Archive for January, 2010
2010 SRX Turbo review starts tomorrow
January 27, 2010 - 9:26 amCTS-V Coupe ‘natural disaster’ video
January 12, 2010 - 3:11 pmXTS Concept reveal video
January 12, 2010 - 2:58 pmXTS Platinum - a DTS done right
January 12, 2010 - 8:04 amSee the XTS Image Gallery for all the high-quality photos from Cadillac.
Cadillac unveiled today a thinly-veiled preview of their new replacement for the DTS.
As you may recall, Cadillac has been on-again/off-again with a high-end car to replace the STS and DTS that was expected to be based on either the rear-drive Zeta or Sigma architectures. This is not that car.
Due to cost contraints tied in no small part to GM’s recent bankruptcy and the overall softening of the entire car market, GM has taken a intermediate step that will give us this XTS and push a move into full S-Class/7-Series territory until the next model.
That said, this appears to be a pretty impressive effort to make the best damn Epsilon II based large Cadillac that could be built.
In concept form, the XTS is in ‘Platinum’ trim, which means the most luxurious, indulgent interior trim that Cadillac does. Squint a bit and you can imagine the slightly less opulent trim this car will see in production.
Also likely to not see production are the plug-in hybrid system added to this concept. Expect a 3.6l DI engine with north of 300hp as the base and only powertrain.
What will almost certainly be standard (if only to keep Cadillac from ever having to say that this is a front-drive platform) is all-wheel drive. Arguably, if tuned correctly, it could give the car more neutral handling with the added all-weather benefits.
Slighly annoying or simply the press release folks doing their best with what they were given are references to this car being of ‘new proportions’ that the design is tailored to emphasize the all-wheel drive chassis…um, yeah. It’s a front-drive platform, you be hard pressed to give it the long-hood look of other flag-ship cars. It is a nice attempt to spin the limitations Cadillac engineers and designers were forced to work with, though.
I’m sure the car, if priced similarly to the outgoing DTS, will sell relatively well. Just don’t expect any conquest sales from BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Jaguar, or Lexus.
Expect an official admission that this is a production car sometime later in the autoshow season.
Press release below:
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Detroit Autoshow - Converj is a ‘go’
January 11, 2010 - 4:26 pmUPDATE: It seems that word of the Converj production car are a touch premature. LLN is reporting a statement by John Howell, GM product director, that the Converj is not yet a done deal. If they don’t feel the car meets the refinement, etc. required for a Cadillac – it might not happen. We’re thinking that lots can happen between now and 2012 either way. Keep your fingers crossed.
Bob Lutz has confirmed to the press that a version of the Volt architecture based on the Converj concept is on its way.
However, GM doesn’t plan to get in a huge hurry to bring it to market and it could be a year or more after the Volt debuts in late 2010.
There have also been some talk from GM resources that a Converj would be tuned differently than the Volt – this is thought to suggest a sportier offering than the Prius-killer mission of the Volt.
