Cadillac Wants to be the Best...Again +VIDEO

2013 Cadillac XTS

Cadillac Buyers Guide

By Henny Hemmes
Senior European Editor
The Auto Channel

LOS ANGELES, November 16, 2011; A week before the LA Auto Show, Cadillac accidentally put up a picture of the brand new XTS on its website. Of course, we knew what to expect, since the Platinum Concept car that bowed in Detroit in January, already gave away much of its looks.

Today the sedan celebrated its true world premiere. Don Butler, vice-president marketing said that Cadillac wants to regain its states of the world's best luxury brand. But that was centuries ago, and the world is a different place now. Caddy meets a slew of competitors from Europe and Japan and in the not too far future from South Korea as well.

With the XTS the top GM division goes into a new direction. Sure, the Art & Science styling is still there, but the interior is more upscale than ever and the real new feature, that adds to the luxury feeling of the driver and its passengers will be the CUE, Cadillac User Experience system. It is an advanced infotainment and communication system that debuts in the XTS next spring and will be implemented in the ATS, the upcoming sports sedan, that will be unveiled in Detroit in January and is due to arrive at dealerships in the summer.

With standard MagneticRide system, available AWD for the XTS4 and the new HiPer Strut front suspension and Brembo brakes and available AWD for the XTS45 model, the XTS should be on par with the dynamic drive qualities of the competition. Of course, we will have to wait for the first driving event, to see what this all means. Anyway, the engine power promised a lot of fun: the XTS’s V-6 power plant delivers 300 hp. It is teamed to a 6-speed automatic transmission, though. Some of the competing models already offer 7-speed transmission though. But also in this case, we are looking forward to the first drive when the XTS should prove that Cadillac really is on the right way to accomplish its goal.

Stay tuned tomorrow for full details of the CUE system.