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2018 Cadillac XTS does its best CT6 impression

Although the Cadillac sedan lineup almost exclusively consists of rear-drive sedans, one last bastion of the old front-drive Caddy exists in the XTS. And it looks like the old-school XTS isn't going anywhere, since it just got a refresh that makes it look more like the CT6 and the CTS. This of course is a bit ironic considering the fact that the CT6 will look different in the near future. Until then, though, this update does make the XTS look more up-to-date. The main part of the headlights end higher up on the front fascia, while a strip of LED accent lights waterfall down the front bumper. The grille has slightly more sculpted slats, and the front badge has been scaled down a bit. There are no longer creases that unify the main grille and the lower one in the bumper, which help the car appear lower and wider than the outgoing model. At the back, the license plate position has been moved down to the bumper, and the trunk lid has more lines and creases. The taillights now have horizontal elements that extend toward the middle of the car. The exhaust finishers and the reverse light also look larger and more prominent now. The refreshed XTS also brings a couple of new trim options. There are new wheel designs both in 19- and 20-inch sizes. Inside, XTS buyers will be able to choose from three new color and upholstery combinations. Two of them, however, are exclusive to the Platinum trim level and come with semi-aniline leather seats. There's not really anything new mechanically with the 2018 XTS. The only major change seems to be a new tire design that is quieter and provides a smoother ride. Otherwise, the XTS will remain available with either the standard 3.6-liter V6 making 304 horsepower, or the optional 410-horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 in the V-Sport model. The standard engine comes with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and the V-Sport is only available with all-wheel drive. Pricing has yet to be released for the 2018 model year. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Cadillac XTS Image Credit: Cadillac Cadillac Luxury Sedan cadillac xts

2020 Cadillac XT5 makes its official debut, adding a new engine and improved tech

The 2020 Cadillac XT5 is here, and it’s new in some significant ways. To start, it gets a slightly revised look. We got a preview of it a month ago when Cadillac revealed the car in China, but these are official U.S.-specific photos now.  YouÂ’re looking at pictures of the XT5 Sport and Premium Luxury here. We mention this because Cadillac is continuing in its “Y” trim strategy of offering a Luxury, Premium Luxury and Sport version of their cars with noticeable design differentiation between each one. The Sport gets a darker appearance package with the XT4-like grille, as opposed to the Premium Luxury that is set to emphasize bright trim (i.e. chrome).  WeÂ’re expecting a noticeable change in the driving experience for the 2020 XT5, as the new base engine is the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that debuted in the XT4. ItÂ’ll be making 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque in this application, just as it does in every vehicle GM is spreading it to. The 3.6-liter V6 is standard on the Sport (optional on Premium Luxury), and continues to make 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque. Both engines are paired with nine-speed automatic transmissions now — the V6 was paired with an eight-speed previously.  Cadillac has also spent some time with the suspension, giving the non-Sport trims “revised front struts and driveline enhancements to improve ride comfort and road isolation.” We like the sound of that. Then, the Sport trim is legitimately sportier than the Luxury trims. Cadillac has fitted its continuous damping control adaptive suspension, given it quicker steering, standard all-wheel drive and standard 20-inch wheels. All that should make it slightly more lively through the twisties. A smattering of tech updates are coming onboard for 2020. Cadillac added its rotary controller that lets you control the updated infotainment system via that device or through the touchscreen. Available wireless phone charging, revised USB ports and USB Type-C ports come on the 2020 XT5. Then youÂ’ll notice new interior color and trim gracing the interior surfaces, as well. Cadillac says there are more “authentic materials” than before, so hopefully that means less plastic. What Cadillac made no mention of in its release, is Super Cruise. ItÂ’s going to be coming to the recently revealed CT5 and CT4-V sedans, but Cadillac doesnÂ’t seem particularly keen to get it on the crossovers yet.

Why we can't have better headlights here in the U.S.

It wouldn't be a European auto show if we weren't teased with at least one mainstream vehicle we can't have here. At the Geneva Motor Show last week, the small but vocal contingent of shooting-brake buffs lamented that the Mazda6 wagon won't be coming to our shores, although they can take comfort in the fact that the vehicle won't get the torquey 250-horsepower 2.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine we'll get here. Mercedes-Benz also announced a new headlight technology in Geneva that likely won't be available here anytime soon. It's just the latest in a long line of innovative and potentially lifesaving front-lighting solutions that the federal government doesn't allow in this country due to outdated standards — and a current lack of leadership at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Mercedes-Benz's new Digital Light system that debuted in Geneva uses a computer chip to activate more than a million micro-reflectors to better illuminate the road ahead. The Digital Light headlamps works with the vehicle's cameras, sensors and navigation mapping to adjust lighting for the given location and situation and to detect other road users. The Digital Light technology also serves as an extended head-up display of sorts by projecting symbols on the pavement ahead to alert drivers to, say, slippery conditions or pedestrians in the road. And it can even project lines on the road in a construction zone or through tight curves to show the driver the correct path. Digital Light will be available on Mercedes-Maybach vehicles later this year, although like any technology it's bound to trickle down to less expensive vehicles. That is, if we ever get it here in the U.S. Audi, a leader in automotive lighting, has repeatedly run into snags trying to bring state-of-the-art car headlights to the U.S. The German luxury automaker's recently introduced matrix laser headlight system, which performs many of the same trick as Mercedes-Benz's Digital Light, also isn't legal on U.S. roads. And five years after the introduction of its matrix-beam LED lighting, which illuminates more of the road without blinding oncoming motorists with brights by simultaneously operating high and low beams, Audi still can't bring that technology to the U.S. either.