GM launches Cadillac CTS

Car billed as 'a true luxury sports saloon'

By PH Staff / Friday, 13 May 2005 / Loading comments

Will the CTS mark Cadillac's translation to a global brand?

GM brand Cadillac has released more details about its European version of the CTS. The company reckons the car is "a true luxury sports saloon with a European driving feel", and wants to see it spearhead Cadillac’s drive to become a global premium brand.

You get a choice of two V6 engines, a 2.8-litre generating 215bhp at 7,000rpm with 194lb-ft of torque at 3,300rpm, and an all-new 3.6 litre mill making 257bhp at 6,200rpm and 251lb-ft of torque at 3,200rpm. Both include fully variable valve timing of the intake and exhaust valves and a dual-stage variable intake manifold. The bigger engine returns a 0-60mph figure of seven seconds, the smaller, 8.4 seconds, with top speeds of 145mph and 140mph respectively. Both engines are mated to a five-speed automatic transmission.

Cadillac makes much of the fact that the engineering and development team, who carried out the chassis and suspension work, chose to do so at Germany’s famed Nürburgring. Many of course believe that this may be all very well but who's going to drive a CTS round the 'Ring? They might have done better to design it to make the M25's broken concrete surface feel less bumpy.

Cadillac said the CTS uses a StabiliTrak stability control system adapted from the one developed for the Corvette. The system can adjust braking at any of the four wheels to maintain vehicle control "in the most demanding conditions".

A European style of driving with sporty, agile handling, was the guiding principle for the CTS designers. They came up with a rear-wheel drive chassis with near-balanced front to rear weight distribution of 53:47. Specially designed for European requirements, the suspension guarantees good ride comfort, even on poor-quality surfaces and with the car fully loaded, said Cadillac.

All CTS models are factory-fitted with the Nivomat self-levelling rear suspension system from the German company Sachs Automotive. The StabiliTrak stability control system is fitted as standard. It increases driving safety and control in high-speed swerves or sudden avoidance manoeuvres, maintaining the stability of the car through precise application of the brakes on individual wheels and if necessary retarding the engine timing.

The CTS’s Sigma platform is the first time ultra high-strength steel has become an integral part of a GM product. Ultra high-strength steel permits the use of thinner, lighter steel, which reduces mass yet still allows proper energy absorption and reduces intrusion into the passenger compartment in an accident, according to the company.

The styling cues of the Cadillac CTS are reflected in the interior design, the new instrument cluster and a three-spoke steering wheel with V-shaped airbag cover. The centre console features displays for the sound system, climate control and the optional navigation unit. A leather interior is standard on the Sports Luxury models.

The car accommodates five people, with a cabin measuring 1075 by 940 mm, and a boot capacity of 420 litres.

Standard equipment includes six airbags. The two dual-stage front airbags inflate according to crash severity to avoid unnecessary injuries during minor collisions. Side-on impacts trigger front seat-mounted side airbags and roof-mounted curtain bags which inflate between the A- and C-pillars. Because they inflate over a large area, the air cushions also protect the heads of smaller passengers.

The Cadillac CTS is built at the General Motors Lansing Grand River assembly plant in Lansing, Michigan, alongside the 400hp V8 powered CTS-V -- claimed to be the most powerful Cadillac production car ever, SRX luxury crossover vehicle and STS luxury saloon.

OTR prices for the CTS: