Cadillac XTS Struts Its Stuff At LA

[Drew Dowdell]

The XTS vent won't carry over directly. Look at the SRX vent for the likely result.

Also just noticed, the parking brake button is now on the driver's left.... interesting location move.

[Robert Hall]

Interesting..don't see a pedal on the left...w/ that SRX parking brake, it's a push button to set and release it? I see the button on the left..

[CanadianBacon94]

When are we to expect that new dash in the SRX?

[Drew Dowdell]

Interesting..don't see a pedal on the left...w/ that SRX parking brake, it's a push button to set and release it? I see the button on the left..

No pedal. It is electric set and release. That is how it is set up today, but the button is on the center console

[ocnblu]

Are you sure that's not the production XTS dash?

Edited November 7, 2011 by ocnblu

[hyperv6]

I think it is fair to say that I'm one of only three on this website who have sat in the thing. The styling is dead on for me and I have not been this smitten with a car since the original CTS was shown in 2002. If Cadillac gets even 75% of the concept car's interior into production, they'll have an extremely strong contender on their hands. We already know that the center stack, steering wheel, and gauge cluster are making it into production.

Cadillac XTS Concept interior:

Cadillac CUE System - Featured in a Cadillac SRX

Now there you go giving an informed opinion. You have to stop that or you might prove someone wrong! LOL!

[Drew Dowdell]

Are you sure that's not the production XTS dash?

I'd say not. It was in an SRX. But I wouldn't be surprised to see the major components of that dash end up debuting in the XTS.

[Robert Hall]

Hmmm..that pic doesn't look like the SRX interior at all...is it getting a redesign? It's a nice dash design.

This is the '12 SRX dash from the Caddy website

http://www.cadillac....m-1-685x220.jpg

Edited November 7, 2011 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Drew Dowdell]

Edit: No you're right, that CUE pic I posted must be XTS. I didn't look through our own gallery close enough. They did show CUE with a SRX in the flesh, but they must have included some CGI of the XTS also.

Here is CUE in the SRX.

The full Cadillac CUE album

[Drew Dowdell]

Anyone still having doubts as to what type of powertrain will be offered in the XTS?

I think it coming out as a plug-in 2-mode hybrid V6 is extremely likely

[ocnblu]

Oh no, I'm Xtra Too Sorry about that...

[Drew Dowdell]

You aren't the target market anyway. The XTS is going to be more for people who like high tech electronics in their cars

[FAPTurbo]

OH MY GOD IT'S A SWIPE MENU WITH APPLICATIONS!!

NERDGASAMSMASMSAMDSAGFDVZPF!

If this has full synchronization with Android, BB or iPhone, this will be the car of my dreams.

[William Maley]

You aren't the target market anyway. The XTS is going to be more for people who like high tech electronics in their cars

Raises hand

[Robert Hall]

You aren't the target market anyway. The XTS is going to be more for people who like high tech electronics in their cars

They will have to expand the target demo, though..the 65+ crowd that buys the DTS isn't that down w/ the electronics...

[smk4565]

You aren't the target market anyway. The XTS is going to be more for people who like high tech electronics in their cars

If they want a high tech luxury car shouldn't they be buying an S-class?

And even a Focus or Veloster has Nav, voice commands, traffic and weather updates, bluetooth, etc. The Focus even has self park. A lot of this electronic stuff that is on iPad's and smart phones is in basic cars now. And I agree with Cubical, in that the 70+ crowd buying this car doesn't like electronics anyway.

[Drew Dowdell]

You aren't the target market anyway. The XTS is going to be more for people who like high tech electronics in their cars

If they want a high tech luxury car shouldn't they be buying an S-class?

Sure, because they have an extra $30k to blow on a car and not think anything of it.....

This isn't Cadillac's S-Class competitor.

[hyperv6]

This is not a Cheers and Gears kind of car but there are plenty of people out there who don't like what we like that have the money to make this car profitable. GM needs to make cars for everyone not just the C&G crowd.

Lets face it only a few people here would buy a Cruze but GM needs cars like this because there are more of them than there are of us. Like I said this is not a home run but it will make money and not harm Cadillac name in anyway.

[Drew Dowdell]

and China will eat it up

[hyperv6]

and China will eat it up

Yes They Will!

[Robert Hall]

This is supposedly a pic of the production version...has a strong Sonata feel to me..lots of differences from the concept car incl. the greenhouse and side creases..

As seen on www.cadillac.com and Jalopnik.

Edited November 9, 2011 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[William Maley]

This is supposedly a pic of the production version...has a strong Sonata feel to me..lots of differences from the concept car incl. the greenhouse and side creases..

As seen on www.cadillac.com and Jalopnik.

Cadillac has comfirmed to Jalopnik that is XTS we'll be seeing next week at LA.

http://www.cheersandgears.com/page/index.html/_/articles/gmnews/ladies-gents-i-give-you-the-cadillac-xts-r28

[Robert Hall]

<cynical>

Keep the greenhouse, flatten the sides, change the nose and tail, and voila--2014 Impala...

</cynical>

Edited November 9, 2011 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[hyperv6]

You have to see this car in person as the photo's don't show what it really is.

Many of GM's cars of late look understated in photos but really pop in person.

You will not mistake this for a Sonota on the street!

[smk4565]

Looks huge and tall like a Lincoln MKS, and the grille looks a lot like the STS, which is a boring car. To me, they make an MKS with a Cadillac grille, this is lame. I am not a fan of this trend to make headlights go back halfway over the hood either, and multiple automakers seem to be doing that recently. Looks rather slab sided with a high belt line, aside from the one character line they put in it, trunk looks short and stubby, that car is sad.

[regfootball]

another sales winner for caddy. looks nice! i am still more skeptical about the inside but seriously people a lot of caddy buyers are waiting for this car......

[Drew Dowdell]

What doubts do you have about the interior?

We've seen it already:

[regfootball]

CTS interior is not top drawer, just merely pretty ok. SRX interior is nicer. Yet Caddy still can't demonstrate any ability to make an Audi like interior.....with really superfine tight panel fits, SMALL seams and gaps, and insane attention to detail.

[Drew Dowdell]

That's ok, Audi hasn't figured out how to not have those interiors not fall apart after 50,000 miles.

Perhaps some melding of the two would be good.

[balthazar]

Audi doesn't have any "insane" detailing; please.

[smk4565]

The interior looks a bit too Chevy Malibu for me. I don't see this as any better than Lincoln interior that you can feel the Ford coming through. That interior is no better than the CTS, which came out 4 years ago. I smell some price overlap coming.

[Drew Dowdell]

Right because you can accurately judge the car from a CGI of the interior.....

[CanadianBacon94]

The production XTS in that picture looks a bit more, i don't know *Ordinary* i think it will look better in person, though i like the interior

And Reg, does the SRX have better materials than the CTS in the dash?

[ocnblu]

I take issue with the title of this thread. This car does not strut, it dodders. With a walker.

[CanadianBacon94]

I take issue with the title of this thread. This car does not strut, it dodders. With a walker.

Maybe it's a pun on the suspension name

yes i am kidding,

[ocnblu]

Me too. That interior, at least the dash, looks nice. And, historically speaking, (except for maybe the Camaro), we are always a bit let down by the production version of a "near production" concept, aren't we? The distortion of an accidental photograph is wreaking havoc in here on a car none of us have seen in production form.

Edited November 12, 2011 by ocnblu

[dwightlooi]

OK... my preliminary take is this.

(1) I actually like the exterior. For a large FWD, it has good proportions and a clean, uncluttered flank. The headlights are sleek. The grille has too much chrome but not offensively so. The green house is neat enough and the wheel arches don't look disproportionate. The brake vents look obviously fake, but they don't look out of place -- unlike the silly hood vents on the LaCrosse for instance.

(2) I like the tasteful overall look of the cabin and dash. The color selection of the trim pieces are good. The stitched upper dash gives it an posh feel. I like the brushed chrome treatment instead of the more common bright chrome. The fit actually looks pretty good with the appropriate camfered edges between pieces to camouflage any minor unevenness. The new Caddy corporate steering wheel looks better than the current one -- nice crest, neater, better proportioned, well placed controls and more up market looking. The textures look appropriate throughout. Nothing looks glaringly objectionable.

(3) Here's what I DON'T LIKE. The dash is more cluttered than it needs to be with various styling inconsistency. The same can be said of today's Audi dash actually. For example, the central HVAC vents have a different styling than the side vents -- there is no good justification for this. They are also at a different height which throws the lines of the overall design somewhat off -- I would have moved the side vents up to the same level as the center vents or placed the center vents between the NAV screen and the main switch panel to bring them to the same vertical plane. I am also luke warm about the LCD instrument cluster. This is especially so when it appears to be used to simulate very conventional gauges and needles. Traditional rounds and surrounds done well will be classier -- in the same manner that an analog watch always look classier than a digital watch. If not anything because an analog instrument cluster will not have the square edges demarcating the extents of the screen and will actually be three dimensional in look and textures.

Edited November 12, 2011 by dwightlooi

[Drew Dowdell]

The gauge cluster is reconfigurable... so it can be round gauges... or you get set them some other way.

[hyperv6]

Me too. That interior, at least the dash, looks nice. And, historically speaking, (except for maybe the Camaro), we are always a bit let down by the production version of a "near production" concept, aren't we? The distortion of an accidental photograph is wreaking havoc in here on a car none of us have seen in production form.

The issue with the Camaro was it stayed too close to the orignal show car. Many on the Camaro team whated to change the interior but GM wanted to stay with the original theme. The Camaro team got feed back on the dash, steering wheel and shifter that was not good but GM made them use them anyways. Now you can see the new wheel and updates to the dash to buy time till the new car arrives.

GM is now staying as close to the show cars as they can but there too often are things that can not or should not be used.

[regfootball]

The production XTS in that picture looks a bit more, i don't know *Ordinary* i think it will look better in person, though i like the interior

And Reg, does the SRX have better materials than the CTS in the dash?

I think overall the SRX excels over the CTS interior in a lot of ways. Not huge differences, but overall it's better.

First off, the seats are better in the SRX, better shape, better cushioning, more room and space.

The design of the SRX interior is better, more interesting, has better materials, better execution, more detail and drama.

I think Cadillac still has some work making their interiors appear less cobbled together, but they definitely keep improving.

Cadillac is still learning how to do interiors, it should be interesting to see the XTS interior in person.

[dwightlooi]

There is one thing I'll like to see Cadillac do... under tuck that headliner!!! Every time I get in a GM vehicle, I'll run my fingers between the windscreen and the edge of the headliner. Till today I can always feel the cut edges of the fabric and the exposed foam. Audi, BMW, M-B and even Acura undertucks the headliner fabric at the edges. This is one way I gauge if the manufacturer is cutting unseen corners. Over the long run this practice also has the practical purpose of forestalling the dreaded sagging head liners so prevalent in older GM vehicles.