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Cadillac CTS Coupe 2011
The 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe is the latest addition to the lineup of Cadillac’s best-selling cars. The 2-door coupe joins 4-door sedan and wagon body styles, which see no major changes for 2011. The coupe seats 4 while other versions seat 5. The high-performance CTS-V returns as a rear-drive sedan powered by a 556-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V8. It teams with a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission.
Coupe is a classic 2+2 layout bolstered with advanced technology, such as a rear-view camera system and a performance-oriented suspension system coupled to rear-wheel or all-wheel drive. The CTS coupe rides on the sedan’s wheelbase, yet is about two inches shorter in height and two inches shorter in overall length. It eschews a conventional B-pillar for coupe styling, and interestingly, loses its door handles for push-button entry similar to that offered on the Chevrolet Corvette.
The front fascia features some detail changes compared to the CTS Sedan, such as enlarged openings for the brake cooling vents. The rear fascia adds a center-exit exhaust and unique diamond cut-style mesh lower grilles.
Although it draws from its sport sedan sister, the Cadillac CTS Coupe shares only the instrument panel, console, headlamps, front fenders and grille. Key design features include:
- Classic hardtop styling, with no conventional B-pillar
- Touch-pad operation for the doors removes the need for conventional door handles, creating a technical, clean profile
- A windshield laid at a faster angle (62.3 degrees) and a long, nearly horizontal backglass area combine to create a sleek, aerodynamic look
- Sculpted lower front fascia with unique brake-cooling vents
- Diamond cut-style rear fascia with mesh lower grilles
- Center-outlet exhaust with twin dihedral-shaped tips that pass through the rear fascia
- Signature vertical lighting, highlighted with LED light pipes
- Rear spoiler integrated into the center high-mounted stop lamp
- Sculpted roof-mounted antenna for OnStar and XM Satellite Radio
Car offers a host of advanced technologies, including:
- Integrated iPod/MP3 capability
- 40-gig hard drive, including the ability to store music and pause-and-replay live radio
- Pop-up navigation system
- Adaptive forward lighting system
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Standard Keyless Access and Smart Remote Start
- Rear Camera system
- Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround™ audio system
As with other Cadillac models, the Cadillac CTS Coupe comes standard with OnStar with Turn-by-Turn Navigation, the first factory-installed, fully integrated GPS navigation system from OnStar.
Cadillac SRX Turbo Premium 2010
Cadillac’s second rendition of its SRX crossover is new for the 2010 model year, with a smaller footprint and renegotiated interior appointments. The new model is smaller and sleeker, but just as stylish and well-equipped as the original and it has fins. The 2010 SRX just reeks of luxury and luxurious touches and nearly all are standard on the car.
The SRX is available in both front-wheel and all-wheel drive configurations, and is powered by either a 3.0-liter, direct-injection V-6, or a 2.8-liter turbo V-6, both use a six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control. Standard safety features include anti-lock disc brakes, Stabilitrak electronic stability control, six airbags with occupant sensing system, tire pressure monitor, theft-deterrent system, daytime running lights and OnStar. Available luxury and high-tech features include genuine wood interior trim, adaptive Xenon headlights, rearview camera, navigation system, double-sized glass sunroof, 20″ wheels and tires and rain-sensing wipers.
The exterior of the SRX is all about angled curves and Cadillacs ubiquitous chevron, which is repeated throughout the outside (and interior) of this vehicle. A chrome turn signal indicator cum air vent lies to the rear of the front fenders and an acute body crease spears the side panels, front to rear.
The interior is full of thoughtful details, once the domain of Cadillac’s foreign competitors, including finger-fitting scroll-shaped inside door handles, and cup holders with a flap that changes the size of cups that can be accommodated. The back seat folds forward for a flat load floor. Large boxes should slide in easily. The Cadillac SRX also has a standard power liftgate with a three-quarter open mode for access to the cargo area in low ceiling areas. This beautiful crystal red (extra charge of $995) SRX AWD Premium has a shale interior with brownstone accents. Its all very rich and well done, as Cadillac is going back to its roots of being the standard of the world, which the brand was in its heyday.
Steering effort is moderate but the feel is very smooth, if at the expense of some road feel. Driving by the seat of one’s pant takes on a different meaning. That said, the driver’s seat has an extendable panel for thigh support for taller drivers. Proud enough that from the right angle the taillights have a subtle tailfin look.
Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon 2011
Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. In recent years, Cadillac has engineered an historic renaissance led by artful engineering and global expansion. Like the sedan and coupe models, the CTS-V sports Wagon is powered by the same 6.2 liter supercharged V8 engine that delivers a total of 556 hp and 551 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine can be coupled to either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic.
The exterior is finished in Midnight Silver, first seen on the Cadillac Sixteen Concept, and accented by lustrous Liquid Silver-finished wheels and a black chrome finish on the grille’s mesh insert. The rear fascia, upper spoiler and center high-mounted stop lamp are also unique to the show car. Its unique bodystyle is all we can say about what distinguishes the wagon from either of the other two high performance variants. It will ride on 19-inch aluminum wheels, pack magnetic ride control, Brembo brakes and has an optional panoramic sunroof. OK, so there’s something it has that the other two don’t.
Inside, the CTS-V Sport Wagon show car is trimmed in exclusive black leather with Alcantara accents. The upper section of the instrument panel and upper door panels are covered in the same premium leather, accented with midnight Sapele wood, while the microfiber material and stitching is applied to the lower door panels, pillars, console lid, headliner and steering wheel center. The show car features fine-grain black leather- trimmed Recaro seats with Alcantara seat inserts. The seat inserts are divided in the center and accented with dark gray stitching, while the V-series logo is laser etched into the seatbacks. Obsidian Black accents grace the center stack, console, steering wheel and door panels.
The interior of the CTS-V Sport Wagon is shared with the sedan, including streamlined instrumentation, LED lighting and hand-cut-and-sewn accents.
The brakes and tyres are taken care of by two big names in their respective fields – Brembo and Michelin – with six-piston callipers in the front and four-piston callipers in the rear housed behind Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 rubber specifically engineered for the CTS-V.
The rest of the exterior carries the dramatic design of the new CTS Sport Wagon; the details of which include:
- Signature V-shaped deck and tailgate motif
- Large, vertical taillamps with light-pipe technology
- Power-opening liftgate (via key fob or in-vehicle button)
- CHMSL-integrated roof spoiler
- Integrated roof load management system with available cross bars for a seamless appearance
- Cargo management system with adjustable in-floor containment
- Available panoramic UltraView sunroof.
Cadillac Escalade EXT 2005
Escalade is a luxury spinoff of the large Chevrolet/GMC SUVs. It comes in three versions. The Escalade EXT is a five-passenger SUV with full-time all-wheel drive. The EXT may be transformed into a pickup whenever necessary by simply dropping the midgate panel between the bed and the cabin; this turns passenger space into additional cargo area. All models have automatic transmission, front side airbags, ABS, antiskid/traction control, tire-pressure monitor, and Cadillac’s automatic-adjusting Road Sensing Suspension. Also standard: trailering package, power-adjustable gas and brake pedals, rear obstacle detection, and OnStar assistance.
Changes for ’05 involve a restyled gauge cluster, new interior trim, upgraded cooling system, and standard chrome exhaust tips. Also, the available navigation system replaces a joystick control with a touch screen. The ESV Platinum Edition includes navigation system, specific appearance touches, and 20-inch chrome alloy wheels in place of Escalade’s standard 17-inch alloys.
The best-in-class Vortec 6000 6.0L V-8 cranks out 345 horsepower (257 kw) at 5200 rpm and 380 lb.-ft. of torque (515 Nm) at 4000 rpm. The engine links to the Hydra-Matic 4L65-E heavy-duty electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission with overdrive. Electronic throttle control provides precise throttle progression.
The Escalade EXT features automatic passenger-sensing air bag suppression with a passenger sensing system (PSS) that automatically deactivates the passenger-side front air bag under certain conditions to help protect smaller occupants. Even with this system, Cadillac strongly recommends restraining child passengers in an appropriate child seat placed in the second or third row of the vehicle. The Escalade EXT also has dual-stage frontal air bags, providing supplemental protection for front-seat passengers. Dual-stage frontal air bags are designed to help reduce the risk of air bag-induced injury. When the air bag system’s control unit detects an impact, it determines whether the crash is severe enough to trigger a deployment, and whether the primary amount of inflation is sufficient.
Exterior
The Escalade EXT is unmistakably a Cadillac with its sheer, chiseled forms and bold styling. In its standard configuration, EXT offers a roomy, luxurious, comfortable five-passenger cab and a 5-foot, 3-inch (1.6 m) long cargo bed. Luxury customers requiring more cargo room can easily convert the reconfigurable Midgate system in a few minutes without any tools, extending the bed to a full 8-foot, 1-inch (2.46 m).
The Midgate folds into the interior of the cab to create a 4-foot by 8-foot (1.2 m by 2.4 m) cargo area to transport large items, from art to a large-screen TV.
Interior
For audio/visual aficionados, Escalade EXT has an available DVD rear-seat entertainment system with a 7-inch (178-mm) flip-down screen. It also includes a DVD navigation system, standard XM Satellite Radio (continental U.S. only) and a premium seven-speaker Bose sound system with an in-dash six-disc changer and digital signal processing for superb imaging, stage and spectral response. The navigation system uses an onboard computer and vehicle sensors to interact with the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the DVD map database to provide precise vehicle location and to calculate a driving route to a destination. It can help locate and provide routes to addresses, intersections, and points of interest such as ATMs, restaurants, hospitals and museums – all with visual and voice guided directions.
Changes for ’05 involve a restyled gauge cluster, new interior trim, upgraded cooling system, and standard chrome exhaust tips. Also, the available navigation system replaces a joystick control with a touch screen. The ESV Platinum Edition includes navigation system, specific appearance touches, and 20-inch chrome alloy wheels in place of Escalade’s standard 17-inch alloys.
Everything in the Escalade EXT functions as promised, and its performance rivals that of a regular Escalade. But the utility of the pickup bed at the back is debatable. Even more than a standard Escalade, the EXT comes across as an example of sheer excess at a time when oversize vehicles are losing favor.
