Cadillac’s CT6, S-Class rival, debuts at New York
The Geneva Motor Show is always a tough act to follow but the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), which began today, has its share of glamour and crowd pulling desirability. Case in point is Cadillac’s new flagship sedan, meant to take on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series and Audi’s A8 and available in international markets (read, not India) from 2016, the CT6 is only one of the eight new cars that the American manufacturer has planned to introduce by 2020. This flagship sedan is a much more technologically intuned car for the brand and inaugurates a long list of new tech.
At the time of its launch, the 2016 Cadillac CT6 will come with three engine options — a 266bhp 2.0-litre turbo-charged four-pot, a 335bhp 3.6-litre NA V6, and a 400bhp 3-litre twin-turbo V6. These three engines will be mated to eight-speed automatic transmissions, while the six-cylinder models will get standard all-wheel drive, the turbocharged four-pot will be a RWD. Cadillac has also revealed that their flagship sedan willl be offered with a hybrid engine and a twin-trubo V8 in the near future.
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The 400bhp 3-litre twin-turbo V6 mated to a new 8-speed automatic[/caption]
Even though the CT6 is as long as the BMW 7 Series in terms of wheelbase, its new, aluminum-intensive Omega architecture means that it’s weight is quite low for a car this size. Tipping the scales at 1700kg, it is lighter than the Audi A8, the 7 Series, and even the 5 Series. Cadillac isn’t really about making driver focused cars but the CT6 should make a case for itself with the light-weight alumnium chassis that also provides structural rigidity, the Active Chassis System with rear-wheel steering, and Magnetic Ride Control.
It’s on the inside that all those new technological bits have been integrated. It looks pretty high-class and elegant seeing as it has been designed with a combination of leather, wood and carbon fibre, while the heated seats, fitted with Opus leather, get five different massage functions. The rear seats are electrically adjustable, with media controls on the centre armrest that include HDMI and USB ports. The front-seat backs come with screens. In addition, there’s the 34-speaker Bose audio system, a video streaming rearview mirror, and a 10.2-inch CUE infotainment system with a capacitive touchscreen and console-mounted touchpad. This display provides a 360-degree view of the outside and can even record video when the security system is activated.
Then there is the usual list of equipment that comes as standard including the Advanced Park Assist (parks the car automatically) Night Vision (helps identify objects through heat signatures on the infotainment system), Pedestrian Collision Mitigation (detects pedestrians and uses autonomous braking to avoid collisions), and Wireless phone charging.
