We first got wind of the impending arrival of the XTS last year, when Cadillac unveiled the XTS Platinum concept at the Detroit Motor Show. That car was designed from the outset to be a taster of an all-new, top-of-the-range, luxury sedan for the company, and they weren’t kidding. The 2013 Cadillac XTS is more or less a carbon copy of the XTS Platinum concept, with just a few very minor styling tweeks – and unlike the concept it doesn’t have a hybrid drivetrain.
The Cadillac XTS is positioned at the top of Cadillac’s lineup, and as such it’s an impressively sized vehicle, offering more interior space than its competitors in terms of both passenger legroom and cargo capacity. The styling follows Cadillac’s “Art and Science” design motto to the letter, and to top it all off the massive chrome grille is quintessentially Cadillac.
The sheer size of the Cadillac XTS means it looks slightly bloated when compared to its rivals from Bavaria. But the increased space it allows for, as well as the added presence, shouldn’t put off too many potential buyers. In order to adequately fill the massive wheel arches, Cadillac have opted to fit the XTS with 19-inch wheels as standard. 20-inch wheels are an option.
Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac Marketing said of the car: “The Cadillac XTS represents a new formula for luxury, driven by advanced technology. XTS showcases the evolution of our Art & Science philosophy, merging the best technical ideas with the continued refinement of Cadillac design.” He continued; “The more you look, the more layers you see in XTS. They aren’t always apparent to the eye, but they build on one another in important ways to reinforce the car’s strength of design, comfort and driving experience.”
The Cadillac XTS is powered by a 300 horsepower 3.6 litre V6 engine. This engine features a lightweight design including a composite intake manifold and an integrated head/exhaust manifold design. The transmission is a Hydra-Matic 6T70 Six-speed automatic with tap-shift control. Power is sent to all four wheels through a smart Haldex all-wheel-drive system, with an electronic limited-slip differential that splits torque between the rear wheels.
To compliment the all-wheel-drive layout, the XTS is fitted with an advanced suspension system. Magnetic Ride Control delivers precise body motion control – evaluating the road surface every millisecond and changing damping in just five milliseconds. It replaces conventional mechanical-valve shocks with electronically controlled shocks filled with a magneto-rheological fluid containing tiny iron particles. Under the presence of magnetic charge, the iron particles align to provide damping resistance almost instantly.
StabiliTrak electronic stability control is standard on all XTS models, along with variable-effort steering and Brembo brakes borrowed from Cadillac’s V-Series performance models.
The interior of the Cadillac XTS has been designed to reflect the modern design of the exterior. In addition it features the company’s latest gadgets, including CUE. CUE is the company’s proprietary user-interface for the infotainment system. In the XTS, CUE – which stands for Cadillac User Experience – is the standard eight-inch (203 mm) screen in the console, the faceplate below the screen and the steering wheel controls. CUE features several industry firsts, including capacitive-touch control with proximity sensing, gesture recognition and natural voice recognition. Available exclusively on the XTS is the optional 12.3-inch (312 mm) reconfigurable display. It features vibrant graphic displays showcased among four driver-selectable themes, ranging from minimal to extensive information.
Source: Cadillac
