The first generation Cadillac CTS was unveiled in 2002 as the 2003 model; it was supposed to be America’s answer to the BMW 3-Series. It didn’t really work out that way and the car was nowhere near the 3-series, in terms of performance and looks. In 2007 GM unveiled the 2nd generation CTS, now this car was much better than its predecessor and it looked quite nice; but still not close enough to the 3-series. Today we get our first official look at the 2014 Cadillac CTS sports sedan; will it be able to match the German cars?
Although the original CTS was aimed at the 3-series, the all-new CTS has grown in size and is now more of a competitor to the BMW 5-Series along with Audi A6, Jaguar XF, E-Class etc. The ATS is now the 3-series fighter.
Just by looking at the pictures, the new CTS definitely looks bigger and the design looks more “grown up”; but it still retains its CTS-ness. The 2014 CTS is 5” (127 mm) longer and offers 1.2” (30 mm) larger wheelbase than the car it replaces, while it has a 1” lower roofline, giving it an aggressive/sporty look. Cadillac used lightweight materials on the new CTS, such as aluminum door structures and aluminum suspension parts, making it lighter than the 2nd generation CTS. Cadillac mentioned in the press release that the new CTS is 200 pounds (90 kg) lighter than the BMW 528i.
The base 2014 Cadillac CTS sports sedan is offered with a turbocharged 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine that produces 272 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission; the car does the 0-60 mph sprint in 6.1 seconds with RWD and 6.4 seconds with AWD.
The next step up gets a naturally aspirated 3.6 liter V6 engine, carried over from the previous generation, producing 321 HP and 275 lb-ft of torque. The RWD cars with this engine come with 8-speed automatic transmissions and sprint to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds, while the AWD cars come with 6-speed automatic transmissions and reach 60 mph in 6.2 seconds.
The top of the line model (for now) is called the Vsport edition (not the same as the CTS-V) and comes with a twin-turbo 3.6 liter V6 engine that produces 420 HP and 430 lb-ft of torque, mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The CTS Vsport does the 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds.
The interior on the 2014 Cadillac CTS is pretty posh; it is a Cadillac after all. The interior features lots of soft-touch materials on the dashboard, center console, and door panels; there is wood trim on the dashboard and door panels, and clean layout of buttons and a touch screen on the center stack. Via: Cadillac
2014 Cadillac CTS Photo Gallery
