2015 Cadillac Escalade Premium on 2040-cars

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Economy-car buyers increasingly get the best deal on technology

One of the great things about technology is – with the exception of Apple products – consumers get more for their money every year. For example, the first 1GB USB drive I bought in 2005 cost me $30. Today you can get 10 for that price, delivered to your door thanks to Amazon. The same goes for car tech. Features such as navigation and Bluetooth started out on high-end vehicles before trickling down to entry-level cars. Same with driver assist features ranging from rearview cameras to forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking — so now it's not only rich people who are protected in car crashes. I've found that this democratization of tech has reached a point where amenities on low-cost cars can be as good — and sometimes even better — than those on vehicles costing tens of thousands of dollars more. While attending a media event for the launch of the all-new 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback, I was impressed by the car's cool styling and go-kart performance. Equally noteworthy is the amount of standard tech on the low-cost hot hatch. (Pricing will be announced later this month, but expect it to come in a bit higher that the current Corolla iM's roughly $19,000 base.) Even the base SE CVT trim of the 2019 Corolla Hatchback comes with an 8-inch touchscreen and Toyota's Entune 3.0 infotainment system. Among other features, Entune 3.0 provides Wi-Fi capability, Amazon Alexa connectivity, the Entune App Suite for integration of smartphone apps such as Pandora and Yelp and, for the first time in a Toyota, Apple CarPlay (but no Android Auto). The 2019 Corolla Hatchback is also the first North American vehicle to get the second-generation Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) suite of driver assists that's also standard on the base model. TSS 2.0 includes Toyota's Pre-Collision System (forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking) with new daytime and low-light pedestrian detection and daytime cyclist detection features, lane keeping and lane departure alert with steering assist, auto high beams, adaptive cruise control, and road sign detection. While the 2019 Corolla Hatchback sets a new benchmark in standard tech on a budget-mobile, competing cars aren't far behind. The 2018 Honda Fit LX, for example, includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and assist and adaptive cruise, while the automaker's Lane Departure Mitigation and Lane Watch camera system is added the two top trims.

2019 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe Drivers' Notes Review | Not your granddad's Coupe de Ville

The 2019 ATS-V is Cadillac's smallest car, slotting below both the CTS and CT6 sedans. It's also the automaker's only two-door model, helping compete against the Audi RS5, BMW M4 and Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe. Based on the GM Alpha platform, the ATS shares more than a little with the Chevrolet Camaro. Unlike the Camaro, the high-performance V variant uses a twin turbo V6. Like the Chevy, power is sent to the rear wheels through either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic. Our Wave Metallic blue test car has about $10,000 worth of options, the most expensive of which are the $2,300 Recaro sport seats. The Luxury Package — alloy pedals, HID headlights, navigation and a Bose stereo system — tacks on another $2,100. There are some visual upgrades, too, including $1,295 for a dealer-installed carbon-fiber engine cover. All in, this ATS-V rang up for $78,775. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: Cadillac has problems, but the ATS-V coupe isn't one of them. It's everything former Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen hoped the brand could achieve in the sporting realm. The car has a tight yet tolerable suspension. The steering is direct but not overly weighted. The engine burbles and growls with noticeable attitude. It's all underscored by the six-speed manual transmission, which has a heavy clutch and requires precise throws. It's a serious sports coupe for enthusiasts. Cadillac's style is brash, edgy and sharp. It's all of those things literally and figuratively. Note the cuts and creases. The ATS is borderline severe – but I like it. I think it's smart for Cadillac to really go for it in the design department. Cadillac is again tweaking its lineup and the ATS sedan and ultimately the coupe will be replaced. Still, there's a place for a car like the ATS-V coupe in the Caddy stable. There should be, anyway. The devil is in the engine, but the details of the @Cadillac ATS-V Coupe aren't bad either. @therealautoblog pic.twitter.com/7fQOrBkxeE — Greg Migliore (@GregMigliore) October 29, 2018 Associate Editor Reese Counts: I forgot how great this thing is to drive. I won't repeat all of Greg's comments, but suffice it to say that it's everything you want in a luxury sports coupe — direct steering, a chassis that balances performance and comfort and a potent engine. Combine sharp styling and competitive pricing, and you have one of the most compelling non-German luxury cars on the market.

Cadillac to augment dealers with 700 'boutique' stores

Johan de Nysschen is on a mission to revitalize Cadillac. Since taking over as chief executive of the American luxury brand, the former Audi and Infiniti exec has set about moving the brand's headquarters to New York, switched advertising firms, launched a completely new naming scheme for its model line, and has a whole raft of new products planned. And now he's working on changing how its dealer network operates. Speaking at both the Washington Auto Show and the NADA dealers' convention in San Francisco this week, de Nysschen has outlined a new plan for its US dealers. The network presently consists of over 900 stores – some 200 of which are stand-alone Cadillac dealers, with the remaining 700 attached to other GM brand showrooms. Contrary to earlier fears, de Nysschen notes that the dealer network is larger and covers more territory than those of import brands, and has no intention of cutting that number down. But he is asking those 700 mixed-brand dealers to create a new showroom experience for Cadillac customers. In this latest announcement, Cadillac refers to a new model of "boutique" showrooms that will encompass new technologies, higher-trained staff and luxury amenities to give those attached Cadillac showrooms a more unique feel. The plan includes installing "virtual showroom" systems that will allow potential customers to configure a new car using interactive displays and "potentially even holograms." The plan also calls for "new standards for compensation... with more precise alignment of local sales and potential for each dealer" in order to make sure that the requisite investment in the infrastructure and staff training are worthwhile for the dealers. Just what form these new systems will take, we don't know at this point. Nor are we sure why Cadillac isn't including its 200 stand-alone "flagship" dealers in the initiative. But we're sure we'll be finding out more about de Nysschen's plans on the dealer front in due course. Cadillac Discusses U.S. Dealer Network Development 2015-01-22 WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of Cadillac's overall mission to expand and elevate within the premium automotive sector, the brand today outlined its strategy to upgrade its U.S. dealer network. Speaking at both the Washington, D.C. Auto Show today, and this weekend's annual National Auto Dealers Association convention in San Francisco, Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen will outline how the brand will target enhancements in the customer experience.