XTS Is The Cadillac Of Cadillacs

by Manoli Katakis
Jan 12th, 2010

Rolling down the ramp in a color that resembles a full-moon night, with sharp LED accents and a shimmering shield grille, comes the all-new Cadillac XTS Platinum Concept. As it rotates, the angles of the executive class flagship sedan dramatically take effect, with rays of light reflecting and shooting along the edges.

Mercedes, BMW and Audi have officially been put in check.

Cadillac just blind-sided ze Germans with something those brands haven’t seen in a long time – and that is what describes the Cadillac XTS Platinum “Concept” (come on, GM don’t play us, we know you’re going to build this one). The much-teased concept is Cadillac’s best display of form and function in a sedan since… the CTS, but better! It’s bigger, too.

In terms of dimensions, the XTS is nearly as long as the retiring DTS, but is wider and a tad taller thanks to the new Super Epsilon frame. That means it’s pretty gosh darned big – much like the old school Cadillacs of yore. But thanks to all-wheel-drive and the magnetic ride dampening system (borrowed from such all-stars as the ZR-1 and CTS-V), this car won’t handle like those old boats. Does it go like stink? Actually, it’s pretty powerful for being a plug-in two mode hybrid.

Under the hood, the XTS is powered by GM’s popular 3.6 liter direct-injected V6 accompanied by a lithium-ion battery pack that allows the car to go full e-mode at speeds under 40 mph. Cadillac also goes on to say that it will harness “around 350 horsepower.” S-Class hybrid, eat your heart out. But since powerful people like equally powerful cars, a possible V8 version should not go underlooked.

Cadillac spared no expense dressing up the interior. The cabin looks more like a $250,000 Bentley than a Cadillac. This is where the Platinum part comes in: according to Caddy, it features “laser etched suede, aniline leathers, satin metals and burled birch wood,” along with a visually appealing LED touch-screen for the center console interface. The driver’s display is also an LED screen that runs one foot long behind the wood and leather- wrapped steering wheel. The dash is also reconfigurable to the driver’s preference.

To top it all off, the back seat is so spacious that there’s “no need to apologize to your friends in the back seat”. Rear passengers are even pampered with their own personal monitors at which to stare. And did we mention the door handles illuminate as you approach the XTS, inviting you in? Now isn’t that nice!

The GM Authority Take:

Now I don’t usually become excited think this is one of the best-looking flagship sedans I have ever seen. The XTS contains a few cues from the stunning Cadillac Sixteen Concept from a few years ago, especially in the broad shield grill and wood accents on the steering wheel. It just looks fantastic, fantastic, fantastic.

But the question lies not in whether or not the XTS will be built, but rather if it will go as far in terms of luxury, features, and engine as the concept car leads us to believe. With road tires fitted around the 20 inch rims and GM’s already-existing two-mode plug in hybrid system, this car looks ready for production. I’d like to think it’s going to happen. And so does Alex Luft.

We have GM’s presser after the break.

2010 NAIAS - Cadillac XTS Platinum Concept

PRESS RELEASE

Cadillac Unveils The XTS Platinum Concept

2010-01-12

A new study re-imagining the luxury sedan, showcasing the progression of the Cadillac Art and Science philosophy
Designed from the inside out, featuring a new concept for the interface between the driver and the auto electronics
Plug-in hybrid system is matched with a 3.6L V-6 and all-wheel drive for dynamic and efficient performance

DETROIT – Cadillac unveiled the XTS Platinum Concept at the 2010 North American International Auto Show, suggesting a new paradigm for the luxury sedan of the future. The concept showcases Cadillac’s emerging top-of-the-line Platinum series of models, emphasizing new expressions of luxury and technological features, including a plug-in hybrid propulsion system.

The XTS Platinum Concept was designed from the inside out, re-imagining the luxury sedan as a personal headquarters, built for efficiency, luxury and connectivity. The concept introduces a new approach to in-car electronics that improves the form and function of the car’s entertainment, navigation and information systems.

“The XTS Platinum concept is the next expression of Cadillac’s Art and Science execution philosophy, reflecting our drive to deliver the latest innovations in the most artful manner,” said Bryan Nesbitt, Cadillac general manager. “We envisioned this concept as an automotive personal headquarters, using advanced technology to enable new levels of connectivity and luxury.”

The XTS Platinum Concept uses Cadillac’s 3.6L V-6 Direct Injection gas engine, paired with a plug-in hybrid system. The plug-in technology enables the battery to fully charge from a standard electrical outlet, enabling pure electric propulsion in many driving situations, especially urban commutes in which fuel efficiency may double that of a conventional hybrid.

Traditional luxury sedans were defined by elegant interiors and Cadillac’s XTS Platinum Concept propels that formula into the future. It delivers new approaches to luxury within a design that combines fine craftsmanship with customer-driven innovation. Like the current Platinum Edition products, such as Escalade Platinum and the STS and DTS Platinum sedans, the interior is based on hand cut-and-sewn materials. The XTS Platinum Concept injects more contemporary forms and themes into the interior design, including the use of Organic Light-Emitting Diode (O-LED) displays in place of traditional gauges and screens.

The concept previews a new integration philosophy guiding the development of future models with respect to in-car electronics. The intent is to progress Cadillac’s intuitive in-car electronics systems, typified by the deployable touch-screen navigation system that has been highly acclaimed in the brand’s CTS and SRX product lines. The XTS Platinum Concept previews this strategy via the minimization of traditional buttons and switches. Designers blended the display screens into a flowing instrument panel. They call it a “dead front” design, because the panels appear black until the car is turned on and the screens illuminate. The instrument panel itself reflects the XTS Platinum’s other focus – uncompromising luxury and attention to detail on the interior.

“The Platinum distinction in Cadillac means the fullest extent of luxury and technology and we’ve tried to reach even further with this concept,” said Clay Dean, Cadillac design director. “Just as the technology pushes the boundaries of what a Cadillac can offer, so do the details that make the XTS Platinum Concept an uncompromising experience.”

The interior takes inspiration from nature, specifically the intricate layers of petals that combine to form an orchid. Cadillac designers translated that into a layered and detailed interior. Light cream is the cabin’s primary color and is contrasted with darker elements, such as the steering wheel and an overhead console motif that runs the length of interior’s roof. The console is made of a richly finished wood and houses lighting features.

Premium leather seats include a new style of automotive suede, with a laser-etched pattern. The patterned material adorns the center sections of the seats and accents the door trim. Thoughtfully detailed stitching is used throughout the interior, including the seats, instrument panel and door panels. Passengers in the spacious rear compartment of the XTS Platinum Concept also have access to the car’s connectivity feature, along with a range of infotainment choices.

“We never lost sight of the fact that a large luxury sedan needs to be spacious and accommodating,” said Dean. “Passengers will find generous headroom, legroom and knee space, along with the technology elements that make the drive more productive.”

A new proportion

The XTS Platinum Concept has a distinctive proportion that transcends the traditional aesthetic of luxury sedans and carries the brand’s Art and Science design in a more progressive manner. The unique proportion supports the “inside out” design priority, while creating a sleek profile that complements the car’s advanced technology elements and necessary aerodynamics.

“The XTS Platinum Concept design artfully conveys its focus on functionality through technology,” said Dean. “It is the antithesis of the conventional three-box sedan, suggesting the active evolution of Cadillac’s design language.”

A sweeping profile culminates in a short, high deck lid that meets the XTS Platinum Concept’s aerodynamic needs – including a rear spoiler mounted on the deck lid, incorporating the center high-mounted stop lamp. A high, sloping beltline gestures the vehicle forward, suggesting motion, while the fenders flare outward wrapping tightly around 20-inch wheels and tires. The wheel-to-body proportion was carefully tailored to visually communicate the car’s all-wheel-drive chassis.

Like the interior, the exterior elements are precisely tailored and elegantly detailed. Brushed billet aluminum trim is used selectively and the 20-inch, 11-spoke wheels feature a brushed aluminum face accented with bright inserts within the spokes. The wheels are wrapped with special Bridgestone tires that were created specifically for the XTS Platinum Concept.

Signature elements essential to Cadillac’s Art and Science design language include vertical headlamp and taillamps, with integrated light pipes and richly detailed lighting components. The headlamps feature light-emitting diode technology for bright illumination that requires less energy, as well as Cadillac’s Adaptive Forward Lighting technology, which turns the headlamps with the direction of the front wheels for greater visibility in turns.

Purposeful and efficient performance

The XTS Platinum concept’s plug-in hybrid electric propulsion system (PHEV) builds on the experience Cadillac has gained with the Escalade Hybrid and Escalade Platinum Hybrid flagship models. The plug-in capability boosts the car’s electric-only driving capability, offering additional battery energy capacity and enabling it to recharge from a standard external electrical outlet. The key benefit of external plug-in recharging is that in many situations – such as overnight parking – the battery can fully recharge in roughly five hours while the car is not in use. The plug-in system operates at maximum efficiency when operating on power the battery has drawn from the electric grid. In some conditions, such as urban commutes, drivers can experience efficiency that doubles that of conventional hybrids.

At higher speeds or when conditions demand it, such as brisk acceleration, a combination of engine power and electric power or engine power only, propels the vehicle. The combination of the Direct Injection V-6 engine and the PHEV system featuring fully electric variable drive provides a spirited driving experience. The system provides an estimated 350 horsepower (260 kW) and 295 lb.-ft. of torque (400 Nm).

Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) enables the XTS Platinum Concept to deliver superior road-holding performance while maintaining luxury car composure in “regular” driving conditions. It uses shocks controlled by advanced magneto-rheological technology, rather than mechanical valves, to greatly accelerate response time and precision.

MRC uses electronic sensors at all four wheels to literally “read the road” every millisecond, making constant adjustments to damping to create virtually instantaneous and extremely precise control of body motions.

An advanced, specially calibrated all-wheel-drive system ensures optimal traction in wet and slippery conditions, and helps deliver maximum traction while cornering. Four-wheel disc brakes, with four-channel ABS, StabiliTrak stability control and full-function traction control complete the drivetrain details.

“The XTS Platinum Concept was designed to deliver an engaging driving experience without compromising the functional features, space and comfort customers seek in a luxury car,” said Nesbitt. “It is a new vision of luxury that uses advanced technology to deliver functionality efficiently and rewardingly.”

About Cadillac

Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. In recent years, Cadillac has engineered a historic renaissance led by artful engineering and global expansion. More information on Cadillac can be found at media.cadillac.com.

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Vehicle type:

luxury sedan concept

Wheelbase (in / mm):

111.7 / 2837

Length (in / mm):

203.5 / 5170

Width (in / mm):

74.8 / 1900

Height (in / mm):

59.1 / 1500

Track (in / mm):