VIDEO: CTS Unveiling

I love the new CTS! It shows that if General Motors wants to do well, then they most defiantly can. I hope that General Motors can bring every other vehicle up to the competition like the CTS so that General Motors could have an intro with all of the designers included showing that they are proud of their vehicle.

GM, if you could work as hard on the CTS as every other vehicle,(including cars mostly) then you win. Since I am only 14, I wont be able to afford a CTS as a first car so I hope that I could buy a competition tramper Cobalt in the future.

Also, GM please stop the 4 speed automatic, why does even your SUV s have 4 speeds? You need to have 6 speeds standard in every vehicle and have great mileage. E.G. wouldn't the Tahoe have 25MPG if it had 6 speeds?

Thanks and keep working hard. You cant be number 2! Remember, like the CTS, quality in every vehicle is key to success. Doing your best like in the new CTS in all vehicles will let your company be acclaimed.

go to 9:38 if you want to skip all the talk and get to the actual CTS unveiling.

The CTS looks like a terrific evolution of the current exterior, but I have to admit that I'm disappointed, maybe because the teaser photos from 60 Minutes alluded to something more significant, especially with the tail design.

Wonderful ! Great !

The tail lights look much, much better than those that I had seen in spy shots (I was a little concerned).

This is the Cadillac of CTSs.

Chris

Nice. 300hp on regular from a V-6, with a 6 speed trans. Great! Further improved handling. Great. Better interior. Great.

Looks like it might beat BMW 5-series, Audi A6, Acura TL and any Lexus - if you like to drive. An enthusiast's car.

I'LL BUY A PHEV! I OWN A PRIUS. I WANT TO GET OFF OIL!
I'M READY TO BUY THE FIRST GOOD PHEV ON THE MARKET.

I do think this is the only American car that can be regarded as a proper luxury sport sedan. It has the power and handling. The new design looks definitely good from side/rear.

But why does the new front grille looks that heavy and shiny?? It lost the original car's sharp and aggressive feeling. It reminds me of bling-bling and hip-hop. And the new interior, is it inspired from a alien movie(or manga)?

This is not a Escalade!! This is a Premium Sport Sedan that is going to sell not only in U.S. but probably also in Europe and Asia. Consumers there will expect more maturity and understatement (those who can afford a Cadillac are usually grown-ups I guess). It might be a good idea to do just slight enhancements to the front grille to make it sharp and smooth rather than ponderous. Spare the XLR!!!

Excellent - keep cars like this coming and you might just find a way to keeping your #1 car maker title. GM cannot try to compete with the Koreans and Japanese on price - you MUST be better.

IT IS AWESOME, WITH A CAPITAL 'A', TO QUOTE DICK VITALE--IT SHOWS THAT WITH HARD WORK, AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL, THAT GM CAN MAKE WORLD CLASS VEHICLES. CADILLAC IS LEADING THE WAY, AND IT IS MY HOPE THAT THE EXAMPLES OF THE CTS, MALIBU, SILVERADO/SIERRA AND THE LAMBDA TRIO CONTINUE TO END THE ASSERTION BY THE AUTOMOTIVE MEDIA THAT GENERAL MOTORS CAN'T MAKE VEHICLES THAT TURN BUYERS' HEADS WITH EXCITING STYLING, WORLD-CLASS POWERTRAINS AND ROCK-SOLID QUALITY. LET THE RENAISSANCE CONTINUE--BRAVO!!!

IT IS AWESOME, WITH A CAPITAL 'A', TO QUOTE DICK VITALE--IT SHOWS THAT WITH HARD WORK, AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL, THAT GM CAN MAKE WORLD CLASS VEHICLES. CADILLAC IS LEADING THE WAY, AND IT IS MY HOPE THAT THE EXAMPLES OF THE CTS, MALIBU, SILVERADO/SIERRA AND THE LAMBDA TRIO CONTINUE TO END THE ASSERTION BY THE AUTOMOTIVE MEDIA THAT GENERAL MOTORS CAN'T MAKE VEHICLES THAT TURN BUYERS' HEADS WITH EXCITING STYLING, WORLD-CLASS POWERTRAINS AND ROCK-SOLID QUALITY. LET THE RENAISSANCE CONTINUE--BRAVO!!!

Well, I just finished viewing the new Cadillac CTS. I like it. Much better than the old version. I have to question why they chose to use a reddish-orange one for all the press photos, but that's no great matter. I very much like this car and plan to own a 2008 some time early next year; pending how well it meets my expectations cited below.

Among others, in order of importance, I expect seven things from the new CTS:

1 - Better looking - it is, and it still stands out from the competition.
Check.
2 - More powerful V6 option - I wished for a 300-horse six and got it.
Check.
3 - Great handling - they carried over CTS-V suspension pieces to the regular version.
Check.
4 - A better automatic transmission - I don't know if it's better yet, but it's a six-speed.
Check Question Mark.
5 - A great interior, not all hard-plasticky - they talk a good talk about French stitches and stuff. We'll see.
Check Question Mark.
6 - I prefer to be able to get into one I really like for under $45,000 - I bet this is going to be a challenge.
Question Mark.
7 - Match BMW, Mercedes, Acura, Infinity and Lexus - The Hi-Po V6 version must beat or closely meet comparable versions of all of these. I mean it.
Big Question Mark.

This streaming video is horribly slow and the quality is bad to boot, and I have a DSL connection.

Car is great

First of all, I am looking forward to seeing the all-new CTS also at my dealership near Frankfurt.

It's incredible, what media report over here regarding the NAIAS. It's mostly pure garbage. On the one hand they claim, Detroit's declining market share would be caused mainly by oversleeping Hybrid-Technology and a lack of fuel-efficient vehicles. On the other hand they expect a growth for German manufacturers. But again: Where are THEIR Hybrids? And who paid gas-guzzler-tax in recent times? See: http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=14&article_id=3128

A BMW-Representative explained on German TV yesterday, that they won't consider Hybrids yet, since the batteries supposedly would be still too heavy so far. So, how do Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford and others manage to build Hybrids? If this BMW-Representative is serious, then, in my opinion, a part of the German auto industry filed for bankruptcy technologically.

Very nice. It's refreshing to see engineers on stage instead of bean counter driven GM. I'm sure that was no accident. To compete with Mercedes, Lexus, Audi, Acura and BMW, the emphasis must be on engineerng. You are in the game.

A couple of comments. The new Caddy advertising ain't gettin it. Tell me how that advertising campaign appeals to young professionals? Who is your target audience adn what message they are trying to convey? What is wrong with GM picking these awful ad agencies or awful ad campaigns? Chevy trucks and Hummer works. Everything else is pouring money down a hole.

Also, alternative powertrains. High performance diesels for Caddy? Hybrids?

When it comes to sedans, why is it the driving experience always overshadows the passenger experience? Here is a test for the new CTS: With Bob Lutz driving and Rick Wagoner in the back behind Bob, drive from Detroit to Traverse City with only one stop. One way, this is a 3+ hour trip. Reverse the seating arrangement for the return trip. How do you two feel after riding in the back for over 3 hours? Any leg cramps? How about neck or back pain from slumping to avoid hitting you head on the roof panel? Granted, both of you are over 6 foot tall. However, the point is, if you are going to put a back seat in a “full size” sedan then make it useable.

The new CTS looks great. I just can’t justify spending my money on a vehicle that can only comfortably seat two adults.

I
LOVE
IT!

GM is back!
You guys just keep on ding it and doing it!

Just be careful about the clocks though. this from Cadillacowners.com

"Hopefully, GM has come up with a way to synchronize the time displays so we don't get a rash of threads about clocks that don't match, ala 2003."

Make it flawless guys!
Scour the web and red media impressions.
Catch every little mistake!

Absolutely brilliant, GM. Gorgeous. Distinctly beautiful, modern, American, and Cadillac. Now, bring the hybrid, coupe and wagon as soon as is reasonable.

I wonder how the new CTS will affect sales of the fair-middling STS. Because unless you update the STS similarly and soon, there will be no reason to pay the extra money.

The reverse lights look dinky. I wish they had been in the space beside the license plate, like the current model.

The Cadillac design motif has always been vertical taillights with separate reverse lights, and I am disappointed to see the change to the DTS and now CTS.

It seems like a very small point, but it just bugs the h*** out of me.

Dear Bob,

Just a note of observation as I have been reading-up on the web:
----------
"The Acura RL interior, which happens to be one of my favorites at any price, is a bit better than the Cadillac's, but it's also a more expensive car. One significant different for me is the door pulls. These have padded stitched material all the way around on the Acura. On the Cadillac, there's padding for the thumb, but the other fingers will reach around hard plastic. Not only this, but two pieces of hard plastic provide the structure, so when you grip the handle you feel them squeeze together. The Saturn Outlook and Buick Enclave have the same problem, only to a much larger extent. The Acadia does not.

I pointed this out to a Cadillac design exec. Hopefully he takes the message back and does something about it. These grab handles are a huge touch point that affects the quality feeling of the car every time you get in and close the door. Also when your passengers are holding on for dear life.--mkaresh
-----

I know it's a pre-production car, so you don't have to post this publicly, but I am just making sure you guys get everything right. Tell the relevant people. You have got to be flawless--period.
Maybe back the handle with suede or something--who knows?

Otherwise,
I can't wait!

--John

P.S. I will be scouring the web for little comments like this and submitting it so that you guys catch all the pre-production niggles--period.
This is going to be a flawless product for Cadillac!

As a proud owner of a BMW 330Ci , I can say that I LOVE the styling of the new CTS. You have corrected all the things that annoyed me about the old car -- plasticky interior and relative low power -- and wrapped it up in a comely exterior. I will seriously consider the CTS when replacing my Beamer...that's quite a statement coming from an San Francisco-based, Internet executive who is highly educated, has traveled widely (50+ countries), and has never owned an American vehicle before. While I have been extremely critical of GM on this blog, this car seems to be a clear indicator that times are changing at the General.

Congratulations, GM. Job well done.

Hi Fred,

two years ago, as we visited my brother in Florida, we also drove more than 3 hours from Boca Raton to the Kennedy Space Center with just one stop. We guys are each 6.25 ft. tall and I was sitting in the back behind him. I hadn't any leg cramps at all. My brother's car is a Pontiac G6 and I hardly could imagine, the all-new CTS would provide less room.

Nice welcome improvements to the CTS. This should show well against the competition. One way you could have made it stand out more from the competition was to offer, as an option at least, Magnetic Ride Control. Maybe you can add this when the CTS Coupe comes out.

The CTS is a very nice car, light years better then the Catera it replaced. If GM wants to kick it up a notch, build a coupe and convertible version.

The new CTS look much prettier than the German and Japanese competition. (I'll exempt the Lexus IS.) What really counts is if the CTS has the stuff to step toe-to-toe with the BMW 330i in road manners and features.

Dear Bob,

Nice job on the Cadillac CTS. I have been driving a Cadillac Catera for the last 7 years. Nice car but it always lacked an engine.

I read with intereste that you are planning to import the Holdon Commodore as the new GTO / G8. I think that car will be a winner.

You should also consider the Holden Caprice as the next Bonneville / G9. In my opinion, the Holden Caprice is the most beautiful sedan currently produced by GM in the world. This includes the new CTS, STS, and DTS.

Cheers,