Cadillac is one of the most iconic car brands in the world; a household name that is known around the globe. The car has appeared in more American movies than the most prolific Hollywood stars; from Driving Miss Daisy to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the Cadillac has been synonymous with two things — luxury and the great American road trip.
But the current generation of vehicles from the American carmaker are a far cry from the enormous cars of the 1960s and 70s; smaller, with a characteristic, angular design that reflects the modern approach to both engineering and technology that the company has taken.
The 2014 Cadillac XTS Vsport is the flagship of the range, an executive saloon that combines luxurious interior design with high-tech engineering. From the front, the car looks chunky, with a wide hood and striking grille featuring the signature Cadillac badge, but from the side it is evident how the Cadillac design aesthetic has evolved. The 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6 engine has been condensed into a small space, leaving the remainder of the car’s 5.13 metres for the spacious interiors and a vast boot that could easily hold four sets of golf clubs.
LUXURY INTERIOR
Inside, the car’s luxury credentials are immediately on show, with comfortable leather seats and a futuristic instrument cluster that looks like something out of the Transformers series. The upholstery is a busy but stylish combination of designs and materials. The instrument cluster springs to life when you hit the start/stop button, as esoteric lights dance across the LED display and digital dials appear on the screen.
It looks very pretty, with an eight-inch touchscreen that provides haptic feedback in the form of vibrations when your finger selects an option. But the menu structure and navigation is quite complicated, with some essential functions buried deep in sub-menus. The controls on the central console below the screen are based on the same touch technology, but require even more getting used to. After driving the car for three days I still couldn’t open the glove box, change the air conditioning settings or turn down the volume without several frustrating attempts.
Fortunately, the driving experience is memorable for all the right reasons. The twin-turbos make the relatively small engine incredibly powerful, with astounding torque available even at cruising speeds, which is superb for overtaking. The company has not yet released official performance figures, but the 0–100 kph time definitely falls into the “quick” category. The drive is extremely quiet and predominantly smooth, with smooth cornering and a strong grip on the road, but there is still a certain amount of bounce on bumpy surfaces, which reminds you of the fact that the XTS is a large executive vehicle.
With a price range that would put it next to the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series or Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the XTS Vsport still has some way to go before it can compete with its European counterparts, but it’s on the right track. It feels like a work in progress, a Beta model whose developers are still trying to find the right balance of functionality, performance and design. But, with just a few tweaks, Cadillac’s flagship could capture the spirit of the new American Dream and become the vehicle of choice for a new generation of movie-makers.
NUTS & BOLTS
Engine: 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 410 bhp
Torque: 500 Nm
0-100kph: TBC
Top speed: TBC
Origin: Detroit, USA
Cost: from AED 285,000 (US $77,600) in the UAE
