Car and Driver Review: 2012 Cadillac CTS 3.6 Sedan

What Is It?

It’s the latest CTS, which is a lot like the CTS we already know and like. For 2012, the 3.6-liter version of Cadillac’s only car gets a new cylinder-head design with integrated exhaust manifolds, a composite intake manifold, lighter connecting rods, and upgrades to the fuel system. Power is up by 14 hp to 318, and the torque peak is now 275 lb-ft, an increase of just 2 but available 300 rpm sooner on the tachometer. Incidentally, the 2012 Camaro’s V-6 gets the same upgrades this year and makes 323 hp. Cadillac claims that the changes reduce engine weight by 21 pounds.

The other major change for 2012 is a refreshed grille, which has a new “frame and mesh combination” and sharper colors in the Cadillac logo. We actually had to take that line from the press release because we only noticed the changes after looking at photos of the 2011 and 2012 car side by side. In person, it still looks like a nice grille, but it doesn’t stand out as radically different.

How Does It Drive?

So, about that weight savings. Our test car weighed in 101 pounds heavier than a comparable 2008 CTS equipped with an automatic transmission. Some of those extra pounds can be attributed to larger wheels (the new car rides on 19-inchers; the 2008 rolled on 18s) and differences in optional equipment, but the weight savings from the engine alone is negligible.

The power difference is negligible as well. With a 0-to-60-mph time of 6.2 seconds, the new car is 0.2 second slower than the 2008 version we tested but in the middle of the range of other CTS cars, including those with a manual transmission (which, incidentally, is no longer offered with the 3.6-liter). The 2011 does the quarter-mile in 14.7 seconds at 98 mph, 0.1 second and 1 mph behind the old car. Fuel economy is unchanged at an EPA-rated 18 city, 27 highway, and we averaged 22 mpg during our test.

Read More: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2012-cadillac-cts-36-sedan-test-review-car-and-driver

Illinois Cadillac Dealers

Cadillac CUE: Intuitive and Connected Driving in 2012

• Natural voice recognition, fewer buttons, larger icons, greater customization
• Central instrument panel features fully capacitive faceplate, vibrant 8-inch LCD touch screen with proximity sensing, multi-touch hand gestures
• 3.5 times more processing power than current systems

SAN DIEGO – Cadillac CUE, a comprehensive in-vehicle experience that merges intuitive design with auto industry-first controls and commands for information and entertainment data, will benefit consumers by offering personalized, connected driving beginning in 2012.

“CUE will transform personal transportation by  simply and efficiently integrating luxury design and instinctive technology with unparalleled levels of customized in-vehicle connectivity,” Don Butler, Vice President, Cadillac Marketing, announced at the CTIA Wireless Association’s Enterprise and Applications conference.

CUE will debut in 2012 in the Cadillac XTS and ATS luxury sedans and SRX luxury crossover. CUE is designed to be unique for each consumer, from the “simple user” to the fully connected “super user.”
“For the tech-savvy, it’s everything you want it to be – a full suite of infotainment, navigation and communication tools that keeps you fully connected. For the tech-averse, its power is remarkably simple, intuitive and accessible,” Butler said.

CUE, which stands for Cadillac User Experience, will pair entertainment and information data from up to 10 Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices, USBs, SD cards and MP3 players with a vehicle infotainment system that reduces complexity through customized information, natural voice commands and fewer buttons and larger icons

For example, most of today’s luxury cars have around 20 buttons controlling the radio and entertainment functions. CUE reduces that to just four buttons.

“CUE doesn’t replace your smartphone or your iPod™,” said Micky Bly, executive director, Global Electric Systems, Infotainment and Electrification.  “Rather it allows consumers to securely store those mobile devices while channeling the information on those devices, along with your navigation tools, weather maps with Doppler radar, AM/FM and XM radio, instant messages and emails, through a central portal in your Cadillac, keeping hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.”

The heart of CUE is the 8-inch LCD touch screen, seamlessly integrated into the top of the central instrument panel and a motorized fully capacitive  faceplate at the bottom concealing a 1.8L storage area.   The vibrant LCD screen displays CUE’s home page, which resembles a smart phone’s screen by using large, easy-to-target icons to execute commands. Capacitive refers to using electrodes to sense the conductive properties of objects, such as a finger.

“CUE is a very elegant in-vehicle hub of all the information and entertainment in your life. All of CUE’s controls use the same design vernac­ular to create a harmony unique to Cadillac,” said Dave Lyon, executive director, Cadillac Interior Design. “Vibrant colors, a piano black face plate, precision-milled buttons, intuitive touch screen placement and sculpted front console provide a spacious, fashion-forward cabin.”

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CTS Coupe Driving Sales and Image Gains

• Top-selling luxury coupe drives brand image, CTS family sales
• CTS lineup and SRX crossover sales rise in September

DETROIT – Through September, and just over a year after its launch, the Cadillac CTS Coupe is America’s best-selling mid-size luxury coupe and vying for first place among all luxury coupes.

The dramatically designed luxury sport coupe is a force in Cadillac’s overall ongoing gains in consumer image in a segment that previously consisted of only well-established European luxury sport models.

Cadillac sold 15,771 CTS Coupes through September, with a take rate of nearly 27 percent with the rest of CTS sales split between Sedan and Sport Wagon models. The industry average for coupe sales is 9 percent among luxury automakers.

“The launch and sales of the CTS Coupe has been an unqualified success and sets the stage for the all-new ATS and XTS models as a critical step in Cadillac’s brand renaissance,” said Kurt McNeil, vice president of Cadillac Sales and Service.

Cadillac’s V-Series of high-performance models feature the brand’s Magnetic Ride Control technology and a 556-hp supercharged engine. Nearly 20 percent of CTS Coupe models sold are V-Series editions. The Coupe and V-Series products give Cadillac an expanding reputation for high performance, a necessary element for the top luxury brands.

The CTS Coupe has attracted new buyers to Cadillac in general. Sales of the other CTS models – Sedan and Sport Wagon – have also increased. Total sales of the CTS family are up 24 percent in 2011, with 4,663 units sold in September.

According to Polk vehicle registration data through July, the CTS Coupe has driven more than half of the mid-luxury sales gains for the year. Comparatively through August, the overall luxury segment share of the industry is down 0.8 points over last year.

Meanwhile, the SRX midsize luxury crossover, which saw its share jump from ninth in the segment to second after its redesign a year earlier, is also vying for the top spot in its segment. Cadillac sold 4,901 SRXs in September, just 102 units fewer than the segment leader.

Escalade continues to lead the full-size luxury SUV segment sales in the United States with total sales of 2,414 units in September.

Beyond its products, Cadillac has also made substantial investments in updating its dealership and sales processes, and revamped its customer care programs, such as Cadillac Shield premium care maintenance and roadside assistance. As a result, Cadillac has grown its share of the luxury retail market 1 percentage point over last year while simultaneously reducing incentives.

Read More: http://media.opel.com/content/media/us/en/gm/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2011/Oct/1004_cadillac