DETROIT -- Cadillac says a new generation of its touch-screen infotainment system, debuting next month in the CTS sedan, addresses customer frustrations that dragged the brand down in quality surveys.
The updated Cadillac User Experience system reduces the number of steps required to access information and vehicle controls. Among the changes is a new summary view, which displays climate, audio, phone and navigation on the screen simultaneously.
After the CTS, it will be available on the 2018 XTS and ATS before spreading across the brand's lineup in "future model years," Cadillac said last week in a statement.
A Cadillac spokesman said the brand conducted numerous sessions to gather feedback from customers as it redesigned CUE for the first time since its introduction in 2012. But he said the update does not include bringing back more buttons and knobs, as some brands have done after finding that many customers didn't like using touch screens and sliders to control audio volume and other frequently used functions.
Frustrations with CUE caused Cadillac's performance in surveys by Consumer Reports and J.D. Power to suffer in recent years. At one point, Consumer Reports said the system was worse than MyFord Touch, which similarly hurt Ford Motor Co.'s quality ratings.
Cadillac addressed some problems with the first generation of CUE with minor software updates, but the upcoming version marks the system's first overhaul.
