Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon is great

The CTS coupe comes with a standard V-6 engine and an available V-8.

By GM

The CTS and its Arts and Science design language kick-started the resurgence of Cadillac. The addition of the CTS-V (now with an awesome 556 horsepower!) underscored just how serious the once-proud marque was about regaining its self-respect. Enter the CTS Sport Wagon.

As with its siblings, the Sport Wagon is all about its hard-edged attitude. What a looker -- the gawk-meter was off the scale, even when parked beside Acura's fetching ZDX crossover.

The good news is that the CTS Sport Wagon has the mechanical wherewithal to back up its good looks. The Crystal Red (a $1,295 paint option -- please!) wagon arrived with GM's up-level 3.6-litre V6 under the hood. It puts a healthy 304 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque at the driver's right foot.

Yes, it is motivating a rather portly 1,851 kilograms, but that does not blunt its enthusiasm in the least. The use of a six-speed manumatic certainly helps matters, as the engine is only a snappy kickdown away from the meat of its power curve.

The disappointment is that the manual side works only when the shifter is in the manual position, so it is a pain to get to the needed engine braking (the lack of paddle shifters underscores this gripe).

From here, the power reaches the road through a good all-wheel-drive system ($1,675). It brings better balance to the drive and limits unwanted wheelspin when the driver mats the gas from a standstill. What does surface is quickly dealt with by GM's advanced StabiliTrak electronic stability control system.

2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe AT LA Auto Show

Expected to make its public debut next week at the LA Auto Show, the Cadillac CTS Coupe will join the CTS sedan and wagon in the brand’s lineup for the 2011 model year. The coupe will have the same wheelbase as the sedan, but it will be two inches lower and shorter. As expected, it shares much with the sedan, but the Coupe has distinct hidden B-pillar, touch pad for the doors (in place of conventional door handles), and a steeper angle for the windshield and rear window, which contributes to the sleek aerodynamic look.

The coupe doesn’t get the “budget” 3.0-liter V6. Instead, it’s powered by the direct-injection, 304–hp, 3.6-liter V6 engine. A six-speed manual and six-speed automatic will be offered. The EPA estimates that highway fuel economy will reach 27 mpg. Two suspension packages will be available, including a performance package with 18-inch wheels and all-season tires available in both rear- and all-wheel-drive. A summer tire package comes with 19-inch tires and wheels.

The coupe will hit showrooms in the spring of 2010 with a high-performance V-Series edition arriving later in 2010. Unfortunately, there won’t be a convertible version to compete with the likes of BMW 3 Series and Audi A5.

Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept

The Coupe blends the Cadillac CTS sedan's face with a new, wedge-shaped 2-door body that finishes off with what Ed described as a "hint of Cadillac fin" in the arrangement of the taillamps.

2009 Cadillac XLR Roadster

Cadillac’s new 2009 edition of the XLR Roadster, featuring styling and model enhancements providing more dramatic design and technology.

The luxurious XLR Platinum and the high-performance XLR-V. The XLR Platinum is equipped with a 320-horsepower (239 kW) 4.6L Northstar V-8 engine. The 2009 XLR includes a new front fascia, new rear fascia and new side fender vents. The ultra-luxury XLR Platinum model receives additional exterior identifiers, including a revised rear fascia with more pronounced new exhaust tips and a new 18-inch wheel design.

2009 Cadillac Escalade Platinum Hybrid

Cadillac already offers both hybrid and Platinum variants of the Escalade, but this latest offering combines the 'green' powertrain of the former with the amenities of the latter. Platinum models add a number of distinctive touches both inside and out, including a unique grille, LED headlamps, Aniline leather seating, magnetic ride control, and unique 22-inch aluminum wheels.

The new model will utilize the 6.0-liter V8, just like the ‘lesser’ Escalade Hybrid, paired to General Motor’s 2-Mode hybrid system. Economy figures have not yet been released up to this time, but it is expected to be around 20 mpg city and 21 mpg highway which are the same figures that come with the two-wheel-drive Escalade Hybrid.

2009 Cadillac XLR Roadster

Cadillac’s new 2009 edition of the XLR Roadster, featuring styling and model enhancements providing more dramatic design and technology.

The luxurious XLR Platinum and the high-performance XLR-V. The XLR Platinum is equipped with a 320-horsepower (239 kW) 4.6L Northstar V-8 engine. The 2009 XLR includes a new front fascia, new rear fascia and new side fender vents. The ultra-luxury XLR Platinum model receives additional exterior identifiers, including a revised rear fascia with more pronounced new exhaust tips and a new 18-inch wheel design.

2009 Cadillac Escalade Platinum Hybrid

Cadillac already offers both hybrid and Platinum variants of the Escalade, but this latest offering combines the 'green' powertrain of the former with the amenities of the latter. Platinum models add a number of distinctive touches both inside and out, including a unique grille, LED headlamps, Aniline leather seating, magnetic ride control, and unique 22-inch aluminum wheels.

The new model will utilize the 6.0-liter V8, just like the ‘lesser’ Escalade Hybrid, paired to General Motor’s 2-Mode hybrid system. Economy figures have not yet been released up to this time, but it is expected to be around 20 mpg city and 21 mpg highway which are the same figures that come with the two-wheel-drive Escalade Hybrid.

[Source: Cadillac]