Spy Photos: 2014 Cadillac CTS

The XTS replaced the DTS and STS but it's not a flagship. It's still around because it generates a lot of cash for Cadillac. A proper RWD flagship will debut in the next couple of years.

@2011supercrew

Cadillac is attempting to meet the Germans head-on and that's why the CTS is moving up in size as expected.

@hondaacura4
Largely due to CAFE restrictions I don't know if Cadillac will offer a full size sedan to complete directly with the A8's S Classes and 7 Series of the world. If I remember correctly a new platform named Zeta was going to underpin Cadillac's next full size RWD sedan but that program was axed.

By they way, the exhaust in the third pic looks EXACTLY like the current Lexus LS 460. I don't think that's a bad thing; just making note of a similarity.

@half_ton: Zeta wasn't axed, it is what the Camaro is built on. Or are you saying more specifically the Cadillac Zeta was axed?

Good Job Caddy, This is how you have to Roll out your products from now on. Don't give them time to get stale.

Yeah, the XTS is just a stretched Buick La-Crosse with a fancy interior. It will be a nice car, but will be aimed at the over 60 crowd and compete against cars from Lexus rather than from BMW.

It sounds like the flagship will be built on a new Zeta platform specifically designed for high end vehicles. This will make it an expensive platform, making the Australian Holden Zeta cars more expensive.

The XTS will replace the DTS/STS. A lot of people don't want a "sporty" luxury car. In fact, most people don't. Your standard E350/528i/M35 are hardly "sporty" in standard guise anyway, RWD or not. The FWD layout allows for better space utilization and this car features a huge backset and trunk, a big appeal to DTS buyers. Aside from the press, plenty of people like the idea of a smooth and roomy luxury car and DTS sales reflected this. It'd be STUPID for Cadillac to alienate the DTS market and concede those sales to other manufactures.

In the current luxury midsize segment, this is the order i would go.

5 series
M series
XF
A6
E class
CTS
GS

@stovt001

When I mentioned Zeta I was referring specifically to the platform that was going to be used on future Cadillac vehicles. Like I said, I'm going off memory so I could be wrong (first time I'd be wrong about ANYTHING since '70) but I thought the Zeta platform was canceled due to looming CAFE restrictions. It would've been too costly for GM to build a full size RWD sedan to compete against the Germans.

I didn't know the current Camaro was built on Zeta, I thought since Zeta was canceled the Camaro was designed on a modified version of the older Alpha platform.

@gtr - really???

"In the current luxury midsize segment, this is the order i would go.

5 series
M series
XF
A6
E class
CTS
GS"

Having shopped the segment I'd say:
A6 3.0
GS 2013 (not 2012)
CTS - Performance, not luxury version
535i
M35 (haven't driven a 45)
XF
E Class

Funny how 2 shoppers drive the same cars and get entirely different evaluations. My dad is about the inverse preferring a softer ride and less worried about feel and turning etc - except we both agree the E class drives like a truck and both would put that one at the bottom.

My main complaints about the CTS (actually the only reason I don't have a V-wagon)
1. Fuel economy - more guilt than rational cost issues
2. Lack of high end options (adaptive cruise, lane departure warning BLIS) that I believe make cars safer.
3. Space - though similar to the 535 and A6, about 1.5" would make it better

I imagine the next gen CTS will fix all of these, unfortunately I'll have to buy an alternative this spring first. I guess that'll give them time to make a new CTS-V wagon with a 6MT for me.

All I want to know is will there be a 2014 CTS-V WAGON?

Man this thing looks to be very big.

@half_ton - There is no older Alpha platform. To the best of my knowledge, the ATS is the first car on Alpha. Zeta had the Camaro as well as the G8/Commodore. The CTS was/is (until this new one) built on Sigma.

The XTS is a DTS replacement. It doesn't really compete against anything. It's just a large luxary cruiser.

The stretched CTS looks to stay agressive looking, and I am happy to hear that. Hope the larger CTS will use the 3.6 DI as the base and new DI Aluminum smallblock which GM is rumored to use by 2013 in some vehicles.

GS > M > XF > A6 > MKS > 5 > E > TL > CTS > S80.
That's right. I'm a GS lover. It looks awesome.
Hopefully the new CTS doesn't have the same stale ol' butt.

"Aside from the press, plenty of people like the idea of a smooth and roomy luxury car and DTS sales reflected this."

If by "plenty of people" you mean fleets and the over-65 demographic. Heavily discounted selling prices, low residual values combined with little competition reinforces the argument that this type of car doesn't have much demand. It's a niche market that's been ceded to Lincoln and Cadillac because there's little money in it.

I like that it's a enlarged ATS platform since this will mean lower weight, unlike the heavy 5-series build on a 7-series platform. For entusiasts this will be a good thing.

@bimmerjay
You are right about this car having good appeal to the 65 and over crowd. In this country that means about 40,000,000 people. Some of those people are too old to drive, but many of them will be driving for 20 or more years, and have money. Even the youngest luxury brand average (Audi) is just above 50. I know most of the car nerds like me on this site are young, but old people have money, and as several posters have pointed out, this is not a 7 series competitor. It is a car BMW does not have. Big, front wheel drive, tons of legroom, huge trunk, soft ride. Irresistible to retired snowbirds in Florida. If 50,000 blue hairs a year pick this thing up in the US, that's 38,000 more than the 7 series!

XTS that is.

I have driven a few in the segment myself. If they put the effort into the stretched CTS as they did on the original in 08/09, then this car is sure to be a success, and if they put the same effort into the stretched CTS as they have just shown with the ATS, then GM has hit the moneyball out of the park.

Note to XTS comments; it's a niche market luxary cruiser that serves a purpose for people that have money and want comfort over sport.

Now back to this car. If the CTS lives up to expectation the way the ATS may, it should have no problem matching the 5 series.

Driving the 2012 535i, M56, A6 3.0T, E550, and GS450, The Infiniti is the most fun to drive car in it's segment, and the 535i is the most refined overall. I can't wait to give the upcoming Caddy's a shot.

The current CTS is not a 5 or 3 series competitor, it's a tweener, and it is still a fantastic car. More inline with the size of the TL.

Why hate the XTS? It's like a LS460 by Cadillac, not a 7 series.

JD power has Caddy reliability above any German maker (actually second only to Lexus), so shooting for a Lexus performance (actually lack there of), luxury and reliability level is not unreasonable - it just is out of line compared to the sport focus of the ATS/CTS.

Probably there is more money is a LS460 type car than a 7 series or S-class type car anyways. Also competing with MB/BMW/Audi for the segment there are many that won't lose their brand. I don't think Lexus has that type of status with their brand. It's like the Camry of the luxury segment, the logical practical choice.

actually lots of people (not companies) bought DTS'- I see them all the time. Im not a fan of those who think they are better than those who have different automative tastes. I also think its silly to insult cars that are well liked by people over 60- as if those people are somehow inferior to those of you who are younger. Many people over 60 have money. For the record, when I see E class, LS, ES, S class, XJs, M37s, etc. the drivers are often in their 50s or 60s or older. How ridiculous of folks to pretend that the ONLY luxury brand older people buy are Cadillacs. XTS has no direct German competitior and I say "who cares?"- if there is a market for the car Cadillac should sell it. I see competitors as MKS, RL, E350 and M37- all will be similar in price, hp and features. BTW, with standard brembos, 19s and MR control I doubt the XTS will be a floaty cruiser than cant handle. But thats just my take on things. Its pretty shallow to presume that any car that isnt sought after by 40 year olds (many of whom wouldnt even be able to afford an XTS) is a lackluster car.

@stovt001

The Sigma platform; you're right and I'm shaking my head for not remembering that is the platform for the past and current generation CTS.

Facepalm . . . right . . . now . . .

Many people have already said alot of good things about the XTS and it's market. Let me share my personal story. I am 31 and My Father is 75 and He is currently in the market to replace his 2006 DTS. THe only reason he has not done it yet is because I told him to wait for the new XTS to see if he would like that instead of another DTS (2011) So far He thinks the XTS is too sporty for him, but I think he is still willing to give it a good look once it hits the dealer.

people are living and driving longer, its an outdated notion to think that 60-65 year olds arent demanding customers who want nice cars. When I (rarely) go into a crowded Apple store I see seniors in there buying merchandise and taking training classes. Should Apple fans under 40 turn away because "old people" use the same products? Ive also noticed older folks driving the Genesis and Equus.

@ilovecars12,

I'm not suggesting there isn't a market for a $50K FWD floating couch like the XTS - there absolutely is - but it's now more of a niche (versus a couple decades ago) and there isn't a lot of profit in it. It's why for more than a decade Ford spent little on updating the now-canceled Lincoln Town Car. They certainly got sales but they couldn't command good prices.

The XTS won't really have any direct competition because it's just not a competitive segment anymore.

@smallfield says: 05:08 AM, 02/16/12 : Why hate the XTS? It's like a LS460 by Cadillac, not a 7 series."

Actually no, it's not. Frankly I was beyond disappointed at the Detroit Motor Show this Jan when I saw the XTS. The LS460 and its German rivals offer something that's a class apart in terms of technology and luxury refinement.

What I saw in the XTS was :
(a) apparently not as wide as even the CTS, and if the new CTS is bigger then what is Caddy's flagship supposed to be?
(b) a boot that is long and volumetric, but not spacious for outstation travel bags (you can't put 3 bodies in the trunk like you used to be able to do
(c) it doesn't have the fore& aft skyroofs that all its competitors (except the 7 series) have
(d) it didn't feel as special as a top of the line Caddy should ..... I found the ATS & CTS way better and if they'd even come close to the Escalade, it'd been good enough.
(e) a top of the line Caddy should hv been what the Cadillac Sixteen previewed ..... all they had to do was copy-paste, but no, they have aped it up like no one's business. And Caddy needs to have some real gizmos and high tech wizardry if it is to compete with the LS ..... forget quality (if you can argue they're in the same league), atleast get the cosseting feel of the LS right

Nothing in the specs suggests the XTS will be soft. Its based on the Lacrosse CXS which is definitely sportier than anything else FWD in its competitive set. Its got standard 19s, relatively low pro rubber and large brembo brakes plus MR control standard. This isn't a DTS. Considering the fact that cars like the LS, 7, S class, etc. arent really considered sports sedans (even though they handle well for their size) Im sure I understand the inference that a large 4000+ luxury sedan should be a 3 series wannabe. None of these large cars is supposed to be one's first choice for attacking twisting two lanes.

Also, saying there are no competitors for this kind of car is a stretch. RL (2013 will be new), M37 and MKS are all competitors.

@activ:

XTS has far more interior and trunk space than CTS as well as more legroom. The CTS is midsize, XTS is full size in terms of EPA volume. XTS is longer and wider than the CTS. XTS has panoramic roof like CTS and Lacrosse. Trunk is larger than 7 series or S class.

"It's why for more than a decade Ford spent little on updating the now-canceled Lincoln Town Car. They certainly got sales but they couldn't command good prices."

Town car was all fleet sales, I dont even know if Lincoln dealers carried the car in its last few years. DTS models were sold at retail and before it got to be long in the tooth it sold well.

@activ8,

The XTS is being developed on the cheap to fill in for fleet customers and the like where the DTS left off. I don't think it's intended as a flagship car but just a cushy couch alternative as there is still a sliver of the market for that. Funeral homes need hearses, MetroCars need taxis and Hertz needs a "luxury" model to overcharge for. Someone needs to fill that demand.

The car wont be a flagship because it wont be the most expensive, most powerful or largest model. Escalade will be pricier and that will be even more true once its redesigned in 2013. The XTS exists for people who want more room than CTS will provide and for livery services. As yet no proof has been offered to back up claims that DTS had no retail customers- I presume thats because there are no numbers to back that up. And again, not many cushy cars have 19 and 20" rims with MR shocks and brembos. Investing a few billion to make a new model just to sell to Hertz would be foolish- probably why it makes no sense. Lots of older people want large luxury cars- hence the presence of the large Europan cars as well as cheaper vehicles like the LS, Equus, etc. Someone needs to fill that demand.

@activ:

You should check out the specs on the "rental special" XTS (or you can ask the resident expert who has offered so much on the car thus far) before claiming it needs state of the art tech. Its got a lot of stuff including MRC shocks, CUE, radar cruise, BLIS, rear cross path detection, alcantara headliner, color HUD, automatic braking and all the other stuff you expect in a $50k-$60k car. Its pretty well equipped. Trunk space is very close to DTS, about 18 cu ft.

1487 is back and just as arrogant and logic-twisting as ever. Latest screen name iteration until banned again: "rl5"

Buick Regal CXL RL5, wow such a clever disguise. Why can't you stick with one screen name?

@rl5 : clearly dude, you need to learn how to read. Volume doesn't translate to usable space (trunk) and as for width, I only wrote what I saw, but here are the wikipedia derived figures:

CTS -> 72.5 in (1,842 mm) (sedan)
XTS -> 72.9 in (1,852 mm)

Now if you're an ant, that 1cm of extra space might be a lot for you, but the new CTS is moving upward so it would still be wider than the XTS.

So what do you have to say now? Just conjecture??

bimmer

I agree GM moves a lot in this class with fleet/livery sales and by putting cash on the hood for lower profits. I would however argue that the niche was pretty big and not that long ago. If the XTS is the DTS/STS replacement, they sold 90,000 of those in 2006. The best selling model of the best selling luxury brand in the US last year was the 3 series at 94,000. Not exactly a small niche, and 2006 was not exactly decades ago. As long as they are still making some profit, this car will be good. If it makes normal profits it will be great.

@activ:

Interior volume on XTS is about 10 cu ft larger than CTS and the car is about a foot longer. Rear seat room is far larger as well. CTS is larger in one dimension- wheelbase. But since its RWD it has less interior space in spite of longer wheelbase. I think XTS has about 104 cu ft of interior space and 5 cu ft more trunk space. I doubt there is any interior dimension in which CTS has advantage.

@ilovecars:

exactly. Only the insecure feel the need to deride a type of car they dont like. I am not a Prius fan but I understand why people buy them. When the DTS was relatively fresh it sold well. Many people who buy 300Cs, Genesis sedans, loaded Lacrosse CXS models, etc. are people who would be interested in a large car like the XTS if they can afford it. The large luxury sedan isnt dead yet. I thought it was obvious that not every luxury car customer wants a compact sports sedan.

@RL5

The Infiniti M37 is not going to be a competitor for this car. It is a RWD sport sedan = to BMW 5 series and Audi A6. I also happen to drive an M35 with the sport package. I would not trade it in for a car like the XTS or MKS.

M37 may be positioned like that, the people I see driving them arent the "sports sedan" demographic. Also remember that the sporty version with the larger wheels and upgraded suspension is RWD only. Almost every M I see and likely most sold in northern states is AWD. Same with most luxury cars that offer AWD in those parts of the country. Of course some M owners wouldnt consider the XTS, thats only natural. M is a fine car (as expected for the price) but the styling does nothing for me. FWD or not, I think the Cadillac is more distinctive looking.