General Motors had a tall order when it came to replacing the current Cadillac CTS, a car that has won almost universal praise and has become a sales success many times over. Cadillac managed to balance affordability, luxury, and performance in a sedan that almost single-handedly revived the brand as the Standard of the World. So any CTS successor had big boots to fill.
And the 2014 Cadillac CTS fills those boots, and then some. With a bold new look bolstered by an all-new twin-turbo V6, the 2014 Cadillac CTS sets a new benchmark for the Standard of the World, and we don’t even have to tell you anything about it. Really, just look at this drop-dead-gorgeous car!
Sure, the back end is a little, well, boring, but those sweeping headlights and engaging front fascia more than make up for the bland booty. The side profile is equally impressive, giving off a sporty-yet-sophisticated feel, and the CTS finally feels like it no longer carries the weight of the Cadillac brand on its broad, brawny shoulders. Instead, it now looks like a car that would be equally at home on the track or at the yacht club.
But the changes are more than skin deep. Riding on a stretched Alpha platform, the same platform that underpins the Cadillac ATS, GM engineers were able to keep the weight of the CTS down using some nifty tactics, including aluminum doors, thinner control arms, and smaller fasteners compared to the outgoing CTS. This gives the 2014 Cadillac CTS a curb weight of about 3,620 pounds, about 200 pounds less than its main competitor, the BMW 5-series.
That light weight will go a long way towards making the 2014 Cadillac CTS a strong performer, as will the all-new twin-turbo V6 engine. While the CTS shares two other engines with its ATS sibling, the 2.0 liter turbo and naturally-aspirated 3.6 liter V6, the big story is the 415 horsepower and 430 ft-lbs of torque from the 3.6 liter twin-turbo V6, backed by an 8-speed automatic transmission.
While there are some similarities between the twin-turbo and naturally-aspirated V6 engines, the turbo has a different cylinder head and engine block, as well as stronger connecting rods to handle the almost 100 extra horsepower. No word on fuel economy, but really, who cares? Cadillac also hinted that manual transmissions would be offered on any future V-series, but Cadillac representatives refused to elaborate on when that might happen.
The interior is yet another step up in terms of quality, fit, and finish, and GM has loaded the 2014 Cadillac CTS with all manner of 21st century technologies. This includes adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and self-parking features that take a lot (but not all) of the thinking out of your daily commute. Pretty sweet stuff, and GM is talking about a so-called “super cruise control” that can stay in a lane and maintain speed with traffic with almost no input from the driver. Very futuristic.
The 2014 Cadillac CTS hits dealerships this fall, with pricing estimated to be in the mid-$40,000 range.