Cadillac CTS at Auto expo 2008 in Newdelhi

You're looking at the single most important car Cadillac Which is displyed at auto expo 2008. The new 2008 CTS will prove once and for all whether GM's luxury division can truly deliver on the promise of its radical "Art & Science" styling revolution and run wheel to wheel with the likes of Audi, BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz. There's a lot at stake for GM with this car: prestige, credibility, and the corporation's reborn faith in the primacy of product.

2008 Cadillac CTS

POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS

Drivetrain layout: Front engine, RWD
Engine type: 60 V-6 alum block/heads
Valvetrain: DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
Displacement: 217.5 cu in/3564 cc
Compression ratio: 11.3:1
Power (SAE NET): 304 hp @ 6300 rpm
Torque (SAE NET): 273 lb-ft @ 5200 rpm
Redline: 7000 rpm
Weight to power: 13.0 lb/hp
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Axle/final: 3.42:1/2.29:1
Steering ratio: 16.1:1
Turns lock-to-lock: 2.8 Brakes, f;r13.6-in vented disc; 13.4-in vented disc, ABS
Wheels: 8.5 x 18 in, cast aluminum
Tires: 235/50ZR18 97Y Michelin Pilot Sport PS2

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 113.4 in Track, f/r 61.8/62.0 in
Length x width x height: 191.6 x 72.5 x 58.0 in
Turning circle: 56.2 ft
Curb weight: 3960 lb
Weight dist, f/r: 53/47%
Seating capacity: 5
Headroom, f/r: 38.8/37.2 in
Legroom, f/r: 42.4/35.9 in
Shoulder room, f/r: 56.7/57.4 in
Cargo volume: 13.5 cu ft

TEST DATA

Acceleration to mph
0-30: 2.2 sec
0-40: 3.3
0-50: 4.8
0-60: 6.3
0-70: 8.3
0-80: 10.7
0-90: 13.3
Passing, 45-65 mph: 3.1
Quarter mile: 14.8 sec @ 95.4 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 109 ft
Lateral acceleration: 0.89 g avg
MT figure eight: 26.4 sec @ 0.66 g avg
Top-gear revs @ 60 mph 1900 rpm
Stability/traction control: Yes/yes
Airbags: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain
Fuel capacity:18.1 gal .

The CTS will initially be offered with three engines: a 210-horse, 2.8-liter V-6; a 258-horse, 3.6-liter V-6; and a 304-horse, 3.6-liter V-6 with direct injection. All three V-6s are versions of GM's all-aluminum, quad cam, 24-valve "high-feature" engine and come with state-of-the-art goodies such as a forged-steel crank and variable valve timing. The 2.8 is an export-only engine, destined for China, Europe, the Middle East, and any other markets where engines over 3.0 liters attract higher taxes. The 258-horse 3.6 is essentially a carryover from the current CTS. The big news is the new direct-injection-DI-version.

The new CTS deserves a creamy BMW six under the hood. Yes, it's that good. It has great road presence, thanks to designer John Manoogian's dramatically chiseled exterior, and the interior looks upscale without the cheesiness Detroit once specialized in. Fit and finish, inside and out, looked good on the early build cars we drove in Germany, though some hard plastics and visible parting lines (the thin strips of raised plastic you get where the pieces of the die join) were still evident. And though it rolls on the same wheelbase as the previous CTS, interior packaging is much improved: Thinner backrests on the front seats liberate about two inches of knee room for rear seat passengers.


More important, the CTS drives like a proper BMW rival. It's light and agile on its feet, with quick steering response yet impressive straight-line stability at speed, and a StabiliTrak system that's beautifully tuned to be almost unobtrusive in its interventions. The sporty FE3 suspension with the Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires is probably a bit too firm for most people-the ride can get jittery over broken pavement-but if you value handling above all else, that's the one to go for. The midlevel FE2 setup, which comes with the 18-inch-wheel package and all-season Michelin MXV4 tires, is probably the best compromise for most people, offering a good balance between ride and handling.

New CTS in detail: The key stuff you need to know

Chassis tunes:

FE1. Available with RWD or AWD, and PFI engine only. Bilstein shocks; 24mm front, 18mm rear stabilizer bars (33mm front and 19mm rear on AWD); open diff(s); 17.4:1 steering ratio. 8.0 x 17-inch alloy wheels with 235/55R17 Michelin MXV4 all-season tires standard.
FE2. Available with RWD or AWD, and PFI or DI engine. Same spring rate as FE1, but stiffer-rate Bilstein shocks. 29mm front, 20mm rear stabilizer bars; faster16.1:1 steering ratio; limited slip diff(s). Larger, wider 8.5 x 18-inch alloy wheels with 235/50R18 Michelin MXV4 all-season tires. RWD gets FE1 brake package (12.4-in front rotors with aluminum calipers); AWD gets larger diameter FE3 brakes. FE3. RWD and DI engine only. Same steering, springs and bars as FE2, but uprated shocks (Bilstein front and Sachs Nivomat load leveling at the rear). Wheels are same as FE2, but standard tire is 235/50R18 Michelin Pilot Sport 2, and standard brake package includes 13.6-in front rotors with cast iron calipers.

Interior:

Three colorways: all black; black with gray; and cashmere with dark cocoa. All available with faux carbon fiber or real Sapele wood accents.

Standard equipment:

Leather-wrapped steering wheel with manual tilt and reach adjustment; eight way power seats; Bose eight speaker AM/FM/single CD/MP3 system.

Coolest options:

Pop-up hard disk sat/nav with real-time weather and traffic info; 300-watt, 10-speaker Bose 5.1 sound system that comes with a 40-gig hard drive that allows pause and rewind of up to one hour of live radio and can store tracks off your favorite CDs. Your iPod can be plugged in and operated via the car's controls.The enthusiasts' choice: DI manual FE3 rear-drive-fast and fun to drive. The all-arounder: DI automatic all-wheel-drive FE2-much of the extra 200-plus pounds burdens the front axle, numbing the steering a little, but you get great all-weather stability and grip.

15 Things You Must Know About The New Cadillac CTS

1. Grille was inspired by the extravagant Cadillac Sixteen concept unveiled at the 2003 Detroit show.
2. Optional high-intensity discharge Xenon headlights are computer controlled to turn with steering-wheel input.
3. Hood is aluminum to reduce weight and features sealing techniques normally used on doors for greater noise and vibration control.
4.Two 3.6-liter engines for the U.S: new 300-horse direct-injection model and carryover 258-horse version. Some export markets will get 210-horse, 2.8-liter.
5.Direct injection delivers 15-percent increase in horsepower, eight-percent increase in torque, and 25-percent reduction in cold-start hydrocarbon emissions.
6. Front fender vent is die-cast metal, not plastic. Achieving the complex form of fender at the base of the A-pillar was a major challenge for GM body engineers.
7. Sat/nav screen telescopes up out of center stack. When not in use (shown here) top portion of screen displays non-nav information.
8. 300-watt, 10 speaker Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround audio available. 40-gigabyte hard-drive music storage system with USB port for MP3 player is standard.
9. Roof panel is laser-brazed to the cant rails to ensure a smooth, uninterrupted surface. Double sunroof gives front and rear-seat passengers a sky view.
10. Intersection of sharp rear fender crease and base of the C-pillar is another design cue from the Cadillac Sixteen concept.
11. Vertical LED "light pipes" front and rear are designed to give the CTS a unique visual signature at night.
12. Perforated material inside tailpipes increases resonance and counters high-frequency noise. Dual exhaust outlets are 3.0-inch diameter.
13. 113.4-inch wheelbase is same as current CTS. Track is 2.0 inches wider front and rear; overall length is up 0.1 inch, and height up 0.7 inch.
14. Six-speed transmissions only. New Hydra-Matic 6L50 automatic gets steering wheel shift control; Aisin manual gets new short-throw shifter.
15. All-wheel drive available for first time on CTS. 18-inch wheels come with performance suspension package and premium brakes.