The full-size Cadillac XTS sedan enters the 2014 model year with a newly available 410-hp twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6 as well as a few other features. The XTS with the available 410-hp V-6 will sport a slightly revised front grille, but other trims will benefit from new equipment, as well.
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XTS owners can now impress their friends with the Cadillac's automatic parking system, which only requires the driver to control the throttle and brakes once the car is in reverse. In a comparison test with a 2013 XTS and 2014 Acura RLX, we said the Cadillac tended to "bog down coming out of slower corners." That XTS was also a full second slower than the RLX, accelerating from 0-60 mph in 6.9 seconds. The 410-hp XTS, which gets "Twin-Turbo" badges and a revised front grille, shouldn't have that problem.
Electric power steering is now standard on all front-drive models, but expected EPA fuel economy hasn't changed on 304-hp models. Other additions for 2014 include an opaque sunroof sunshade, a revised rear-seat armrest, available front passenger seat memory settings, and a rear-seat entertainment system with DVD screens that fold out of the backs of the front seats. GM has been working on speeding up the processing speed of the CUE infotainment system, an improvement that should appear on the 2014 XTS.
Elsewhere in the Cadillac lineup, the CTS wagon, CTS-V sedan, and CTS-V wagon continue into the 2014 model year with new colors. The 2014 Cadillac CTS and CTS-V coupes also get new exterior colors, and now offer a Sport Blue interior package.
The 2014 Cadillac ATS has a few minor updates including a 110-volt outlet in the rear of the center console on cars with CUE and the navigation system. A frameless inside rearview mirror and four additional colors are new, as well. Cars with steering wheel paddle shifters get a larger, leather-wrapped steering wheel. The ATS will still be available with a naturally aspirated 202-hp I-4, a 272-hp turbocharged I-4, and 321-hp V-6. Only the turbo-four is available with a six-speed manual transmission, and before long an automatic with eight or more speeds may appear on the ATS' options list.
Source: Cadillac
I’ve come a long way since I drove sugar packets across restaurant tables as a kid, pretending they were cars. With more than 17 years of experience, I'm passionate about demystifying the new car market for shoppers and enthusiasts. My expertise comes from thoughtfully reviewing countless vehicles across the automotive spectrum. The greatest thrill I get isn’t just from behind the wheel of an exotic car but from a well-executed car that’s affordable, entertaining, and well-made. Since about the time I learned to walk I’ve been fascinated by cars of all shapes and sizes, but it wasn’t until I struggled through a summer high school class at the Pasadena Art Center College of Design that I realized writing was my ticket into the automotive industry. My drive to high school was magical, taking me through a beautiful and winding canyon; I've never lost the excited feeling some 16-year-olds get when they first set out on the road. The automotive industry, singing, and writing have always been my passions, but because no one seeks a writer who sings about the automotive industry, I honed my writing and editing skills at UC Irvine (zot zot!), serving as an editor of the official campus newspaper and writing stories as a literary journalism major. At USC, I developed a much greater appreciation for broadcast journalists and became acquainted with copy editing rules such as why the Oxford comma is so important. Though my beloved 1996 Audi A4 didn’t survive my college years, my career with MotorTrend did. I started at the company in 2007 building articles for motorcycle magazines, soon transitioning to writing news posts for MotorTrend’s budding online department. I spent some valuable time in the copy editing department, as an online news director, and as a senior production editor. Today, MotorTrend keeps me busy as the Buyer's Guide Director. Not everyone has a career centered on one of their passions, and I remind myself all the time how lucky I am.
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