LET’S PUT THIS fallacy to rest. The 2013 XTS is not Cadillac’s new flagship. Its base price will probably be close to that of the CTS, though with the new Cadillac User Experience (CUE) infotainment system and all the features of the topline Platinum trim level, it will top out a bit higher than a non-V CTS. It won’t come anywhere near the Ciel concept-inspired RWD S-Class-size sedan GM tentatively has under development.
Cadillac hasn’t held back on loading up what’s essentially a V-6-powered replacement for the DTS with the latest interpretation of the Art & Science design language, cutting-edge features like CUE, and the most sumptuous interior it can manage. Consider the door handles. No one else—not Mercedes, BMW, or Audi—has these door handles, which are Cadillac’s new bling for a post-bling world. Instead of lighting up the door-handle pockets, as in most modern luxury cars, Cadillac puts light pipes in the door handles themselves. They’re not on the Buick LaCrosse, which shares the XTS’s Epsilonll architecture, transverse 3.6-liter V-6 engine, 111.7-inch wheelbase, and optional Haldex all-wheel drive.The XTS is 5 inches longer, has a roomier back seat and a much bigger trunk.
The new bread-and-butter Caddy shares a good deal under the skin with the topline Buick, including HyPer strut front suspension, though the XTS adds magnetic ride shocks, like the CTS-V and Corvette, and its multi-link rear suspension features air shocks.
Like the ’10 XTS Platinum concept, the production version relies on modern technology to bend the sheetmetal in interesting ways, including an Escheresque twist atop the rear fender lines coming off the sail panels. The grille badge seems large enough to adorn an Escalade and is made of a transparent outer material that allows conceals the radar for the adaptive cruise control. The XTS is the first Cadillac sedan with six side windows since the early ’60s four-door hardtops, giving rear-seat passengers good outward visibility.
The XTS is all about the interior, where you’ll find intricate French seams—dark purple on black leather in the L.A. show launch car—along the center of the dash, and repeated on the center armrests. Real wood accents are high up on the dash, and the Platinum features a suede-like headliner. Cadillac will offer six interior color/wood trim combinations, a controlled buyer customization plan for the majority of customers who prefer to purchase off the lot rather than wait for special orders.
The carmaker touts an almost Mercedes-level of safety items, from 10 airbags (including two front kneebags), front and rear park assists, optional distronic cruise control, rear cross-traffic alerts, and side blind alerts and lane-departure alerts with haptic warnings in the driver’s seat.
Where does the XTS fit in the lineup? Until the ’15 CTS grows slightly, the XTS is the FWD/AWD Mercedes E-Class 4Matic/Audi A6 compeitor, offering the ultimate luxury to American drivers: No need for winter tires.