 7 years since its birth, Cadillac CTS has
entered the second generation. Although the outgoing CTS surprised us
by outstanding handling (thanks to the RWD platform and good
suspensions), it left a lot to be desired in build quality and
refinement. In particular, the interior felt too cheap to compete with
the likes of Audi A4 and BMW 3-series. In the remake, Cadillac lifted
its quality standard. This is easily visible from the completely
redesigned interior – now it is handsomely shaped, tightly assembled
and made of high-quality plastics, leather and aluminum, although the
design is more Japanese than European. Externally, you can see the
assembly gaps are narrow, paint finish seems perfect, while the restyle
on the "Art and Science" exterior design becomes smoother and has
better attention to details. It looks prettier than the old car as well
as the larger STS. To
deliver a perception of high quality, Bob Lutz asked his engineers to
install triple door seals to insulate wind and road noise more
effectively while producing the "thunk" of European cars. Ventilated
and heated seats, classy audio system and infotainment system lifts its
premium image right up to the level of Mercedes-Benz. The wider cabin
offers more shoulder room. The seatbacks are made thinner in order to
free up a couple more inches of rear legroom. Dimension-wise, the new CTS changes little from the old one. It retains the already long 2880mm wheelbase. Overall length is 4766mm (-64mm from the old car), overall width is 1841mm (+46mm) and overall height is 1472mm (+32mm). The tracks are widened by 50mm. Basically, most of the chassis structural parts come from the larger STS as both are built on the Sigma II platform. Suspensions continues to be double-wishbone up front but the wishbones and knuckles are converted to aluminum. Besides, an aluminum tower brace has been added to strengthen the top of the suspension towers. The modified multi-link rear suspensions get aluminum upper control arms and strengthened construction. 3 levels of suspension package are offered: FE1 with comfort-biased tuning and 235/55R17 tires; FE2 with stiffer anti-roll bars and 235/50R18 tires; FE3 with stiffer dampers, larger brakes and sporty Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires. The steering is assisted by ZF Servotronic II system. These premium ingredients inevitably push up the price to the level of its German rivals, but the resultant improved dynamics is worthwhile.  On the road, the new CTS with FE3 suspension package drives
like a German premium sedan and makes most Japanese competitors boring.
No matter grip, roll resistance, chassis balance, steering or
high-speed stability, it is right up to the level of German cars. This
is not a surprise, as the car was tested extensively in Nurburgring
Nordschleife during development phase. The only area it can't quite
match BMW 3-series and Mercedes C-class is agility. The CTS is as large
as a 5-series and weighs some 1830 kg (with manual gearbox) or 1860 kg
(with automatic). That's 300 kg heavier than 335i and C350 ! In the engine compartment, biggest news is a direct-injection version of the 3.6-liter DOHC VVT V6, which kicks out 304 horsepower and 273 lbft of torque while returning 3 percent lower consumption. It allows the Cadillac to compete on equal ground with Infiniti's and Lexus' V6. The next engine is the existing port-injected 3.6 unit with 263 hp and 252 lbft. For European, Chinese and Middle East market, the CTS is offered with a tax-friendly, 2.8-liter version of the V6 with 210 hp and 194 lbft.  To
cope with the hefty kerb weight, our first choice is the 304hp direct
injection V6, of course. It is capable to sprint from 0-60 in 5.9
seconds, a whole second quicker than the old car. Nevertheless, such
improvement is partly due to a shorter final drive ratio chosen to
compensate for its extra weight. If we observe the time taken for 0-100
mph acceleration, we will find it is considerably slower than BMW 335i,
Infiniti G35 and Lexus IS350. Even the front-drive Lexus ES350 and
Toyota Avalon are quicker than the Caddy to the ton. Apart from
performance, we are not satisfied with the NVH level of the
Holden-based engine. It produces more vibration than other premium
six-cylinder engines and sounds quite coarse at the upper rev band. Caddy
offers two transmissions for the new CTS. The first one is an updated
Aisin 6-speed manual box. It claims to have improved shift linkage for
shorter gear throws, but on the road it can't match a BMW gearbox for
slickness. Fortunately, manual transmission is likely to account for
only a few percent of the production. The majority of buyers will
choose the new Hydra-Matic 6-speed automatic built by GM itself. Apart
from the lack of paddle shift, this transmission has everything a good
automatic ought to have: smooth in auto mode, responsive in sport mode,
throttle blip at downshift to match rev, hold a gear until near red
line during enthusiastic drive. The new CTS does not set any new standards for compact premium class. It still needs to improve its engine and energy efficiency, but everything else is up to world standard. We are particularly impressed by its attention to interior quality and handling, the two areas at which European premium cars are so strong. Cadillac sold only 300,000 units of the first generation CTS. The new car deserves more success. |
| The above report was last updated on 3 Aug 2007. All Rights Reserved. |