Cadillac CTS test drive since 2007 sedan
The course is the euro
A American not alien to the car, in an effort to emphasize the high quality and prestige of any product, most likely uses the epithet of the Cadillac and will say something like: this is a cadillac among air conditioners. Although we are from Siberia, we also know that once American cars were the largest, most powerful and most perfect from a technical point of view. To remind us of this, Cadillac made a new CTS. This is not the largest representative of the Cadillac family now looks just stunning. Before the fuel crisis, American cars were not only the largest. Their creators allowed themselves rather bold experiments in design, and in most cases their cars had an almost perfect design. It was without reason that many Soviet car factories began with
copying exactly American models. After the seventies, the Americans turned into catching up: technical solutions for compact models on the endless expanse of states were not born, so overseas competitors, historically accustomed to cozy cramped cramped, inevitably won. The States managed to save the title of legislator of world automobile fashion because cars are produced more than in other countries, but because they buy them more here: the United States with Canada remains the largest car market in the world and the preferences of local residents are important for any car manufacturer . And what are they
they prefer what the rest may like? The first CTS was introduced in the fall of 2001 as a model 2003, it entered the sale already in 2002. We were prepared for its appearance for a very long time: spectacular concepts with futuristic faceted forms appeared almost at the second half of the 90s. Just like in the Latin-American series: we are now starting to change our style, we are already starting to look for our new style, we have almost changed our design ... On a CTS soil, which was loosened by these prototypes, has taken root easily. Moreover, the style giving futurism, in general, is one of the traditions of the American auto industry in general and Cadillac in particular.
The problem of the previous CTS were trifles. Here, say, the choice of plastic for decoration of the salon. Even if we buy a sedan with parameters
class E at the price of class D, it is still not clear to us how to get a panel of devices for that kind of money, which, in texture reminds of cars, is half the cheaper. The owner of Cadillac about the existence of such cars, of course, heard something, but is not so close to get acquainted with their features. However, this did not prevent Cadillac from even surpassing CTS sales plans. It seems that somewhere here the border between the American perception of a relatively expensive car and the European one passes. It was in America that eighty years ago, a tie on the clothespin tied once and for all was invented once and for all. Indeed, why suffer with nodes when you need just a decorative detail? This approach is very characteristic of American culture maximum simplification and purposefulness of technical and aesthetic solutions. The new CTS is exactly what differs from the previous one. 
If you describe it with words, there are the same ones that we said about the previous generation. But if you look at him, the difference is more than noticeable. All external panels are new, so at first glance it is difficult to notice that the frame of the body remained the same. You can guess about borrowing from the ancestors of this very complex and expensive details only by unchanged shapes and sizes of doors and glasses. The car grew in all three dimensions, but an additional 30-50 mm could not have not be noticed this is just a couple of percent of its size. However, the designers did everything so that the 2008 CTS looked as if he had added 20-30 centimeters: they worked a little more thoroughly with the body and added small details. Working with details is clearly visible in optics. And in front and behind are now quite complex structures, in which all modern lighting technologies are combined: here xenon, rotary headlights, LEDs. Dimensional lights and turning pointers are vertical, which in people understanding causes direct associations with the famous keel of the fifties
The golden time of the American auto industry. However, those who do not remember this, such lighting devices also make an impression. The recipe for creating a salon today is different than before: instead of brutal forms and primitive textures, finely designed details and various expensive materials. Until the manually sewn the finishes of the instrument panel, which used to be only on the expensive fifth series. The details of the luxury of past years are not forgotten by the teapoty silver and it seems like a metal V on the backs of the seats looks somewhat defiant in our time of total security care. However, in fact, the place was chosen so well that this decorative element does not at all catch clothes.
Cadillac remains true to himself, combining luxury and new technologies. By order, you can get an audio system from Bose with a 40 GB hard drive, where you can store several dozen films, not to mention thousands of musical records. It also includes 10 speakers, which ensure the reproduction of a multi-channel sound 5.1, a DVD player and a large display. The latter works in two modes. In the standard, it fits into the instrument panel, but in sight there is still a part of the screen, on which the minimum set of data is displayed. You can push it completely, for example, for using navigation (which has not yet been working in Russia), watching films with DVD or just more convenient communication with an audio system. In addition to its own sources, it can be connected to an iPod or other player. On the main display, the tracklist is displayed and using the standard key and buttons can be controlled by a connected gadget. What is prohibited is to copy files from the iPod to the hard drive of the system itself. But the hard drive is used in navigation. Due to the fact that files with cards are stored on a constantly working hard drive, and not a periodically launched drive, the speed of work increases by 30-40 percent. It is only necessary to keep in mind that this version of the audio system is set as an option and costs more than 100 thousand rubles. The CTS design is also ready to adapt to the consumer. Three engines have been prepared: 2.8 l/211 hp and two options 3.6-liter with conventional injection develops 266 hp, and with the immediate 311. It is the last version that will be proposed in
Russia. The new technology helped to increase all the indicators and the models of this kind of efficiency that does not bother our buyer, and the power is much more important to him. You can choose not only engines, but also suspensions are released three versions on combination of comfort and handling. In Russia, however, the choice is predetermined: we are offered only the most sports version, which is perceived from the steering wheel as a large European sedan. Fortunately and components will be common for them: the German ZF makes the steering mechanisms for CTS, and Bilstein shock absorbers. But automatic transmission CTS from the same series that General Motors buys BMW for its fifth.
The existence of versions is not only with the rear, but also with all -wheel drive, allows you to enroll in competitors of the CTS model of the entire German large three. True, if in size, equipment, and appearance this Cadillac also competes with E-Klasse or, say, Audi A6, then at a price the buyer definitely wins.
Abstracts after 1. Cadillac appeared in America, but today it is a global brand, reminds the general manager of the Cadillac brand Jim Taylor.
2. The faceted style, which Cadillac calls Art and Science, looks as futuristic today as panoramic glasses and Kili looked sixty years ago.
3. Now the Americans will really call about the little things: the sidewalls of the body are connected to the roof of a laser seam to create a more integral impression.
4. Victorious V-dynamics and classic. This machine has its own style.
Cadillac CTS
Gasoline engine V6
Voltage volume (cubic cub) 3564
Power (L.S. at about/min) 311 at 6500
Moment (nm at rpm) 374 at 5200
Rear/full drive
Gearbox 6-st. machine
Length/width/height (mm) 4860/1842/1464
Equipped mass (kg) 1798/1882
Maximum speed (km/h) 241/225
Acceleration to 100 km/h (c) 6.3/6.7
The fuel consumption is average, (l/100 km) 16.6-7.9/16.8-8.0
Price in Moscow (rub.) 1 322 722 /1 423 364
Text: Valery Chusov
Photo: Mark Kozhuk and Alpina Burkard Bovenspiepen GmbH
Source: "Autopilot"
