CTS is the classiest Cadillac yet
By: Henrie Geyser
The dazzling new Cadillac CTS has the looks, the presence and the muscle-power to go head to head with anything in its class that the Germans, Swedish and Japanese can throw at it.
And not only will it leave the Teutonic Big Three behind in the foot-to-the-floor stakes, it will also out-brag them with its leather-rich interior and elegant finish.
With cheap plasticky interiors and shabby build quality, American cars in general, and previous Cadillacs in particular, have never been able to compete with the likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Lexus.
That is, until this CTS came along with its classy upgrade from Economy to First Class.
And besides its classy looks and finish, the new Cadillac has vastly improved handling. It feels rock solid and secure on the road, the steering is firm (it adjusts according to your speed and driving style) and the taut suspension gives the car a totally “un-American” feel, even at enthusiastic speeds.
Gone is the wallowing, barge-like ride that so many American cars are renowned for.
The CTS might look like a steroidal yank tank, but when it comes to on-road performance it is right up there in the thoroughbred European league.
Powered by a responsive 3.6-litre V6, linked to a six-speed automatic (which can also be driven via a la Formula One paddle-shift on the steering-wheel), it produces 229kW and 374Nm.
This gives the CTS a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 6.3 seconds, which makes it more powerful and faster than Audi A6 3.2-litre ( 188kw, 330Nm - 7.6 seconds), BMW 335 (190kW, 300Nm - 6.6 seconds), Lexus GS 300 (183kW, 310Nm - 7.9 seconds) and the Mercedes-Benz E350 (200kW, 350Nm - 6.9 seconds).
No surprise then that it has already been widely praised as the best Cadillac ever made.
Cadillac is distributed in South Africa by General Motors who are always cagey when it comes to predicting sales figures, but it is understood they hope to sell its entire allocation of 100 cars between October and the end of the year.
In these days of galloping inflation, interest rates and fuel prices, the purchase price of a new vehicle is of key importance - and this is where the CTS will be laughing all the way to the bank, thanks to a R399,000 price tag which is well below the cost of most cars in this class.
The CTS will only be available in one specification model, but there are a number of optional extras to add to the bling of its huge black and silver grille, gleaming 18-inch mag wheels, broad-shouldered wheel arches and sharply chiselled lines.
Because of its striking presence some conservative buyers may find it a little over the top, but judging by the number of hoots, thumbs-up and admiring glances our vehicle pulled on the launch drive in the Southern Cape the CTS appeals to a wide audience.
Interestingly enough the new Cadillac looks bigger than it actually is. It certainly doesn't feel heavy and cumbersome on the road, and inside it is nothing more than a spacious four-seater.
But it is a four-seater that oozes comfort and class with features such as electric seats, mirrors and doors, dual zone aircon, front and rear carpeted mats, heated front seats, an audio system with includes a multi-colour touch screen, 6-disc CD player, in-dash DVD player, MP3 player, BOSE 10-speaker surround sound, Bluetooth connection as well as a 40-gigabyte hard drive with USB and audio connectivity.
Real wood trim, baby soft leather seats, LED interior lighting, fully adjustable steering-wheel with controls for audio and cruise control, heated front seats and front and rear armrests with cupholders are included in the purchase price.
Protection and safety features include ABS with brake assist and EBD, electronic stability programme (ESP), a 4-wheel stability enhancement system, speed sensitive steering, a limited slip differential and traction control, airbags, remote keyless entry, programmable door locks and child locks.
GMSA gives a combined cycle fuel usage figure of 11.1 litres per 100km, which drops to 7.9 litres on the open road.
Other than its communication system which will take some time to get used to (a common distraction with many classy new cars, with the exception of Audi) there is not much to detract from what is a superior all round product.
It certainly has a stand-out presence that will appeal to those who prefer not to run with the herd.
More by Henrie Geyser
More...ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Henrie Geyser has worked as a journalist in Cape Town, London and Windhoek for the Argus Company (now Independent Newspapers) and spent 12 years at The Cape Argus in Cape Town. He then owned and ran a public relations consultancy for 13 years. He joined the online publishing industry through iafrica.com, where he worked for five years as News Editor and Editor. He now freelances for a variety of print and online publications, on the subjects of cars, food and travel, among others; and is a member of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists.
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