2010 CADILLAC CTS SPORT WAGON ELEVATES AND ADVANCES A CLASSIC BODY STYLE

Image via WikipediaCadillac will showcase the all-new 2010 CTS Sport Wagon at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit – a car intended to connect with the changing priorities of luxury consumers.

Cadillac’s first-ever North American wagon is a progressive take on the classic wagon body style that delivers significant functionality and fuel efficiency, including up to an estimated 28 mpg highway. Production begins this spring, and sales will start shortly thereafter in the U.S. and international markets.

“The dramatic design of the CTS Sport Wagon makes it a compelling alternative to SUVs and larger vehicles,” said Mark McNabb, North America vice president of Cadillac/Premium Brands. “The CTS Sport Wagon is in synch with the changing luxury market, and it just could be the right car in the right size to spark a re-emergence of wagons in North America.”

The CTS Sport Wagon is nearly the same size as the CTS sport sedan, although it nearly doubles its carrying capacity, with a generous cargo area of 25 cubic feet (720 liters) behind the rear seats. Design highlights include:

• Signature V-shaped deck and tailgate motif
• Large, vertical taillamps with light-pipe technology
• Power-opening liftgate (via key fob or in-vehicle button)
• CHMSL-integrated roof spoiler
• Integrated roof load management system with cross bars for a seamless appearance
• Cargo management system with adjustable in-floor containment
• New 19-inch wheels
• Large available panoramic rear sunroof

Available features include those of the well-appointed CTS sedan, including all-wheel drive, a 40-gigabyte internal hard drive, pop-up navigation screen and a hand-cut-and-sewn cabin.

Design details

“It’s a taut, sleek design,” said Clay Dean, global design director for Cadillac. “The drama of the sedan is amplified in the wagon, as the centerline cue that is part of the exterior and interior is more prominent and plays a stronger role in defining the design at the rear of the vehicle.”

One of the more interesting integrations of form and function is the seamless roof load management system. Rather than stylized stanchions, brackets and cross bars that protrude above the roof line, the CTS Sport Wagon’s system blends with the roofline, maintaining an uninterrupted appearance. The center section of the roof panel angles downward inside the roof edges, allowing an unobtrusive placement of the cross bars – and creating a subtle fin effect at the trailing edges of the rear panels.

“They’re not fins in the classic sense, but they work to help disguise the cargo load system and they acknowledge Cadillac’s design heritage. Functionality was certainly a guiding factor during development, but so was our desire to inject emotion into the normally sedate wagon category,” said Dean.

The interior of the Sport Wagon is common with the sedan, including streamlined instrumentation, LED lighting and hand-cut-and-sewn accents with French stitching.

Powertrains

Direct injection technology helps the CTS Sport Wagon offer more power while maintaining fuel economy and lowering emissions. It delivers fuel more precisely to increase the efficiency of combustion. This means less fuel is consumed and lower emissions created. Direct injection reduces hydrocarbons produced by up to 25 percent on cold starts.

The CTS Sport Wagon features Cadillac’s 3.6L direct injection V-6 engine that produces 304 horsepower (227 kW), while operating on regular unleaded gasoline. A smaller, 3.0L version of the direct injection V-6 engine will be added as the new standard engine for the CTS Sport Wagon in the summer of 2009, offering improved fuel economy.

As is the case on the sport sedan, CTS Sport Wagon offers AWD as an option.

An efficient 2.9L turbo-diesel engine is being developed for models primarily in European and Asian markets. It is a compact, dual overhead cam, four-valve V-6 engine from GM’s family of diesel engines that delivers optimal fuel economy as well as reduced emissions and noise. The engine is rated at 250 horsepower (184 kW).

Driving dynamics

The robust and dynamic CTS chassis infuses the new wagon with a great balance of performance and luxury. It uses an independent short/long arm ( SLA) front suspension system and a multi-link rear suspension.

Advanced technology in the form of Cadillac’s StabiliTrak electronic chassis control system integrates the car’s standard four-channel ABS with the full-function traction control, hydraulic brake assist and engine drag control systems to deliver a safe driving experience. Additional chassis details include a structure-enhancing tower-to-tower brace under the hood; large, four-wheel disc brakes and premium steering.