Cadillac range to have Platinum and V-Series Trims

Cadillac recently showcased two vehicles, a production and a concept car, at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show which featured the Platinum and V-Series trims for their whole range. Cadillac executives explained that these two levels will be offered for all of Cadillac vehicles including the 2012 XTS.

First on spotlight is the Platinum XTS concept vehicle which is basically the Platinum edition of the flagship sedan expected to roll out by 2012. The CTS-V Coupe was also in display and is the high performance variant of the next generation CTS Coupe.

The V-Series labeling of Cadillac is similar to the tagging of the high performance units like the M for BMWs and the AMG for Mercedes Benz.

The Platinum level on the other hand explains the most luxurious of the luxurious in the Cadillac line up. The branding speaks of upgraded interiors, high grade leathers, and unique exterior make over.

The labels being introduced by Cadillac is primarily aimed at stealing some sales from luxury leaders like Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW. In the case of the XTS range, the car maker will most likely use a Platinum distinction while smaller units like the CTS-V will handle the power image of the brand

New Cadillac Escalade in the works, other SUVs not being axed

general Motors is working on the next generation of Cadillac Escalade which has been the bread and butter 

of the company in recent years. According to GM executives, the carmaker does not have any plan to kill the model any time in the near future despite earlier speculations that the big Cadillac and other full-size sports utility vehicles will be axed.

The new Escalade together with the various full size SUVs was originally planned to roll out by 2011 but the strategy of the brand was reviewed in 2009 due to the sky rocketing fuel prices. As a result of the study, the production of the Escalade and the Suburban under the Chevrolet brand was frozen.

The designers and automotive engineers are back again on the drawing board and is said to develop the Escalade and the rest of the gang in a matter of three years.

Rick Spina, global line exec from General Motors, disclosed the information recently. He also said that their full size trucks will still RWD truck platform and will not move to the Lambda platform used for large crossovervehicles.

The current version of the Cadillac Escalade is utilizing the GMT800 platform of GM which is also shared by other vehicles like the Yukon from GMC and the Tahoe from Chevrolet. The new generation of the Escalade will also have an EXT variant.

Cadillac SRX turbo

;Only a few months into the 2010 model year, the all-new Cadillac SRX has added a higher-performance engine option. Whereas the previous-generation SRX offered a choice of a V-6 or a V-8, this time the choices are V-6 or turbo V-6, which seems like the more modern solution. Unfortunately, this turbo V-6 is something of an underachiever.

;The turbo’s horsepower and torque figures are impressive enough: 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, from 2.8 liters. They easily eclipse the standard, 3.0-liter V-6’s 265 hp and 223 lb-ft. But one wonders whether some of those horses have escaped the corral. There’s a bit of a lag at take-off, and the SRX turbo never feels as lively as an Audi Q5 (despite the Q5’s power and torque deficit). Automobile Magazine’s tests confirm that the SRX is a full second slower to 60 mph (7.6 versus 6.6 seconds); that puts it about on par with the Lexus RX350, whose larger V-6 is also less potent on paper.

A relatively small displacement six boosted by a turbocharger should at least be fuel efficient, but the SRX turbo has nearly the drinking habits of a V-8. Its 15 mpg city, 22 mpg highway figures both fall short of its two major competitors, the Q5 (18/23 mpg) and the RX350 (18/24 mpg). The engine is also somewhat raspy at start-up, although it quiets down once underway.

Other aspects of the SRX are more successful—particularly chassis tuning, long a strength at General Motors. The steering is a pleasure, not overboosted (despite this car’s luxury ambitions) and very precise; I’d rate it better than the Audi and just ahead of the Lexus. The turbocharged SRX comes with a sport suspension that included continuously variable damping, and body motions are well controlled, at a cost of a slightly stiff-legged ride. It’s a similar compromise to what Audi offers in the Q5, although the Cadillac seems a bit more comfortable.

The interior is nicely finished, although as in the CTS, the dash has too many similar flat buttons. The rear seat is comfortable, only a bit shy on headroom; the flat floor helps make the center position useable. The giant (“ultraview”) sunroof is standard in all but the very base-trim SRX, and it certainly opens up the interior, particularly for rear-seat riders, but it does sometimes vibrate when closed. While other manufacturers often use a mesh screen that fails to effectively block heat or glare, Cadillac has a proper opaque screen, which will be welcome by SRX owners in the sun belt.

The SRX turbo is available only with all-wheel drive and only in the top two (of four) SRX trim levels. As such, it comes fairly well loaded with every imaginable feature. Besides the aforementioned mega-sunroof and adaptive damping, there’s navigation, a rear-view camera, twenty-inch wheels, park assist, swiveling HID headlamps, keyless ignition with remote start, heated seats, and an audio system with a 10-gig hard drive. The top-spec, Premium, version also includes ventilated front seats and heated rear seats. My test example added a rear-seat entertainment system with dual screens ($1295) and crystal red tintcoat paint ($995) for a total of $54,475. The turbo itself runs $3820 more than an equivalent all-wheel-drive 3.0-liter. And in either case, the Premium trim level is far above the starting price of the entry-level (3.0-liter, front-wheel drive) car, at $33,830.

Segment Buster: New Cadillac SRX post biggest gains in mid-size crossovers

fter its debut in 2009, the 2010 SRX from Cadillac has been showing some promise as it leads its segment of luxury, mid-size crossovers.

The totals sales of the SRX in the United States show a 500% jump comparing it to the sales figures of the first 5 months in the market last year. It outpaced the Acura MDX, BMW X5, Audi Q7, and the M Class of Mercedes-Benz. The transaction price for the current model year of the SRX is about $2,300 more than its older sibling.

Aside from the excellent sales figures, the resale value of the Cadillac SRX is also up by 17% from last year which is the biggest gain for its segment.  The resale value of the vehicle is estimated to be at 48% after 36 months after the sale. The previous model has a resell value of 31% after the same period.

The market approach of Cadillac to push for the SRX blended all the elements correctly which resulted to low spending for incentives, faster turn around time for dealers, and an overall positive impact for the brand.

The demand for the SRX has been consistently high since its debut in Summer of 2009. The officials of Cadillac attribute the success to the bold design of the SRX, its excellent handling, and features that appeal to the luxury crossover market.

The SRX is fitted with a V6 3.0L with an option for an AWD or a FWD. Consumers can also go for a turbocharged 2.8: V6 powerplant.

The Caddy that rocks

Back in 1997, GM introduced the Cadillac Catera, a mid-sized, rear-wheel-drive offering that was essentially a rebadged Opel Omega. This being GM’s utterly clueless Ron Zarella era, the company marketed the car—whose best characteristic was its competent, European handling (it was a European car, after all)—with the tagline: “The Caddy That Zigs.” A cartoon duck also featured prominently in the advertising.

Not surprisingly, this high-concept campaign did little to boost sales of the otherwise deeply mediocre Catera, and the car stumbled along in the marketplace until 2001, when it was, mercifully, replaced by the CTS.

Now in its second generation, the CTS is really feeling its mojo. The past year has seen the Cadillac flesh out the lineup with the surprising CTS wagon (surprising by its very existence, given how much our market seems to hate wagons) and the dramatic CTS coupe. Both new body styles now also can be had in V-series trim, with a 556-hp supercharged V-8 and the attendant mechanical and appearance upgrades.

While the CTS-V wagon earns kudos for its rare and unlikely combo of searing performance and (modest) utility, the CTS-V coupe puts its muscle-car cajones in an absolutely standout shape.

Granted, the styling may not be universally loved, but you have to admire the coupe’s radical angles and uncompromised details, which hark back to the days when Design was king at General Motors. Items like the hidden door handles, the nearly horizontal backlight, and pointed CHMSL that also functions as a rear spoiler are not the products of committee-driven compromise.

It’s all the better wrapped around a mechanical package that delivers Nurburgring-worthy performance. With its tire-smoking torque, available six-speed stick, beautifully calibrated stability control, and form-fitting Recaro seats, the CTS-V should earn the respect of even the most hard-core gearhead. And yet, the car’s generally polished demeanor—excepting some supercharger whine and the manual’s less-than-perfect shift action—make it a highly livable everyday supercar.

This is most bad-ass Caddy since—well—ever. Much more so than even the old, Corvette-based XLR-V, the CTS-V coupe is the brand’s unfettered hot-rod. Far better than a Caddy that zigs, the CTS-V coupe is the Caddy that rocks.