2014 Cadillac Xts Luxury on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Cadillac to launch Super Cruise semi-autonomous technology in two years [w/video]

We all know that self-driving cars are coming. It's not so much a question of If so much as When. And when it comes to General Motors products, we now have something of a date to work with, as Cadillac has announced plans to roll out what it is calling Super Cruise technology in an unnamed new model within the next two years. As you would expect, this new tech can speed the car up, slow it down and keep it in its intended lane, but GM isn't expected to release a fully self-driving car, saying that it will still require "an attentive driver."
We're not quite sure what new model Cadillac will use to launch this new technology, but our best guess would be its upcoming LTS sedan. Other possibilities may include a new crossover - we've heard rumors of CUVS coming from Caddy both above and below the current SRX - or entry-level sedan, but those seem less likely than a high-dollar flagship like the LTS.
The next techy bit of kit currently being shown off by Cadillac engineers includes vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, technology which would seemingly allow cars to travel in close proximity to one another, with less danger of collisions. According to our friends at Engadget, GM is working with the University of Michigan to outfit some 120 miles of roads in and around Detroit, MI, with the requisite sensors to make all this technology possible.

Cadillac ELR production has stopped, Chevy Bolt coming in Oct.

It looks like General Motors' Cadillac ELR extended-range plug-in is out as the automaker prepares to go all in on the Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle. The Caddy officially stopped production in February, Hybrid Cars says, citing Cadillac Product Communications Manager David Caldwell. There is still a "small quantity" of the coupe at dealerships, but this take on mashing up "luxury coupe" with "green vehicle" has about run its course. Caldwell and Johan de Nysschen, president of General Motors' Cadillac division, had already confirmed earlier this year that the ELR, which was first available as a 2014 model, wouldn't have any further generations, though weren't specific on when production would stop. The ELR uses an upgraded version of the first-generation Volt's powertrain to move the 4,000-pound beast, and while the Volt is now in its second generation (and this year's sales have more than doubled from a year earlier as a result), the ELR never received a similar upgrade. The ELR sold just 357 units through April. As a result, the ELR sold just 357 units through April, down almost nine percent from a year earlier. In all of last year, 1,024 ELRs were sold, compared to more than 15,000 units for the Chevy Volt, and that's after the ELR's price was cut by about $9,000 last April. The car also got about a 25-percent increase in power, but that didn't seem to do the trick when it came to boosting demand, even with the available $7,500 federal tax credit. Meanwhile, Hybrid Cars is reporting that the 2017 Bolt, which will feature a single-charge range of about 200 miles and is expected to retail for about $35,000, is likely to start production at GM's Orion Assembly Plant in October. While you wait, if you're already feeling nostalgic, check out our impressions of the ELR here. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2014 Cadillac ELR Review View 48 Photos News Source: Hybrid Cars Green Plants/Manufacturing Cadillac Coupe Hybrid Chevy Bolt cadillac elr elr extended-range plug-in bolt

Such Sweet Sorrow: Cadillac's CTS-V gets an Irish wake

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. The honkin', stonkin' second-generation CTS-V, powered by Cadillac's brawny supercharged 6.2-liter V8 has been a very good thing. And now that the 500 final coupes – the only CTS-Vs designated 2015 models – have been built (just five remain unsold as of this writing), it is indeed a good thing that's come to an end. But Cadillac is not letting 2009–2015 CTS-V go gently into that good night, even as its replacement is poised to debut in just in just two months at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. Instead, Cadillac invited us to Austin's Circuit of the Americas racetrack for what it called an "Irish wake" for the model that has proven to be one of the quickest and most charismatic models in General Motors' history. If you don't know what an Irish wake is, if you envision storytelling, songs, debauchery and more than a little liquor, you'll be in the ballpark. In this case, though, adrenaline substituted in for the booze, with squealing tires and shrieking V8s providing the singing. The debauchery took the form of an all-you-can-drive lapping of COTA in all three bodystyles – coupe, sedan and wagon – and the stories were told by the grins plastered on our faces all day. First and foremost, we'll miss the CTS-V's perfect balance of luxury and sportiness. Even after six years with no major changes, the CTS-V is surprisingly spry. Certainly, you never forget that it's a heavy thing, weighing in anywhere between 4217 pounds for the manual-equipped coupe to 4424 for an automatic wagon, but with 0-60 times of about four seconds and the ability to hit about 150 mph on COTA's back straight, the Vs remain an absolute hoot on the track. Sure, some of its details – the blocky front fascia shapes and the spoiler on the sedan and coupe models, for example – look a bit dated, but the overall design still looks sufficiently badass. The interior design has worn pretty well, too, and however Cadillac may feel about center stack buttons being so last decade, we favor them over the capacitive-touch madness of today's CUE system. We're not going to bother doing another full review of the car here, but suffice it to say, there is plenty we will miss. First and foremost, will be the CTS-V's perfect balance of luxury and sportiness. Rumor has it that Cadillac will offer the 6.2-liter LT4 V8 in the next generation (we predict about 600 hp), but we hear that the new car will skew more toward luxury than balls-out performance.