After a week’s worth of leaks, we are finally looking at the official photos of the 2014 Cadillac CTS Sedan. For its third generation, the model that started the brand’s renaissance and introduced the Art & Science design philosophy enters the midsize luxury class, becoming more sophisticated, longer, lower, and leaner.
Based on the high-performing rear-wheel-drive vehicle architecture (Alpha) of the award-winning and highly-acclaimed Cadillac ATS sport sedan, the CTS will be the segment’s lightest car — enabling the most agile driving dynamics in the class. Propelling the lightest midsize luxury sedan in the segment will be a range of power-dense powertrains, with the all-new Cadillac twin-turbo engine V6 (LF3) and eight-speed automatic transmission serving as the range-topper (excluding the unannounced and unmentioned V-Series).
On the outside, the 2014 CTS evolves the brand’s Art & Science design philosophy while growing five inches (127 mm) in length and adding 1.2 inches (30.40 mm) to its wheelbase over the outgoing second-generation model; but even with these added dimensions, the roofline and cowl (base of the windshield) are about an inch lower. The larger exterior dimensions don’t add to the car’s curb weight: Cadillac says that the new CTS has a lower curb weight than the outgoing model, and weighs about 200 pounds (90 kg) less than the BMW 528i.
The light weight is achieved by a series of weight-saving features, including Cadillac’s first use of aluminum door structures, that contribute to the lower weight and nearly a 50/50 weight balance. And suspending all of that light weight is the highly-renowned Magnetic Ride Control. The real-time damping system is even available on base models.
Cadillac’s signature shield grille and vertical lighting elements (including the LED front signature lighting detail) progress the CTS’ design. The grille is now wider, with a more detailed texture, while the headlamps flow up with the hood line. Improving aerodynamic performance and enhancing fuel efficiency at highway speeds are active grille shutters that are included on some models.
Inside, the 2014 CTS features a driver-centric cockpit interior with integrated technology and hand-crafted appointments. The cabin is roomier, and eight interior environments are available, each offering authentic wood, carbon fiber, or aluminum. Leather seating is available (what is standard?), as is full semi-aniline leather, with hand-crafted, cut-and-sewn executions.
CTS Vsport
Serving as the top-of-the-line trim level is what Cadillac has termed “Vsport”. The trim level combines the new Cadillac twin-turbo V6 (LF3) engine good for an SAE-rated 420 horsepower and 430 lb.-ft. of torque mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission — marking the first time Cadillac has offered both technologies. The CTS Vsport includes:
- 18-inch aluminum wheels with Pirelli summer-only performance tires (19-inch wheels with all-season tires are available)
- A quicker steering ratio
- Brembo disc brakes with aluminum calipers and high-performance brake pads
- Heavy-duty track cooling package
- Driver-selectable track mode with specific steering rate and Magnetic Ride Control calibrations for greater track performance
- Electronic limited-slip differential that enhances capability on the track – including optimal acceleration out of turns
Outside of the range-topping CTS Vsport line and its 3.6 liter twin-turbo V6 (LF3) is the naturally aspirated 3.6L V6 (LFX) rated at 321 horsepower matched to the new eight-speed automatic with paddle shifters (in RWD models). According to Cadillac, the eight-speed gearbox provides a 1.5-percent increase in fuel economy over a six-speed transmission, along with greater performance advantages; a six-speed automatic continues to be the transmission of choice for AWD models. The base engine of the 2014 Cadillac CTS is the 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder (LTG) rated at an estimated 272 horsepower; a six-speed auto gearbox is standard.
Suspension
In engineering the suspension system of the 2014 CTS, Cadillac utilized a number of aluminum components in the front suspension system; the rear suspension is made mostly of steel. This setup helps offset the weight of the engine and transmission at the front of the car, contributed to less noise and vibration while delivering a near-perfect weight balance.
Interior Tech
As far as interior technology goes, the 2014 CTS offers the familiar CUE infotainment system with an eight-inch high-resolution touch screen with haptic feedback. CUE delivers standard Bluetooth connectivity, USB and SD card ports, and natural voice recognition. Complementing the CUE infotainment system is the optional 12.3-inch high-res digital instrument cluster that offers four layouts, from basic to performance-oriented. A full-color, configurable head-up display is available.
Increasing the comfort level of the front passengers are Cadillac’s first 20-way adjustable seats that are heated and cooled (ventilated). A heated steering wheel and motorized cup holder, electronically-locking glove box, electronic park brake, and adaptive remote start round out the cabin’s amenities. The already-familiar Bose eleven-speaker sound system is standard, while a thirteen-speaker Bose Centerpoint Surround Sound system is optional.
Safety
Safety technology is more than abundant in the 2014 CTS: for starters, the new midsize sport luxury sedan is the first Cadillac to offer Automatic Parking Assist that enables the car to parallel-park itself. Just like other systems from competing brands, the CTS uses ultrasonic sensors to locate a suitable space and maneuver the car into it; all that the driver needs to do is put the car into reverse, apply the accelerator and brake pedals. Best of all, ultrasonic rear park assist is standard (while leather is not; see the irony?).
A plethora of advanced safety features re supported by the ultrasonic sensors, radar technology, and cameras, including front and rear automatic braking. The technologies relies on short-range radar technology and ultrasonic sensors to help the driver prevent front and rear low-speed collisions via a progression of alerts that extend to complete braking, if necessary.
An available Driver Awareness Package delivers Cadillac’s patented Safety Alert Seat technology that uses vibrating pulses in the driver’s seat to alert the driver to an imminent collision, or to vehicles in the car’s blind spot. The seat vibrates on the left or right side, or both sides simultaneously, depending on the direction of the risk.
In addition, the 2014 CTS marks GM’s first application of automatic safety belt tightening. The available technology automatically takes slack out of the safety belts when buckled and offers real-time, active adjustments during driving to ensure optimal tension and comfort. Additional available safety features on the new CTS include:
- Full Speed Range Adaptive Cruise Control
- Panic Brake Assist
- Forward Collision Alert
- Automatic Collision Preparation (with brake prefill)
- Lane Departure Warning
- Side Blind Zone Alert
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert
- Rear Vision Camera With Dynamic Guidelines
- Adaptive Forward Lighting
- Active pedestrian protection system (in global regions where required)
Rounding out the safety features are ten standard airbags. The front-passenger units feature dual-stage low-risk deployment, which makes the most of the air bag trajectory and inflation rate based on the occupant’s size, position and severity of the crash. Not unexpected is one year of standard OnStar service.
Production
Production of the 2014 CTS begins this fall in Lansing, Michigan.
2014 Cadillac CTS Specs
Click here to view the full specifications of the 2014 CTS.
Stay tuned to GM Authority for more 2014 CTS news as we spend some quality hands-on time with the car at the New York Auto Show.
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Comments
Waiting to see what the exact curb weight is…
@Pat as @scott said, the base curb weight is 3616 lbs (1640 kg). We’ll have official specs within about an hour at:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/cadillac/cts/2014-cts/
Curb weight is 3616 pounds with lots of aluminum in use.
To compare that is 244 pounds less than the present CTS and 200 pounds under the 528I.
The car is nearly 50/50 balance too in keeping with what GM has done with the ATS.
The car is larger but lower. You will be surprise how low it looks as it has a real planted look about it.
Gah, I wasn’t expecting Cadillac to pull this “V-Sport” crap, and I don’t like it. BMW is ruining ////l/l by doing just that.
Wy gm use the ugly red color every time the show a new car…woooaaaa
Type your message here…
Let’s do a quick run down:
200lbs lighter than a BMW 550
4.6 second 0-60mph (5 Series takes 5 seconds)
Brembo Brakes
MRC suspension
A proven Alpha platform
Performance wise it wins, it wins hard.
Now the luxury breakdown:
Electronic cup holders. Boom, done. What else is needed lol
When I first saw the headlights, I hated ’em. I thought that they looked hideous….. But now? They’ve grown on me. These headlights look really good from the angles shown here. I’ve seen many people say that it looks exactly like a Mercedes E-Class, which I think is a really stupid thing to say. I see Mercedes when I look at the grill, but that is it. The two grills are different, but similar enough to see the influence in the design of the new CTS. I really like it and can’t wait to see the V-Series….. I just hope it comes with either a biturbo LT1 V8 or a supercharged LT1 V8 and an 8 speed auto(I’m sure that will be in it) with a 7 speed manual option, that would be killer.
love it… has anybody heard anything about the v series?
Nothing. I can only expect we won’t hear anything official until the end of this year. Rumors will fly and a few spy photos will surface, but generally, the next CTS-V likely will be available on the 2015 CTS.
They are testing both with supercharged and turbocharged LT1 V8s
My own thoughts:
~600hp ~600lb-ft LT1 turbo
8spd auto and 7spd manual
4100lb curb weight
0-60 3.5 seconds
Nurburgring lap time: 7:38 (faster than the ZL1)
And you’ll need FAA permission before you take off
i hope your right with your numbers. That will blow the competition out of the water! You think the germans are shaking in their boots? lol
@chevyman18 Check out the full 2014 CTS specs:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/cadillac/cts/2014-cts/
They’re accurate… and someone is shaking in their boots 🙂
Hey, that’s a pretty cool page of information, didn’t know it was there. Will you be making one for other cars as well?
Alex do u know if the 295 ft lb of torque is accurate on the 2.0t bc it makes 260 in the ats and Malibu n would over power the 3.6 torque of only 275.. ??
I think the new CTS weighs about 3600 pounds. So, what you’ve said plus the lighter curb weigth means this car is going to be killer when it gets the LT1.
It won’t weight 3600 lbs with the LT1. It weighs 3616lbs with the little 2.0T
The more shots(photos) we get to see the better it looks, performance wise as well.
If they make a wagon version I’m buying. If not, hopefully the next Srx won’t be a barge like the one I have now is.
Why is the 8 speed transmission not available with all wheel drive across all the engines? Why is the 3.6 TT only RWD? There’s not much order here. Just offer every engine with the 8 speed and RWD with optional AWD
The 8spd is a rwd transmission.
The 6spd auto being used for the awd models likely can’t handle the power/torque from the 3.6TT
Makes no sense to me either, awd should be an option on the 3.6tt, and I think the reason there’s no 8 speed on the smaller engines I’d because the 8 speed is a heavy duty transmission and isn’t made by gm because GMs 8 speeds aren’t ready and it would only make sense that a bigger heavier tranny would actually be more work and fuel for the smaller engines and also add unnecessary weight to the base models.. 8 speeds should come in across the board within a year or two
The 8 speed will be their own in house transmission.
Motorized cup holder??!!! Can that be deleted?
Man that car looks great inside and out! And its weight is such a bonus. What surprised me is that I liked it in grey more than in red (rare for grey versus any other colour), especially on the front end. The grey really makes those cool lights pop. It’s kind of a contrast thing.great job, gm !
Man, i wish i was rich now… CTS > ATS.
I know I’m going to get some hate mail but after watching the video, I’m not a fan of the new look. I think it might be the long hood that makes the whole design look a little odd. Reminds me more of the 70s cadillac. Why have it that long if it’s only going to have a v6?
But the rear legroom is shorter than the outgoing model, I don’t think that a lot shorter than competitor rear legroom is going to be competitive until the fourth generation CTS comes.
I believe the competitor can do much longer rear legroom with identical exterior dimensions.
It’s 5 inches longer than the current CTS, so there’s going to be more leg room. The current CTS competed against both the BMW 3-Series and 5-Series simultaneously, while the new CTS will compete against the 5-Series exclusively. The ATS, as you know, is going head-to-head with the 3-Series now.
If you did look at the all new 2014 CTS specs, you’ll see that the rear legroom is rated at 35.4 inches, 2013 CTS is rated at 36.1 inches.
So, you are just being fooled by the 5 inches gained in exterior length, which has nothing to do with interior. That’s why I suspect what the engineers and designers are doing, add 5 inches outside, but reduce interior spaciousness.
Lets see some live pics guys! I mainly want to see all the available interior colors in the cars that are there
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2012/02/jay-lenos-special-chevy-camaro-hints-at-future-powertrains/…….From the looks of it and the numbers given, this is essentially the first showing of the new CTS’s motor…we just didnt know it, even if some thought it was.
Well there is at least one error on the spec sheet (50.3/48.7 weight distribution doesn’t add up to 100%) so hopefully the 35.4 is also an error. That is the same leg room as a Cruze! How do you make a car with a longer wheelbase and a significantly longer exterior and get less legroom?
One item not mentioned here was the width of the car. It grew in length from the current CTS but nothing said about the width. Since it is on the same platform as the ATS I was concerned it would get skinnier.
And it has gotten skinnier, not larger to compete with the 5. While it is not much it might take away from shoulder room.
ATS 71.1
old CTS 72.5
new CTS 72.2
5 73.2
Found some interior shoulder room
5 58.3/56.2
CTS 56.9/54.8
So it is ~1.5″ tighter than the 5 front and rear.
Hey Alex and Manoli! I love the slick new slideshow feature on GM authority it works great on my iPhone five! Great looking feature on the 2014 Cadillac CTS it looks pretty vicious!
+1 for new slide show. In my opinion the new CTS= STUNNING! Can’t wait to see one on the road.
The 2014 Cadillac CTS:
This car is 195.5 inches long
It is 72.2 inches wide.
The gas tank is 19 gallons.
the trunk is only 13.2 cubic feet.
the wheelbase is 114.6 inches long
The XTS is too close in size to this car. XTS is not much wider or longer. It has a shorter wheelbase.
The XTS is 202 inches long
The XTS wheelbase is: 111.7 inches
The XTS 72.9 inches wide
The fuel tank on XTS is: 19 gallons and 20 gallons on AWD
The XTS trunk is 18 cubic feet
This compares to:
1985 downsized Cadillac Deville:
The Deville length was 195.0 inches long
The wheelbase was 110.8 inches long
It was 71.7 inches wide
The fuel tank was: 18 gallons
The trunk was: 15.7-15.8 cubic feet
The only dislike of the CTS is the headlights. That is all. The car should have a quad headlight design.
The trunk should be one to three cubic feet bigger.
Little confused on your comment. XTS is primarily a livery vehicle and old style Cadillac. Different market segment.
Both great vehicles for their markets. Currently XTS and CTS sale are about the same. This new one will change that but probably not in the direction you think. CTS will be much more expensive than the current one so sales will probably drop in the long term. I would not doubt if the CTS price goes up $5000 and be more expensive than the XTS.
200 lbs lighter than the BMW 5series and 15-20 more hp with every engine choice now that is what I call the standard of the world. But we still need an s-class competitor.
I personally think that the all new CTS is a lackluster like 2013 Malibu, both has the shortest rear legroom in each own’s segment. Don’t forget that Japanese and Germans are releasing new RWD midsize luxury car anytime soon, how can a car with such cramped rear seat compete with future cars, since it’s non-competitive with current competitor. All competitors are improving the interior room while GM is shrinking rear legroom and making the car much bigger outside. Isn’t that a stupid thing? One should shrink outside but add spaciousness to the inside!
Sorry if this is a repost from some other time but when i went to the NY Auto Show this passed saturday and saw the rear on the ELR it dawned on me, i think the rear end…in terms of the trunk lid appearance as well as appearane of the trunk mounted brake light and taillights is, in my opinion anyway, a VERY realistic look for what the rear of the next CTSV could look like.Do i know what it look like for sure?Course not, but i stared at it for an extended moment and it just clicked in my head and it made complete sense to me. Plus, if you look closely the lines from along the sides of the rear windshield as they continue over the top of the trunk lid and down either side of the recessed area where the license plate is mounted they form the upper portion of the letter V. Could that be a hint that the backend of the ELR is a viable option for the next V?Who knows…but its something i noticed and the rear trunk lid and tailight appearance makes ALOT of sense to me as a possible look for the rear end of the next CTSV.
Made a special trip from Ohio to New York auto showto see new CTS….VERY dissapointed…in my opinion it lost all of its panache and aggressive styling compared to my 2009 that has a contemporary look that seems to appeal to a younger demographic….translation-BMW buyer.
I don’t think I said “translation BMW buyer…I thought I wrote will WAIT for ATS Coupe.
Barry Friedman