2011 CADILLAC STS
11/01/2010
Cadillac
The 2011 Cadillac STS luxury sedan includes a lengthy roster of advanced comfort, convenience and safety features - including Lane Departure Warning and Side Blind Zone Alert.
The STS Platinum also returns for 2011, offering distinctive luxury touches, such as 18-inch wheels, leather-wrapped interior, an Alcantara(TM) headliner and exclusive Platinum badging.
All STS models are now powered by a sophisticated, direct injected 3.6L with variable valve timing and a six-speed automatic transmission, delivering an EPA-rated 27 mpg on the highway (FWD model). The Northstar V-8 is no longer available.
Like all Cadillac models, STS now includes standard Cadillac Premium Care Maintenance, which covers scheduled oil changes, tire rotations, replacement of engine and cabin air filters and a multi-point vehicle inspection for four years or 50,000 miles.
A performance handling package is available and includes 18-inch x 8.5-inch aluminum alloy, chrome-plated wheels fitted with P255/45R18 Bridgestone Potenza summer-only tires. Four-piston caliper Brembo brakes, with front rotors measuring 355 mm x 32 mm and 365 mm x 28 mm rear rotors, provide enhanced stopping ability. All four rotors are vented.
STS design
STS expresses the bold design flair that has become a Cadillac signature. Up front, the dual-textured, multi-faceted grille reflects the styling seen on the Escalade and CTS. High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps and the IntelliBeam automatic high-beam system are available. Side air extractors, inspired by the Sixteen concept and Escalade, are incorporated into the front fenders. Polished 18-inch x 8-inch aluminum 14-spoke wheels are available.
Inside, STS' luxurious interior includes a steering wheel with available genuine Sapele wood trim. Sapele is an exotic wood commonly used in fine furniture and musical instruments. The center stack of the instrument panel is revised with the addition of wood trim with new metallic surroundings.
Additional available features include a reconfigurable head-up display. The head-up display projects key driving information (such as speedometer ratings) onto the windshield, enabling drivers to keep their eyes on the road. Other features include a keyless access system, Adaptive Remote Start system, heated and ventilated seats and heated steering wheel.
An available infotainment system includes one of the industry's first OEM-installed surround-sound audio systems. The cabin is immersed with 15 Bose speakers. The 5.1 Bose system also has an integrated six-disc CD/DVD changer and plays formats including DVD-A, CD, and MP3. It includes an eight-inch full VGA-quality touch screen and advanced navigation. In addition, the system has Bluetooth phone capability and advanced voice recognition.
Lane Departure Warning System
An advanced Lane Departure Warning System is available. Controlled by a camera located in the rearview mirror that reads the lines in the road, the system alerts drivers when they have strayed into another lane without signaling. Drivers receive both audible and visual alert cues.
When the Lane Departure Warning System is engaged, a driver traveling at 35 mph or more who crosses a detected lane marking without signaling is alerted in two ways: The system flashes an amber indicator light located in the fuel gauge of the instrument panel, and an alerting chime of three beeps is played. The system does not steer the vehicle; it is designed only to alert drivers so they can take appropriate action to move the vehicle back into the lane.
Side Blind Zone Alert System
Another optional feature is a Side Blind Zone Alert System that extends and enhances driver awareness and vision. Alternating radar beams in Side Blind Zone Alert System sweep adjacent lanes of traffic, covering a zone of about one lane over from both sides of the vehicle, or 11 feet (3.5 m). The zone starts at each side mirror and goes back about 16 feet (5 m).
When the system is engaged, a driver will know that following vehicles in the adjacent lanes are entering their side blind zone when an amber symbol, located in the outside rearview mirror, is illuminated. The system is not designed to detect vehicles outside of the side blind zone that may be rapidly approaching, or detect pedestrians, bicyclists or animals. It's designed to ignore infrastructure such as fire hydrants or parked cars. In addition, the system displays do not come on while the vehicle is approaching or passing other vehicles.
STS Platinum
The STS Platinum sedan extends the luxurious look and feel of the STS with elements such as 18-inch chrome-finish wheels, a brighter chrome-finish grille and exclusive Platinum badging.
Inside, STS Platinum features a hand-cut, sewn and leather-wrapped instrument panel, door trim and center console areas. The seats are fully leather, a semi-aniline variety called Tuscany. Luxury touches include chrome accents on the instrument panel and doors, a leather-wrapped and heated steering wheel, olive ash burl wood accents with a saddle-stained shade, premium floor mats, Alcantara headliner and a Platinum badge on the door sill. STS Platinum comes in either a Cocoa over Cashmere or an all-Ebony interior color scheme.
OnStar
All 2011 STS models are now equipped with ninth-generation OnStar technology. The flexible speech recognition system can interpret different sentences/phrases without actually hearing the exact 2-3 word commands from the user. For example, a subscriber who wants to place a call using the Hands Free Calling System simply says: "I would like to make a phone call" or "Need to make a phone call" instead of saying the exact "dial" or "call" command. The system will understand that the user wants to place a call and process that command. The system is capable of recognizing thousands of sentences that users may say.
Additionally, significant improvements have been made to the flexible speech recognition system to allow it to better understand many regional dialects. This means a subscriber in southern Louisiana will be just as easily understood as a subscriber in Long Island or Minnesota. OnStar engineers in North America and China performed extensive validation testing across four languages (English, French, Spanish and Mandarin), more than 30 different dialects and vehicle models in a wide range of driving and noise conditions.
About Cadillac
Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. In recent years, Cadillac has engineered an historic renaissance led by artful engineering and global expansion.