SAN JOSE, CALIF.–The first-generation CTS was Cadillac's first credible entry-level sports sedan. (Cimarron? Catera? Please.) It was also the first commercial application of the brand's Art and Design ethic, later found in such models as the SLX crossover, XLR roadster and STS mid-size sedan. All have been successful to a point, but the larger aim, reinforced by Cadillac's surprisingly strong results on the racetrack, was to re-re-establish Cadillac as a viable presence in the international luxury car market. The second-gen CTS, arriving at Cadillac stores within weeks, builds on that foundation, with better technology, more sophisticated styling and – largely – improved interiors. The new CTS, which starts at $38,900, remains a Sigma architecture car, sharing much with its mid-size brethren like the wagonish SRX and sporty STS sedan, and with its predecessor. Further structural reinforcements mean better rigidity, translating into improved ride, handling, crash performance and durability. The major dimensional change is an increase in track (by 51 mm) for a better stance, both visually (looks tougher) and dynamically (corners better). Last year's range-topping engine, a 3.6-litre, twin-cam, four-valve variable-valve-timing V6, is now the base unit, upgraded from 255 to 263 horsepower. The one-up option is a direct injection version of the same unit. Squirting the fuel directly into the cylinders instead of upstream of the valves yields increases of 15 per cent in power (to 304) and 8 per cent in torque (to 273 lb.-ft.) and decreases of about 3 per cent in fuel consumption and 25 per cent in cold-start emissions. Rare in the luxury engine segment, both engines run on regular fuel. An Aisin six-speed manual transmission will be offered, even if uptake is expected to be less than 5 per cent – Cadillac feels that just making the choice available is important to the car's credibility in the eyes of the import-oriented customers it seeks. The alternative is a GM-built Hydramatic six-speed automatic with tap-up/tap-down manual override, and a "lift-foot" algorithm that prevents an upshift if you lift in the middle of a hard corner – important to maintain the car's balance when driving near the edge of your talent. The base CTS is rear-wheel drive; full-time four-wheel drive is available, with an active torque-split centre differential, which can direct torque to whichever axle is best-equipped grip-wise to handle it. The full complement of chassis electronics is standard across the board. Three levels of suspension will be offered, but all using essentially the same hardware. Spring rates, for example, are common. Different shock valving, tire packages and stabilizer bars, plus unique calibration and ratios for the ZF power steering, create what the engineers call FE1, FE2 and FE3 – the marketing guys will doubtless come up with breathlessly exciting names for same. There are also two brake systems, with 16- and 17-inch rotors. Not all permutations of the above will be offered, but you will have a wide choice, from a base engine FE1 manual transmission, to a direct injection FE3 rear-wheel drive automatic. The new car looks a little rounder, less stark, than before. The light tube taillights – a single LED in the base of the lens glows into a solid vertical line – give a dramatic look to the car from the rear at night. The side-view mirrors are huge, functional for their primary purpose, but they may get in the way of your forward corner vision depending on where you sit behind the wheel. The major whinge about the old CTS was its interior, with its pebbled surfaces and unusual switchgear. I rather liked it, but that was a decidedly non-universal opinion (I'm almost used to that). The quality of trim materials wasn't top grade, either. The new car is somewhat more conventional, and is built from considerably better stuff, although I don't think the top contenders in this segment (Audi, Infiniti) have any reason to lose sleep on this count. One thing's for sure: The brightly coloured leathers and fabrics make the new CTS a much less gloomy place to be than the old one, or most of the competition as well. Again, a wide variety of interior gear is available, culminating in a trick sat/nav-cum-12-speaker Alpine-Bose sound system. Cadillac has largely eschewed the BMW-style iDrive system, although there is one rotate-and-press control knob here. But it also illustrates the problem iDrive was designed to avoid: there are a lot of push buttons in the CTS, many of them small and hard to decipher. And they are soft-touch, which feels nice to the finger, but you can't always be sure if you've pushed them hard enough to activate the function. The satellite navigation screen is also touch-navigable, and reasonably intuitive, although as with any complex system, a few hours with the manual would be time well spent. The car is roomier than most in its segment, especially in the rear seat. Cadillac doesn't say so in so many words, but it's sort of a BMW 5 Series-sized car with a 3 Series-sized price. With such a wide variety of powertrain, chassis and equipment choices, it's hard to come to a definitive conclusion on a car like this based on a couple days of driving. I drove a brace of direct injection FE3's on the road and a few hot laps on the challenging and dangerous Laguna Seca racetrack, with both manual and automatic transmissions; a DI four-wheel drive FE2 automatic; and a base engine FE1 automatic on the gorgeous roads between San Jose and Monterey. To my surprise, the version that impressed the most was the base car. The extra power of the DI engine is nice, but the base unit works well enough. Sounds nice, too, with a purposeful growl when you press on, but very quiet when cruising. Though it costs a few grand higher than the outgoing model, with increased standard equipment, notably the new base engine, six-speed automatic transmission and standard StabiliTrak directional stability control system, the CTS still represents good value in this field. |