Cadillac to Get Another Three-Row SUV, Keep Escalade

Cadillac’s SUV line is a huge success story. Whether or not we like it, buyers are snatching up the new SRX, and the Escalade remains one of the country’s most recognizable automotive status symbols. It’s not surprising, then, that the company is looking to expand its SUV family. Jim Vurpillat, Cadillac’s global marketing chief, tells us that there is room in the portfolio for another SUV to slot in between the SRX and the Escalade. The SRX got smaller in its second generation, leaving room for another model in the $50–60K range.

This model, according to our industry sources, likely will be based on the GM Lambda platform, which serves as the basis for the Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave. Like those vehicles, it will probably offer three rows of seating, but that doesn’t mean it will replace the Escalade. Frankly, it couldn’t: The Lambda platform is front- or all-wheel drive and powered by V-6 engines—even a turbocharged four is possible. The customer base of the current Escalade, on the other hand, is as loyal as it is affluent, which means Cadillac’s big body-on-frame SUV will get a truck-based successor that could be limited to an annual output of a few thousand high-priced and high-powered units.

In the past, the Chevy and GMC Suburbans were referred to as “Texas Cadillacs.” Now that Cadillac has established its own full-size icon, it is smart to stay committed to its evolution. Meanwhile, those who want better fuel economy will be able to choose the Lambda crossover, which could get a three-letter nameplate like the rest of the Cadillac line or could, like the Escalade EXT and ESV, be branded as a member of the Slade family.

Read More: http://blog.caranddriver.com/cadillac-to-get-another-three-row-suv-keep-escalade/

2012 Cadillac CTS Sedan / Coupe / Sport Wagon – Auto Shows

That which is great can still be improved upon, and so it is with the 2012 Cadillac CTS, which gets 14 additional horsepower from its top-spec V-6 and some small styling and equipment changes.

The revised direct-injection 3.6-liter V-6 now puts out 318 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque, thanks mostly to intake changes, including larger valves, revised ports, and a tweaked camshaft that keeps the intake valves open longer. (The same engine makes 323 hp in the updated 2012 Chevrolet Camaro.) Compared to last year’s 3.6-liter V-6, this year’s iteration is nearly 40 pounds lighter; 13 pounds were saved by integrating the heads and exhaust manifolds, 20.5 pounds from a lighter-weight front accessory-drive cover and new connecting rods, and 5.5 came out from using a plastic intake manifold in place of last year’s aluminum piece. The base 270-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 carries over unchanged, and can still be mated to both a six-speed automatic and six-speed manual. The manual is no longer available with the 3.6-liter, however.

The 2012 CTS’s standard-equipment list sees Bluetooth added to all models and a blind-spot monitoring system to the coupe (good thing, because the two-door’s rakish roofline and wide C-pillars make for huge blind spots). A new Touring package is available with either engine and with any body style, and adds a dark-finish grille, metal pedal covers, dark wood trim, and V-style suede stuff covering the steering wheel, shift knob, and seat inserts. Polished 19-inch wheels and Recaro seats—disliked by most of us for feeling overstuffed and for rocking back and forth under braking and acceleration—come with 3.6-liter Touring models, while 3.0-liter examples get pearl-nickel-finished 18s and the regular seats, albeit now sueded. Sedan and wagon buyers who spec the pack get an extra-special bonus: chrome exterior door handles.

The line-wide cosmetic changes are less extensive. The grille sees new finishes and a revised Caddy wreath with “sharper colors,” and its mesh insert is flusher with the frame. That’s it.

Read More: http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/11q2/2012_cadillac_cts_sedan_coupe_sport_wagon-auto_shows

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