2013 Cadillac XTS

Cadillac’s recently unveiled XTS Platinum Concept has been made over into a production model revealed at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Cadillac XTS sedan will hit dealer showrooms in 2012 in late spring or early summer as a competitor for models like the Audi A6, the BMW 5-Series, and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

The new XTS will be placed above the CTS in the current Cadillac line-up and will deliver "the space, elegance, and dramatic presence that are Cadillac signatures, but with entirely new and technically advanced methods tuned for a new generation of luxury customers."

"The Cadillac XTS represents a new formula for luxury, driven by advanced technology," said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac Marketing. "XTS showcases the evolution of our Art & Science philosophy, merging the best technical ideas with the continued refinement of Cadillac design."

Exterior and Interior

The new XTS is the most-spacious Cadillac sedan, tailored to provide roominess in a more efficiently sized package. It offers more interior space than midsize luxury cars and comparable to full-size sedans, particularly in the rear seat area, where it has 40 inches (1,016 mm) of rear legroom - bigger than in any of its competitors.

One of the most impressive features of the new XTS is the debut of Cadillac’s new CUE (Cadillac User Experience) system. The CUE system uses an eight-inch (203 mm) screen in the "center stack," the faceplate below the screen, and the steering wheel controls, and will offer the driver some of the industry firsts in technologies, including capacitive-touch control with proximity sensing, gesture recognition, and natural voice recognition.

The XTS will be immediately recognized thanks to its elegant stance, but also thanks to a chrome/satin-chrome grille finish, polished 20-inch aluminum wheels with chrome inserts, a fully wrapped leather interior with Alcantara headliner, and more.

Platinum Collection Details:

• Premium chrome/satin-chrome grille finish
• Illuminating door handles
• Adaptive Forward Lighting
• Rainsense automatic windshield wipers
• Twenty-inch aluminum wheels with polished finish and chrome inserts
• A fully wrapped leather interior with microfiber sueded headliner
• Premium wood trim on the steering wheel, console, center stack, instrument panel and door panels.
• Bose Studio Surround Sound with 14-speaker system with surround energy-efficient amplifier
• Tri-zone automatic climate control
• Leather-wrapped IP and door trim top pad, along with the center console
• Color, reconfigurable 12.3-inch gauge cluster with driver information center
• Head-Up Display with color readouts
• Accent lighting, including LED spotlights with light pipes
• Soleil Keisel leather seating surfaces with mini-perforated inserts
• Opus full-leather seats with mini-perforated inserts
• Heated driver/front passenger and outboard rear passenger seats and vented driver/front passenger seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Power rear window shade and manual rear side window shades
• Driver Awareness Package
• Driver Assist Package
• A rearview camera with dynamic guidelines

Luxury Collection Details

• Illuminating door handles
• Capless fuel-filling system
• High-intensity discharge headlamps with Twilight Sentinel
• LED backup and center high-mounted rear stop lamps
• Heated outside mirrors with auto-dimming feature, turn-signal -*indicators and puddle lamps
• Rainsense automatic windshield wipers
• Nineteen-inch polished aluminum wheels
• Adaptive remote start
• Audio system with Bose premium eight-speaker sound
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio (with free trial period) and HD radio feature
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Illuminated entry and courtesy lighting
• Soleil Keisel leather seating surfaces with mini-perforated inserts
• Heated driver/front passenger and outboard rear passenger seats and vented driver/front passenger seats
• Real wood trim
• Driver Awareness Package
• Driver Assist Package

Premium Collection Details

• Illuminating door handles
• Capless fuel-filling system
• High-intensity discharge headlamps with Twilight Sentinel
• Adaptive Forward Lighting
• LED backup and center high-mounted rear stop lamps
• Heated outside mirrors with auto-dimming feature, turn-signal -*indicators and puddle lamps
• Rainsense automatic windshield wipers
• Nineteen-inch polished aluminum wheels
• Adaptive remote start
• Bose Studio Surround Sound with 14-speaker system with surround energy-efficient amplifier
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio (with free trial period) and HD radio feature
• Tri-zone automatic climate control
• Head-Up Display with color readouts
• Illuminated entry and courtesy lighting
• Accent lighting, including LED spotlights with light pipes,
• Soleil Keisel leather seating surfaces with mini-perforated inserts
• Heated driver/front passenger and outboard rear passenger seats and vented driver/front passenger seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Power rear window shade and manual rear side window shades
• Real wood trim
• Driver Awareness Package
• Driver Assist Package

Lighting

The XTS’s more than 20 separate light sources “greet” the driver in a choreographed sequence that is timed to the fraction of a second when cued by various triggers, such as the key fob, the doors, and the ignition switch.

The new XTS includes signature Cadillac vertical LEDs in the headlights and taillights, LEDs embedded in the door handles, and ambient lighting in and around the car’s perimeter. Not only does this lighting extend the car’s design, but it also brightens the perimeter of the car providing added security in dark parking lots and making the car easier to locate. Inside the XTS, cooler blue lights accent the car’s instruments while warmer lights highlight the passenger areas.

Cadillac designers have taken advantage of advances in LED technology, using lighting that conveys drama and space alongside functional benefits. Inside the XTS, cooler blue lights accent the car’s instruments while warmer lights highlight the passenger areas.

Engine

The 2013 Cadillac XTS will be offered with an advanced 3.6L V-6 that’s known by its "LFX" engine code. The engine uses lots of lightweight materials that will help reduce the overall weight for greater efficiency and a more favorable front-to-rear weight balance. These materials consist of a composite intake manifold that saves approximately 5.5 pounds over the weight of a comparable aluminum intake and an integrated cylinder head/exhaust manifold design that saves approximately 13 pounds.

The engine delivers a total of 300 HP and is mated to a Hydra-Matic 6T70 six-speed automatic transmission with tap-shift control.

Next to this impressive engine, the XTS is also offered with a smart Haldex all-wheel-drive system – with an electronic limited-slip differential that splits torque between the rear wheels, a HiPer Strut front suspension, standard Magnetic Ride Control, and StabiliTrak electronic stability control.

Cadillac XTS Mechanical Highlights

• Advanced Haldex all-wheel-drive system with electronically controlled limited-slip differential
• Magnetic Ride Control, rear air suspension, HiPer Strut front suspension and Brembo brakes – all standard
• Standard 19-inch wheels and available 20-inch wheels
• Direct-injected 3.6L V-6 with lightweight features, including integrated cylinder heads/exhaust manifolds
• Capless fuel tank filler for easier, cleaner refueling

Advanced Safety Features

• Front and Rear Automatic Brakes: The XTS has “virtual bumpers” with short-range radar technology and ultrasonic sensors to prevent front and rear low-speed collisions.
• Adaptive Cruise Control: Radar technology facilitates the application of limited braking or acceleration to maintain speed.
• Intelligent Brake Assist: Allows brakes to be applied faster when the situation calls for it.
• Forward Collision Alert: Radar and camera technology detects a possible collision threat and alerts the driver. _*Safety Alert Seat: The driver seat cushion vibrates when there is a potential collision threat.
• Automatic Collision Preparation: The XTS can sense a collision and will thereby apply the brakes to avoid the collision.
• Lane Departure Warning: A camera-based lane detection system that warns the driver of unsignaled lane changes.
• Side Blind Zone Alert: Radar sensors on both sides of the vehicle senses other vehicles in blind zone areas and indicates their presence with LED-lit symbols in the outside mirrors.
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert: Radar sensors can warn the driver of oncoming traffic when backing out of a parking spot.
• Adaptive Forward Lighting: The headlamps swivel with direction of the front wheels to maintain forward lighting.
• Rear Vision Camera With Dynamic Guidelines: A camera in the center stack provides a view of objects directly behind the XTS.

Standard Safety Features

• Dual-stage frontal driver air bag
• Dual-stage frontal passenger air bag with passenger sensing system
• Driver and front passenger side-impact air bars
• Driver and front passenger knee air bags
• Outboard head curtain air bags, front and rear, with rollover sensing
• Outboard rear thorax air bags
• Safety belt pretensioners and load limiters
• Child seat LATCH system
• StabiliTrak electronic stability control
• Four-wheel disc brakes with four-channel antilock brakes.

Prices

The new Cadillac XTS will go on sale in spring 2012 at a starting price of $44,995 including destination.. The XTS will begin production in Oshawa, Ontario.

Competition

Competitors for the 2013 Cadillac XTS include models like the Audi A6, the BMW 5-Series, and theMercedes-Benz E-Class. These German models may have a long and successful history in the market, but the Cadillac may present new challenges with their latest line.

The Cadillac XTS delivers the same amount of power as the Audi A6 (300 HP), but Audi does outshine the Caddy in terms of luxury. The Cadillac then responds to that with the growing number of technologies put into their new XTS.

BMW’s 5-Series line has much more powerful versions (take the 550i with its 407 HP), but it’s been argued that BMWs have begun to lose their edge in terms of design, whereas Cadillac is rebuilding their appearance for mass appeal.

The Mercedes E-Class can also be more powerful than the XTS (E500 goes up to 388 HP), but we’re guessing the XTS will end up being much cheaper than the Mercedes.