of the Audi S6....
FUEL CONSUMPTION
The new Cadillac CTS sedan will get better gas mileage this year, thanks to a newly adopted eight-speed automatic and thanks to the addition of a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine...
That base four-cylinder is shared with Cadillac's ATS, and here, it's rated at 272 horsepower--what a top-flight CTS made just a few years ago. In the rear-wheel-drive version of the 2014 CTS sedan, the 2.0-liter turbo four earns EPA ratings of 20 miles per gallon city, 30 miles per gallon highway, and 23 mpg combined. Adding optional all-wheel drive drops those numbers to 19/28 mpg, or 22 mpg combined. Both of these versions are outfitted with the six-speed automatic...
GM's workhorse, its 3.6-liter V-6, has a place in the mid-line CTS sedan. Rated at 321 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque, it earns an estimated 19/28 mpg with rear-wheel drive and the eight-speed automatic, or 18/26 mpg, or 21 mpg combined, with all-wheel drive and the six-speed automatic...
At the pinnacle of the CTS lineup--for now, at least--there's the Vsport, fitted with GM's new twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6, and good for 420 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. It's rear-drive only, paddle-shifted eight-speed automatic only, and rates 17/25 mpg in preliminary gas-mileage tests...
Active grille shutters are one of the many gas-saving technologies that have made their way into the CTS sedan, but there's no hybrid version in the works--though Cadillac has said it's mulling a diesel powertrain for some models it sells abroad..
VIDEO ( 2014 CADILLAC CTS )
Video by : Motor Trend Channel
FOR FULL IMAGES...CLICK HERE >>> View Photo Gallery
By : Automotive News & Super Modified Sports Cars
FOR FULL IMAGES...CLICK HERE >>> View Photo Gallery
By : Automotive News & Super Modified Sports Cars
= Shahen Tharammal