ALL-NEW 2013 CADILLAC XTS REDEFINES LUXURY WITH TECHNOLOGY
07/01/2012
Cadillac
The all-new 2013 Cadillac XTS luxury sedan, the most technologically advanced production car in the brand's history, expands and elevates the Cadillac portfolio. It delivers the space, elegance and dramatic presence that are Cadillac signatures, but with entirely new and technically advanced methods tuned for a new generation of luxury customers.
XTS marks the debut of CUE, Cadillac's breakthrough in-vehicle user experience for control and connectivity. It merges intuitive design with auto industry-first controls for information and media control.
Positioned directly above the centerpiece CTS family in Cadillac's lineup, the XTS is offered in a well-equipped standard model and three optional collections: Luxury, Premium and Platinum. The XTS Platinum represents the highest level of technology and luxury, including a unique front appearance, wheels and interior colors, materials and trim.
Highlights for all collections include:
Direct-injected 3.6L V-6 with lightweight features, including integrated cylinder heads/exhaust manifolds
Advanced all-wheel-drive system with electronically controlled limited-slip differential
Magnetic Ride Control, rear air springs, HiPer Strut front suspension and Brembo front brakes - all standard
Standard 19-inch wheels and available 20-inch wheels
Capless fuel tank filler for easier, cleaner refueling
Folding rear-seat head restraints that enhance rear visibility
Safety Alert Seat that vibrates to alert the driver
Intervening braking system that lessens or avoids potential collisions
Short- and long-range radar systems that support adaptive cruise control, front/rear automatic brakes and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.
XTS is the only luxury sedan with standard Magnetic Ride Control - the world's fastest-reacting suspension - while the advanced all-wheel-drive system uses Haldex technology with an electronic limited-slip differential to transfer power front-to-back, and side-to-side, along the rear axle. It is available on all three collections.
The XTS is also the most spacious Cadillac sedan, tailored to provide roominess in a more efficiently sized package. It offers more interior space than midsize luxury cars and is comparable to full-size sedans, particularly in the rear seat area, where it has 40 inches (1,016 mm) of rear legroom. That's about four more inches than the BMW 5 Series, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and about two more inches than the Audi A6.
And when it comes to trunk space, the XTS is in a league of its own, with 18 cubic feet (509 L), exceeding both midsize and full-size competitors - more than Audi A6 and A8L, BMW 5 and 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz E- and S-Class. For XTS customers, the cargo advantage means room for five or more suitcases.
CUE details
Cadillac CUE is standard on all models. It is the highly customizable user interface that exemplifies XTS's blend of advanced technology and artistic design. The heart of CUE, which stands for Cadillac User Experience, is the standard eight-inch (203 mm) screen in the center stack, the faceplate below the screen and the steering wheel controls. CUE features several industry firsts, including capacitive-touch control with proximity sensing, haptic feedback, gesture recognition and natural voice recognition. Capacitive touch is the technology featured on many of the best tablets and smartphones.
Available exclusively on the XTS is a 12.3-inch (312 mm) reconfigurable instrument cluster. It features vibrant graphic displays showcased among four driver-selectable themes, ranging from minimal to extensive information. And while it is the prominent element in the XTS's technological character, CUE is part of a more comprehensive and layered approach to the car's design, capabilities and performance
As part of the customer experience, each 2013 Cadillac XTS buyer will receive an iPad with their new car. A new CUE iPad Application, which replicates the center screen that is the hub of the system, was used to familiarize dealers with the experience, as well as provide videos and information. This App was opened to the public via the App Store when the XTS went on sale in May 2012.
Cadillac's existing customer assistance services have added specific CUE experts to answer owner questions. And, Cadillac's customer assistance center in Austin, Texas, has specially trained advisors who have expertise in infotainment and mobile devices to help answer questions. OnStar, standard on every Cadillac, will have a direct link to these CUE experts as well, for any owners with questions or wishing to provide feedback.
XTS design and exterior features
XTS's hardware and spatial dimensions are the foundational layers that support a new level of surface detail. Multidimensional elements, including the grille, headlamps and new use of accent lighting, coalesce to give the XTS a presence and attention to detail unlike any Cadillac that has come before it.
The XTS's surface details also convey a more-nuanced design philosophy, with elements that support the long, sleek proportion that is a welcome return to Cadillac. They bring forward more beauty and elegance with refined, graceful forms and surfaces working harmoniously with established Cadillac linear forms. It is a car that conveys the next step in Cadillac form and surface vocabulary. Additional features include:
Premium chrome/satin-chrome grille finish on Platinum Collection
Illuminating door handles are standard on all Luxury, Premium and Platinum collections
Capless fuel-filling system is standard on all models
High-intensity discharge headlamps with Twilight Sentinel are standard on all models
Adaptive Forward Lighting is standard on Premium and Platinum Collections
LED center high-mounted rear stop lamp is standard on all models
Heated outside mirrors with auto-dimming feature, turn-signal indicators and puddle lamps are standard on all models
Rainsense automatic windshield wipers are standard on Luxury, Premium and Platinum collections
Nineteen-inch polished aluminum wheels are standard on Luxury and Premium Collections
Twenty-inch aluminum wheels with polished finish and chrome inserts are standard on the Platinum Collection
Eight exterior color choices: Radiant Silver Metallic, Black Raven, Crystal Red Tintcoat, White Diamond Tricoat, Graphite Metallic, Black Diamond Tricoat, Silver Coast Metallic and Sapphire Blue Metallic.
XTS interior features
Like the exterior, the XTS's cabin extolls a multidimensional philosophy in a bold, elegant design that is also very efficient in the ways it encompasses passengers and cargo. It represents Cadillac's new expression of luxury at Cadillac also in its use of authentic materials and unprecedented connectivity. Platinum Collection models feature a fully wrapped leather interior with microfiber sueded headliner, as well as premium wood trim on the steering wheel, console, center stack, instrument panel and door panels.
Seating trim is offered with Soleil Keisel surfaces or premium Opus full leather - both with perforated detailing. Heated and ventilated seats are also offered. Additional interior features include:
Adaptive remote start is standard on all models
Audio system with Bose premium eight-speaker sound is standard on the base model and Luxury Collection
Bose Studio Surround Sound with 14-speaker system with surround energy-efficient amplifier is standard on Premium and Platinum Collections
SiriusXM Satellite Radio (with free trial period) and HD radio feature are standard on all models
Tri-zone automatic climate control is standard on Premium and Platinum Collections Dual-zone automatic climate control is standard on the base model and Luxury Collection
Leather-wrapped IP and door trim top pad, along with the center console is standard on the Platinum Collection
Color, reconfigurable 12.3-inch gauge cluster with driver information center is standard on Premium and Platinum Collections
Head-Up Display with color readouts is standard on the Premium and Platinum Collections
Illuminated entry and courtesy lighting is standard on all models
Accent lighting, including LED spotlights with light pipes, is standard on Luxury, Premium and Platinum Collections
Soleil Keisel leather seating surfaces with mini-perforated inserts are standard on the Standard model, Luxury and Premium Collections
Opus full-leather seats with mini-perforated inserts is standard on the Platinum Collection
Heated driver/front passenger and outboard rear passenger seats and vented driver/front passenger seats are standard on Luxury, Premium and Platinum Collections
Leather-accented steering wheel with wood accents and tap up/tap down transmission controls is standard
Heated steering wheel is standard on Luxury, Premium and Platinum Collections
Power rear window shade and manual rear side window shades are available on the Premium Collection and standard on the Platinum Collection
Real wood trim is incorporated on all models
Six interior color/trim combinations: Jet Black, Shale with Cocoa accents, Medium Titanium with Jet Black accents, Caramel with Jet Black accents, Jet Black with Light Wheat accents and Very Light Platinum with Dark Urban and Cocoa accents.
XTS powertrain
Power for the XTS comes from an advanced 3.6L V-6 known by its "LFX" engine code. It is rated at 304 horsepower (224 kW) and 264 lb.-ft. of torque (355 Nm). Lightweight features help reduce overall weight for greater efficiency and a more favorable front-to-rear weight balance. Examples include a composite intake manifold that saves approximately 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg) over the weight of a comparable aluminum intake and an integrated cylinder head/exhaust manifold design that saves approximately 13 pounds (6 kg) per engine.
The LFX engine is matched with the Hydra-Matic 6T70 six-speed automatic transmission with tap-shift control.
XTS driving experience
A layered approach to the driving experience relies on new and established technologies - all rooted in a stiff structure. The body is infused with strategically placed, ultra-high-strength steel for strength and crash protection, and serves as the foundation for the advanced chassis system.
A smart all-wheel-drive system with Haldex technology - with an electronic limited-slip differential that splits torque between the rear wheels - complements an advanced HiPer Strut front suspension and standard Magnetic Ride Control real-time damping to give the XTS sure-footed, confident and comfortable ride and handling traits. A linked H-arm design with "air springs" comprises the rear suspension.
HiPer Strut is based on the MacPherson strut front suspension design and features dual-path top mountings that separate the transfer of spring and damper loads to the body structure. It improves ride-and-handling characteristics in four significant ways:
Provides more linear and communicative steering through improved camber control
Improves impact isolation on bumps and rough surfaces
Reduces torque steer
Improves vehicle sensitivity to tire irregularities and wheel imbalance.
Magnetic Ride Control delivers precise body motion control - "reading" the road every millisecond and changing damping in just five milliseconds. It replaces conventional mechanical-valve shocks with electronically controlled shocks filled with a magneto-rheological fluid containing minute iron particles. Under the presence of magnetic charge, the iron particles align to provide damping resistance almost instantly.
StabiliTrak electronic stability control is standard on all models, along with variable-effort steering and four-wheel disc brakes (front Brembo brakes) with four-channel antilock brakes - all features that add important layers of control to the driving experience. Like Magnetic Ride Control, XTS borrows the Brembo braking technology from Cadillac's V-Series of high-performance models.
XTS safety
The XTS's technology fundamentally supports a range of advanced safety features, based on a "control and alert" strategy that extends the vision around the vehicle. It helps drivers identify potential crash situations and even intervenes when a crash threat appears more imminent, employing visual, audible and tactile (vibration) alerts, depending on the feature.
The alerts are designed to identify obstacles with sufficient warning to give the driver time to react and make changes - including the Safety Alert Seat feature, which vibrates either the left or right side of the driver's seat cushion, depending on the location of the impending concern. The intervening features, including Automatic Collision Preparation and front and rear automatic brakes, take over if the threat appears more immediate or the driver does not react to previous alerts.
The Driver Awareness Package is standard on the Premium and Platinum Collections and available on the Luxury Collection. It includes:
Lane Departure Warning
Forward Collision Alert
Safety Alert Seat
Side Blind Zone Alert
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Reflected LED display
The Driver Assist Package, available this fall, is standard on the Platinum Collection and available on the Premium Collection. It includes:
The Driver Awareness Package
Adaptive Cruise Control
Front Automatic Brake
Rear Automatic Brake
Automatic Collision Preparation
Additional safety features include dual-stage frontal air bags, knee air bags, side-impact air bags, head-curtain air bags and seat side-impact air bags for outboard rear passengers. Also, a rearview camera with dynamic guidelines is standard on Luxury, Premium and Platinum Collections. Head-up display and full-speed adaptive cruise control are available.
XTS and OnStar
OnStar with a one-year Directions and Connections plan is standard. It uses GPS and cellular phone technology to automatically call for help in the event of crash. OnStar subscribers also can use the service to be Good Samaritans by sending help to other motorists, and to call for help in other non-crash emergencies. Additional features:
Directions and Connections service with Turn-by-Turn Navigation for easier route guidance on all models. The feature is easy to use because all directions are sent to the car by an advisor, without the need to stop
Stolen Vehicle Assistance helps police track the vehicle
myCadillac and OnStar myLink mobile apps offer vehicle information and OnStar services via the customer's smartphone.