New York Auto Show Debut: 2014 Cadillac CTS

 

 

The 2014 Cadillac CTS will be making its way into dealer showrooms this fall. Unlike the sharply angular current-generation CTS, the 2014 model looks more like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, which it competes against. The vehicle also takes styling cues from the entry-level ATS sedan.

 

Late last year the folks at Cadillac hinted at the CTS would drop the sharp edge lines inorder to be a true world class vehicle acceptable to markets like China, where the Buick brand has favorable ratings.

 

A longer, lower and more athletic-looking proportion is introduced on Cadillac’s landmark sedan and evolves the brand’s Art & Science design philosophy. While growing five inches (127 mm) in length, including a 1.2-inch longer wheelbase, the roofline and cowl – the base of the windshield – are about. While stretched in overall length and wheelbase, the all-new CTS sedan has a lower curb weight than the preceding model and weighs about 200 pounds (90 kg) less than the BMW 528i. Lightweight features, including Cadillac’s first aluminum door structures, contribute to the lower weight and a nearly 50/50 weight balance.

And for the first time on CTS, Magnetic Ride Control, Cadillac’s real-time damping system, is available on base models.

Cadillac’s shield grille and signature vertical lighting elements – including LED front signature lighting detail – evolve on the CTS. The grille is wider, with a more detailed texture, while the headlamps flow up with the hood line, incorporating crystalline LED light guides for a technologically advanced appearance with more uniform illumination.

Active grille shutters are included on some models, improving aerodynamic performance on the highway to enhance fuel efficiency.

Inside, a roomier, driver-centric cockpit interior with integrated technology and hand-crafted appointments complements the exterior elements and supports the CTS sedan’s driving experience. Eight available interior environments are offered, each trimmed with authentic wood, carbon fiber or aluminum. Leather seating is available, including available full semi-aniline leather, with hand-crafted, cut-and-sewn executions.

The 2014 CTS is also available with a naturally aspirated 3.6L V-6 rated at an estimated 321 horsepower and also matched with the new paddle-shift eight-speed automatic in rear-wheel-drive models (or six-speed automatic with all-wheel drive; and a 2.0L turbocharged engine rated at an estimated 272 horsepower and paired with a six-speed automatic

The Cadillac Twin-Turbo is SAE-certified at 420 horsepower (313 kW) and 430 lb.-ft. of torque (583 Nm), making it the most power-dense six-cylinder engine in the segment. A pair of smaller turbochargers helps provide more immediate power on demand, with approximately 90 percent of peak torque available from 2,500rpm to 5,500 rpm. That gives the engine a broad torque curve that customers will feel as strong, willing power in almost all driving conditions – and helps the CTS sedan reach 60 mph in an estimated 4.6 seconds.

The CTS will be available with 17-inch, 18-inch or 19-inch wheels in either a rear-wheel drive or AWD configuration.