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Cadillac Super Cruise wins the 2019 Autoblog Technology of the Year Award

Autoblog's 2019 Technology of the Year winner is Cadillac's Super Cruise. The SAE Level 2 semi-autonomous system allows for hands-free highway driving, reducing driver fatigue and improving safety. Additionally, Super Cruise packs in safeguards that force a driver to stay alert, bringing in a level of accountability not found in other Level 2 systems. Cadillac beat out Infiniti's VC Turbo technology and the EQ Boost 48-volt system from Mercedes-Benz, the other two finalists. General Motors mapped more than 130,000 miles of highways across the country, so Super Cruise always knows where you are. A camera on the steering column keeps an eye on the driver to make sure they're watching the road. Stray your gaze too long and the system forces you to take back over. Super Cruise has its limitations — it won't change lanes for you — but it is the most well-rounded and refined semi-autonomous system we've ever tested. There's no ping-pong effect as the car finds the center of the lane, and it always seems to leave a comfortable gap between you and the car ahead. Super Cruise launched in the CT6, which is ending production this year. But the sophisticated technology will migrate to other Cadillacs in 2020. The system is as easy to use as any other adaptive cruise control. Indicators in the instrument cluster and a light on the steering wheel indicate when and if the system is able to work. If you're off the defined grid, you can still use the car's regular adaptive cruise control — you just have to keep your hands on the wheel. Autoblog editors were also impressed with Cadillac's responsible approach to marketing the tech. The company doesn't even promote it as a Level 2 system, as it doesn't want to over-promise and under-deliver. Quite the opposite actually. Super Cruise simply works, and it works well. That's why it's our 2019 Technology of the Year. We'll present the award next week at the Detroit Auto Show. Come back for video of the event. Related Video:

Cadillac plans upgrades to its Super Cruise hands-free system

Not content to let Tesla hog the spotlight with lofty claims about its autonomous driving capabilities, Cadillac plans major upgrades to its Super Cruise automated driving system starting next year, when the technology starts rolling out in more models. "The system that we have today, we continue to upgrade," Brandon Vivian, Cadillac's executive chief engineer, told The Verge. 'We have over-the-air re-flash capability, and you'll continue to see us add features and capabilities to Super Cruise going forward." A fellow top Cadillac engineer told the outlet they would not share specifics but said "We want to innovate" as competitors also make advances in self-driving technology. The news comes as Elon Musk says Tesla will launch a driverless robotaxi service in some U.S. cities next year, with "over a million cars with full self-driving, software, everything." The audacious claim hinges on a new Samsung microchip for self-driving vehicles. Last year, Tesla rolled out Navigate on Autopilot, which allows vehicles to change lanes, take exit ramps and choose the correct highway interchange and exit. At the New York International Auto Show, Cadillac announced that it will equip the forthcoming 2020 CT5 sedan with Super Cruise, though not initially. The brand plans to roll out a new model equipped with Super Cruise every six months starting in 2020 and going through the end of 2021, meaning four new models with the technology in two years. Super Cruise previously has been offered only on the CT6 Platinum, and as an option on other CT6 trim levels, along with a three-year OnStar package. It uses cameras, lidar mapping and radar, plus an infrared camera mounted atop the steering column to make sure the driver isn't nodding off, looking away for too long or climbing into the back seat. There's also an LED light bar on the steering wheel and Super Cruise icon on the instrument panel to let drivers know when the system is ready, not ready and ready to deactivate. But the system can't switch lanes and only works on around 130,000 miles of divided highways that GM has mapped with lidar-equipped vehicles. Vivian said the Super Cruise setup in the CT5 will be largely the same as in the CT6 and likened it to "a half step in between" a full next generation of the technology. GM also plans to eventually roll out Super Cruise to its entire U.S. lineup following its introduction in all Cadillac models. Autoblog named Super Cruise the 2019 Technology of the Year winner.

2017 Cadillac XT5 cuts weight, adds room over SRX [UPDATE]

UPDATE: This post has been updated with a full set of official photos. Impressions on the interior and exterior have also been added. The attention of Cadillac fans may be focused on the new CT6 sedan, but the most important new vehicle in the New York-based company's quiver might be the all-new XT5. Cadillac officially unveiled the SRX replacement today ahead of its full debut in Los Angeles next week. Short for Crossover Touring 5, the new XT5 drops 278 pounds over the old SRX, while offering an extra 3.2 inches of interior space. The XT5's face balances the best parts of the Escalade and CT6's fascias, with a strong egg-crate grille and prominent LED accent lights. It looks good scaled to a vehicle of this size. The taillights curve up and over the rear haunches, which feed into a strong shoulder line that runs towards the front of the car. It's a solid look, and one we're looking forward to seeing in person. The interior looks very, very nice, with warm leather and wood trimmings. The steering wheel, with its large, central wood accent, looks remarkably good. In fact, it might be one of our favor parts, if only because it's such a bold piece of design. We aren't crazy about the sheer abundance of buttons on the wheel, though. All four spokes are covered, and it just looks kind of cluttered. As is the trend nowadays, the center console features a floating bridge design with plenty of storage space underneath. Our early impression of the leather-wrapped dash is positive, although as is so often the case, we need to get a hands on before rendering a final judgment. There are no major surprises under the hood. Like the current SRX, the XT5 utilizes the same 3.6-liter V6 as the CTS and ATS sedans. Start/stop has been fitted, which should provide a boost in fuel economy although no mileage figures have been published yet. Cadillac will also offer a standard 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder XT5, although for reasons that aren't clear, it's only for the Chinese market. This seems like a misstep in our eyes, considering the XT5 will challenge the likes of the BMW X3, Audi Q5, and Mercedes-Benz GLC – all of which offer four-cylinder turbos. With the V6, the XT5 delivers 310 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. While there's more total horsepower than the Lexus, Audi, or BMW, the 3.6 still faces a torque deficiency versus the turbocharged X3 xDrive35i or supercharged Audi V6. The XT5 has a standard eight-speed automatic transmission.