Cadillac Unleashes New Technologies

[Northstar]

DETROIT – This fall Cadillac delivers several innovative new technologies to consumers, as the brand continues its renaissance of new vehicles with dramatic designs and useful, intuitive new features. These new technologies range from important safety innovations to the pure enjoyment of enhanced in-vehicle entertainment and driving performance.

“Cadillac has a long heritage as a technology flagship for GM and the entire industry,” said Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager. “Our philosophy is to continue to deliver purposeful technology in a way that adds safety and pleasure, not complexity, to the experience of driving a luxury vehicle.”

Safety: Smarter airbags and headlamps

The all-new Cadillac DTS full-size luxury sedan features a new technology taking air bags to a new level of precision, the industry’s first Dual Depth Air Bags. This GM co-patented technology enables an air bag to deploy in either of two sizes, depending upon the severity of the crash, seat belt usage and occupant seat position. When small air bag deployment is necessary, a tether is used to hold the air bag back to the smaller size, and gas is vented from the inflation canister. For large air bag deployment, the tether is released, the canister vent is shut off and the air bag is allowed to expand to its full size. The new DTS is in dealerships now.

Cadillac’s XLR roadster is a high-performance machine enabling drivers to carve up twisty roads, day or night. The 2006 XLR includes Adaptive Forward Lighting, a system allowing the headlamps to better illuminate the car’s path. This

advanced technology moves the lighting pattern in synch with vehicle steering, enhancing driver visibility in corners and on twisty road sections. The system allows an industry-best maximum of 15 degrees of movement.

The new DTS and the STS luxury sport sedan employ another form of “smart” headlamps, called IntelliBeam. This system automatically switches high-beam headlamps back to the normal low-beam setting when a vehicle’s headlamps or taillamps appear in front of the car. It also will switch the high-beams back on again automatically when the road is clear in front of the car. The system operates via a light-sensing metal oxide semiconductor, mounted onto a tiny camera that peers through the windshield searching for light sources in front of the car.

Entertainment: Stealth antennae, digital tunes

Most 2006 Cadillacs include the acclaimed XM Satellite Radio service (NASDAQ:XMSR) as standard equipment (not including subscription fees). The rapid expansion of satellite radio has made the plastic roof antennae a fixture on top of millions of vehicles on U.S. roads today. Cadillac is changing that with the industry-first “stealth” antennae for XM Radio on the XLR. The tiny antennae are cleverly concealed within the outside rear view mirrors, an industry-first. XLR includes a network of more than one dozen antennae throughout the car, all concealed under its striking exterior. These antennae power features such as the car’s AM/FM/XM radio, OnStar communication, GPS-powered navigation system, Keyless Access system for entry and exit, push-button start and tire pressure monitoring.

In the new STS and DTS sedans, Cadillac drivers can effortlessly add their digital music player to their vehicle’s entertainment system. The standard audio system of the DTS includes an audio input jack in the radio system expressly for digital music (mp3) players such as the Apple IPod. The all-new 2007 Escalade, in dealerships in early-2006, will also include an input for digital music players.

Convenience: The demise of the windshield ice scraper

Drivers of the all-new DTS have a reason to look forward to winter snow and ice. DTS includes a new heated windshield wash system. The system heats washer fluid to approximately 176 degrees in 40 seconds, then applies the hot fluid to the windshield in four shots over a span of 90 seconds. Working with the wipers, the system clears snow, ice and just about anything else, off the windshield – with the driver comfortably seated inside. Even in warmer weather the system is helpful, as the heated fluid more effectively clears debris such as bugs from the windshield.

[-Camaro-]

I thought putting hot water on a frozen windshield was bad. Doesn't it crack the window?

[Newbiewar]

I thought putting hot water on a frozen windshield was bad. Doesn't it crack the window?

[post="22926"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

well lets think this out... degree change is bad if it isnt even.... if metal gets thrown water at it, it can crack due to expansion (or the opposite to be more persice) at extremely different rates... now metal is a solid, where as glass is a semi-liquid, meaning its never fully solid... this allows it to move through its life time as a window, unfortunatly I'm unfamiliar with the expansion rates of glass so, if the temerpature where to change from 20* to 174* within 90 seconds, i think the expansion will be fine... thats around 1.75 degrees per second... should be fine...

[caddycruiser]

Wow, I'm just amazed...never seen these things before.... :lol: Stuff other makes have had for YEARS! DTS: Not 100% sure, but this airbag technology can't be THAT new. XLR: Come on, Lexus to name just one, put this on their RX which starts in the $30k's....a few years back. DTS & STS: Intellibeam--actually a recent thing, but Jeep already had it first on the '05 Grand Cherokee. XLR: "Stealth" XM antenna...again, not 100% sure, but this can't be all that new. STS & DTS: Aux. audio jack....hmm, Honda, BMW, etc., etc. already had this in various models. Edited October 2, 2005 by caddycruiser

[Paolino]

I coulda sworn my friends 93 Town Car had a version of Intellibeam. I recall a police officer stopping him and then accusing him of having a radar detector.

[tmp]

Cadillac had autronic eye in the 50's. Intellibeam is a better version of it.

[Cory Wolfe]

I just wish some of these technologies could be available on cheaper vehicles.

[Flybrian]

Wow, I'm just amazed...never seen these things before.... :lol:

Stuff other makes have had for YEARS!

DTS: Not 100% sure, but this airbag technology can't be THAT new.
XLR: Come on, Lexus to name just one, put this on their RX which starts in the $30k's....a few years back.
DTS & STS: Intellibeam--actually a recent thing, but Jeep already had it first on the '05 Grand Cherokee.
XLR: "Stealth" XM antenna...again, not 100% sure, but this can't be all that new.
STS & DTS: Aux. audio jack....hmm, Honda, BMW, etc., etc. already had this in various models.

[post="23008"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Adaptive Forward Lighting (i.e. moving headlamps) have been on a bunch of cars over the years, I belive an Opel predates the Lexus application and of course far back on the Tucker of the late '40s.

As far as Intellibeam, Cadillac actually had it way before everyone as the Autronic Eye back in the 1950s and it was an option on many other GM cars.

[djkroll22]

I thought putting hot water on a frozen windshield was bad. Doesn't it crack the window?

[post="22926"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I don't think this will harm the window, but my concern would be people inadvertently getting splashed with very warm water. I'm not sure what the upper limit is for burns, but water heaters are not to be dialed too high temperature wise for heating home water. My water heater says that temperatures of 125 degrees F can cause severe burns and possible death...did GM check this over with the lawyers? :huh:


-Pharm.D

[balthazar]

The washers surely do not dispense a showerhead-volume of liquid, but likely a fine mist- the volume which would be insufficient to cause anyone burns. And if someone is going to sprawl across your Cadillac's windshield, they deserve what they get (how are people supposed to get sprayed by the washers??)

[Nick]

well lets think this out... degree change is bad if it isnt even.... if metal gets thrown water at it, it can crack due to expansion (or the opposite to be more persice) at extremely different rates...  now metal is a solid, where as glass is a semi-liquid, meaning its never fully solid... this allows it to move through its life time as a window, unfortunatly I'm unfamiliar with the expansion rates of glass so, if the temerpature where to change from 20* to 174* within 90 seconds, i think the expansion will be fine... thats around 1.75 degrees per second... should be fine...

[post="22950"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

yea, kind of a different scenario, but before I got my car they were washing it and it was a really hot day. I guess the window was very hot and the water they sprayed it with was very cold and it put a nice long crack across it...(they replaced it of course)...

[Paolino]

yea, kind of a different scenario, but before I got my car they were washing it and it was a really hot day. I guess the window was very hot and the water they sprayed it with was very cold and it put a nice long crack across it...(they replaced it of course)...

[post="23662"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I did that when I was a little boy... MY PARENTS WERE PISSED at me. I washed their car--1982 Malibu Classic, and when I was done, they got in to a perfect crack--I mean, it was beautiful even, down the center of the windshield--vertically in an "s" shape. Looked like a math equation graphed LOL