Cadillac is hoping to inspire wagon-mania.
Wagons are wildly popular in Europe, and the new mandate at Cadillac is to design global vehicles—ergo North America will get a CTS Sport Wagon next spring.
General Motors chose the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance for the world premiere of this extension of the popular CTS family.
Cadillac is now selling more CTS sedans than any other product in its lineup, says product director John Howell. “As we developed the CTS it became clear there were opportunities to do more than a sedan,” he says.
First to be confirmed was the 2010 CTS coupe, slated to begin production in the fall of 2009. But now, beating it to the punch will be the wagon when workers start building them early next year at GM’s plant in Lansing, Michigan, for shipment to dealers in the spring of 2009. Because the front end sheetmetal, powertrains, and interior are all shared, officials say there is manufacturing flexibility to switch the mix easily to meet demand of any one of these body styles.
The family wagon shares its 113.4-inch wheelbase with the sedan, but is actually 0.7 inch shorter in total length. It offers 25 cubic feet of cargo room behind the rear seats, accessible via a power liftgate. The “roof load management system” is designed to blend with the roofline and the center section of the roof panels actually angles down to hide the cross bars. Design director Dean Clay says the look was designed to create a subtle fin effect. If the nuance is lost on you, don’t worry, the important thing is that it does help disguise the roof rack.
Under the hood is GM’s direct-injection 3.6-liter V-6 cranking out 304 horsepower. It likes regular unleaded gas and GM says it will match the sedan’s 26 mpg on the highway. The base engine is the non-DI 3.6-liter that musters up 263 hp and 253 lb-ft of torque. Both mills are mated to six-speed transmission, both manual and automatic.
Once Again, Torquey Diesels Are Not For Us
A 250-hp, 2.9-liter turbo-diesel V-6 is being developed for Europe and Asia. The diesel-powered version will be shown in October at the Paris auto show, but execs say there are no current plans to offer it in the U.S.
The wagon has available all-wheel drive, unique 19-inch wheels, and an optional larger panoramic sunroof.
For Dean, this is a way to stretch the language of Cadillac and the hope is the sleek, raked look; deep slivers of taillamps that extend from the roof to the bumper; the crease across the back; chrome accent line along the roof; and LED lighting will win the favor of those who have failed to appreciate wagons in the past. We gotta admit it’s striking, and the view of the rear is arguably one of its best features.
Howell admits it will be a bit of an experiment offering a wagon in the U.S., whereas it is expected to be a slam dunk in Europe where half of the mid-size vehicles sold there are wagons. But tastes are ever-evolving and buyers are always seeking something new, Dean says, noting the trends from minivans to SUVs to crossovers. Asked about the failure of the Dodge Magnum to catch on with buyers, leading to the decision to kill it, Dean says the Magnum was a very large car, with polarizing style. The CTS wagon is a size smaller, and shares the popular design of the rest of the CTS family. As for a CTS-V wagon, executives smile and say it is an option. (Please?)
Next-Gen SRX Also Coming Next Year
It will be a busy year for Cadillac in 2009; sandwiched between the intros of the CTS wagon and coupe will be the launch of the next-generation 2010 SRX crossover. This jaunty SUV will go into production in the second quarter of 2009.
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