Modifications for the 2014 model year reposition the CTS saloon in Cadillac's range
Cadillac will launch a revised CTS saloon at the New York motor show. The dramatic facelift aims to position the CTS further up the Cadillac range and away from the new ATS.
The manufacturer claims the changes for the 2014 model year constitute a 'major redesign' and aims to make the car more competitive against European rivals, such as the Mercedes E-class and BMW 5-series. The focus of the overhaul is on design and performance, whilst also introducing new luxury and technology to the range.
The leaked images of the CTS show it retains Cadillac's familiar Art and Science language themes but also incorporates new features from the smaller ATS and the ELR range-extender hybrid. At the front, the CTS is noticeably more aggressive, with thin, tapering LED headlights and a prominent bumper. Cadillac has kept the rear of the car broadly similar to the current CTS.
The engine line-up will be reputedly crowned with a new twin-turbo V6. The 3.6-litre unit is said to produce 420bhp and 413lb ft of torque. Allied to an eight-speed auto, the first available in a Cadillac, the CTS twin-turbo will be capable of a 4.6 second sprint to 60mph and a 170mph top speed. On the new powertrain, Cadillac executive chief engineer David Leone has said it delivers “power and sophistication” and that “it marks another large step forward in the product-driven expansion of Cadillac”.
Elsewhere in the engine range, the CTS will be available with a 272bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit and a naturally aspirated 3.6-litre V6 with 321bhp.
The changes to the range will need to boost flagging sales. In 2012, 46,979 CTS Cadillacs were sold, down 14.6 per cent on the 2011 figure of 55,042.
Matt Bird