NEW YORK -- The redesigned Cadillac CTS sedan shows that the brand is sticking with performance in its bid to get onto the shopping lists of import-minded buyers.
General Motors bills the 2014 CTS, unveiled on the eve of the New York auto show, as lighter than the BMW 5 series and Mercedes E class, with "the most agile driving dynamics" among mid-sized luxury sedans.
The new CTS is longer and lower than its predecessor to give it a more athletic profile and improved handling.
GM is expanding the powertrain lineup to three engines, from two, including a new twin turbo 3.6-liter V-6 that will be offered in a new CTS performance model. It's billed as GM's most powerful V-6 engine ever.
The performance emphasis follows the playbook Cadillac used for the ATS compact, which has won critical praise since its launch last summer. The CTS rides on the same rear-wheel-drive platform that GM built from scratch for the ATS.
Cadillac 'centerpiece'
For the design, Cadillac kept the bold angles and sharp edges that mark its so-called art and science theme, a design language that debuted on the first CTS in 2002. But the sheet metal features more creases and subtle surfacing, meant to give the sedan a more sophisticated look.
Bob Ferguson, vice president of global Cadillac, calls CTS "the centerpiece" of the brand's lineup and believes the combination of performance and expressive styling can lure customers from German luxury brands.
"With Cadillac growing globally, driven by rising product credibility, the new CTS elevates the brand to a new level," Ferguson said in a statement.
GM will begin production of the 2014 CTS this fall at its Lansing Grand River plant in Michigan.
Higher price
Pricing will be announced later. The price is expected to rise considerably from $39,990, including shipping, for the base 2013 CTS, partly because of added content and because the CTS no longer will need to be Cadillac's high-volume car, a role that the ATS likely will assume.
Cadillac marketing chief Don Butler says the new CTS will be priced "in the same ballpark" with rival cars such as the 5 series, which has a base sticker of $48,695, including shipping.
"Given all of the significant advantages that this vehicle will have over a 5 series, for instance, I'd be remiss to come in and say, 'Here's a bargain-based price,'" Butler says.
A strong reception for the redesigned CTS could help Cadillac hit its lofty U.S. retail sales target of 190,000 units for this year, which would be a 35 percent rise from 2012 retail volume. Cadillac executives disclosed the goal to dealers at a national meeting in early February, according to dealers who attended.
'Quantum leaps' in sales
"If we're going to make this brand what it needs to be for GM, we've got to take quantum leaps in terms of where we are from a sales standpoint, from a brand-positioning standpoint," Butler told reporters this month.
Butler says he expects CTS volumes to grow this year even with the addition of the ATS to the lineup. CTS volumes have slumped since the August launch of the ATS amid some cross-shopping between the nameplates.
Research firm IHS Automotive expects sales of the CTS sedan to be around the same as last year, 33,536 units, with about 20 percent of the volume coming from the 2014 model once it hits showrooms in the fourth quarter. It expects the sedan's sales to dip to about 32,000 in 2014 and rise to 34,000 in 2015. All CTS sales, including the coupe and wagon versions, fell 15 percent in 2012 to 46,979.
No longer a 'tweener'
Since its introduction 11 years ago, the CTS has been what GM executives call a "tweener" car: slightly bigger than a compact, but smaller than competing mid-sized sedans. That was because, until last year, Cadillac lacked a small car. So the CTS filled two roles.
That changes with the 2014 CTS, which is about 5 inches longer than the outgoing CTS and about 1.5 inches wider. Its dimensions line up almost identically with the 5 series and E class, which Cadillac execs say will give buyers an apples-to-apples choice when sizing up the CTS against mid-sized luxury competitors.
The longer profile, raked windshield and a stretched C pillar give the car a leaner profile. A slightly longer wheelbase results in a more spacious rear seat.
The front end features a wider, more prominent grille than the current CTS, framed by polished aluminum. The car has the vertical, bladelike LED headlights and taillights that have become a signature Cadillac styling cue.
To achieve a lower curb weight -- about 200 pounds less than a BMW 528i, GM says -- the CTS doors are made of aluminum, a first for the brand, which shed more than 50 pounds.
'More sculpture,' less weight
"It's true to the brand, but it's adding more sophistication, much more sculpture and dynamism in the surfacing," says Mark Adams, executive director of Cadillac design, who describes the sedan as having more "leanness and muscularity" than the outgoing CTS.
To achieve a lower curb weight -- about 200 pounds less than a BMW 528i, GM says -- the CTS doors are made of aluminum, a first for the brand, which shed more than 50 pounds. Aluminum also was used for the front cradle, front shock towers and other components, helping achieve a 7 percent weight savings from the current CTS.
For improved driving dynamics, Cadillac for the first time is offering standard on all models its magnetic ride control, a real-time damping system that provides for a smoother ride.
Like the ATS, the CTS also has a nearly 50-50 weight distribution, which improves driving dynamics. Heavy use of aluminum components in the front suspension is balanced by steel in the rear suspension, which offsets the weight of the engine and transmission to achieve the even balance, GM engineers said.
Engine choices
Cadillac is expanding the CTS powertrain lineup to three engine choices, even while dropping the 3.0-liter V-6 in today's base car. It will carry over the available 3.6-liter V-6, which will generate 321 hp in the 2014 model, and will be paired with an paddle-shift eight-speed automatic in rwd models, though not in all-wheel-drive versions.
Another addition is the 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that is the volume powerplant in the ATS, which will produce 272 hp and be combined with a six-speed automatic.
The new twin turbo V-6 will be offered only on a new CTS model, called Vsport, which also will have GM's first eight-speed transmission. The engine produces 420 hp and 430 pounds-feet of torque. GM says it will travel from 0 to 60 mph in about 4.6 seconds.
The cabin of the 2014 CTS is roomier than the current model, GM says, with available accents of carbon fiber, real wood or aluminum. It will be offered with 20-way adjustable leather seats, the most configurations offered on any of the brand's models.
By adding the model, GM is trying to build on the success of the CTS-V, a high-performance, supercharged V-8 model introduced in 2004.
"It's an opportunity," says Dave Leone, Cadillac's chief engineer. "There were folks who wanted more power and can't go all the way up to a V series, or choose not to."
Interior touches
Inside, the cabin is roomier than the current CTS, GM says, with available accents of carbon fiber, real wood or aluminum. It will be offered with 20-way adjustable leather seats, the most configurations offered on any of the brand's models.
"We wanted to give a more bespoke, handcrafted feel to the interior to be a little bit different from the German premium brands," Adams says.
The 8-inch touch screen for the CUE infotainment system, introduced last year on the XTS sedan, anchors the center stack. The instrument panel features a 5.7-inch driver information display; pricier models come with a 12.3-inch color screen that can be configured to one of four settings: standard, balanced, performance or enhanced.
Extra touches include a motorized cupholder compartment cover, power rear window shade, a hidden storage compartment behind the control panel and heated rear seats.
Send us a letter
Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.
