Cadillac Announces XTS Luxury Sedan Debut at LA Auto Show

On Wednesday, for a split second only, General Motors posted a photograph of the new 2013 Cadillac XTS on its U.S. website by mistake, but that was more than enough time for the picture to be shared all over the world.

Since there's no point in hiding anymore, GM today released a full-blown version of the same image in high-resolution providing us with a more detailed look at Cadillac's new flagship model that replaces both the DTS and the STS in the carmaker's lineup.

Previously, we had a chance to get a peek at the new XTS's interior with a cutout dashboard meant to show off the firm's new CUE (Cadillac User Experience) infotainment, navigation and communication system that will launch in 2012, not only in the full-size sedan, but also in the ATS compact saloon and SRX crossover.

There are very few details about the powerplant options that will be available on the new XTS when it goes on sale in the States next spring, but GM's 3.6-liter direct-injection V6 should be a prime candidate.

We'll have more on Cadillac's new luxury sedan from the LA Auto Show floors next week.

PHOTO GALLERY

Read More

Report: GM May Build a Production Model Inspired by the Ciel

“If you build it, he will come”; now this may be the whisper heard by Kevin Costner in the 1989 movie Field of Dreams, but it also stands true for any product –and especially cars.

No matter what your image or marketing strategy, in the long term the product itself makes or breaks a carmaker. Recent “rags to riches” stories include Hyundai, Kia and Skoda, all of which a little over a decade ago were offering below par, or at best acceptable, models but are now posting record sales year after year thanks to their new, much improved range.

Cadillac, once the default choice in the luxury car segment in North America, witnessed a streak of uncompetitive products ruin its image and sales before GM buckled up and began reshaping the brand starting with the CTS.

Now, things appear to be looking better for Cadillac, which is planning a barrage of new models. The brand's offensive that will help it compete with the German and Japanese rivals include models like the BMW 3-Series-challenging ATS, the large luxury XTS sedan that will replace both the DTS and STS, and of course the ELR, the production version of the Converj EV coupe concept.

But GM thinks that, to truly rival the opposition, Cadillac needs a flagship model that will also act as a “halo” model for the rest of its range. And it seems to have found it in the Ciel concept that was revealed at the Pebble Beach event and which gathered largely positive reactions from both the press and the public.

According to Autocar magazine, GM insiders claim that the Omega project, as it is code-named within the company, is expected to be given the green light very soon. Official GM execs such as Cadillac General Marketing Manager Don Butler, admit that the company is “studying its options.”

It is yet unknown if the production version will actually be a four-door convertible like the concept or, more likely, a range-topping premium sedan.

 

PHOTO GALLERY

Read More

Renault Samsung Motors Rolls Out Flagship SM7, Releases New Photos and Video

The South Korean unit of Renault has come out with full details on its new SM7 flagship sedana week before the car officially goes on sale in the country.

The French carmaker, which bought a 70% stake in Samsung Motors back in 2000 to spearhead the brand's expansion efforts in the developing Asian region, said the SM7 will have a "radical effect on the big saloon car market".

Developed over a time of 32 months, with R&D investments reaching some 400 billion South Korean won (€207 million), Renault Samsung Motors' new sedan model enters the local market seven years after the launch of the original, Nissan Maxima-based SM7 in 2004.

The new SM7 has grown in size offering improved interior space over its predecessor. According to the company, knee room for rear passengers is up by more than 70mm over the previous SM7.

Renault Samsung Motor's newest creation is powered by the third generation of the Nissan VQ engine series. The SM7 can be specified with one of two VQ engines: a 2.5-liter V6 delivering 190HP and 243Nm (179.3 lb-ft) that returns a combined fuel economy of 9lt/100km (26.1 mpg US), and a 3.5-liter V6 producing 258HP and 330Nm (243.4 lb-ft), which returns 10.4lt/100km (22.6 mpg US) on the combined cycle.

Both engines are hooked up to a standard six-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift function.

Renault Samsung Motors CEO Jean-Marie Hurtiger had this to say about the firm's new flagship model:

"[The] All-New SM7 is Renault Samsung Motors' new flagship and delivers everything customers expect of a big premium saloon, including refined, luxurious styling, exceptional quality, and outstanding comfort and driving pleasure thanks to the contribution of the Renault-Nissan Alliance's world class technological expertise. All-New SM7 will set new standards in Korea's big family saloon car market."

The company said prices for new SM7 range from 30 to 39 million Korean won (€19,724 to €25,641), while that of the previous SM7 ranged from 28.8 to 37.7 million Korean won (€18,935 to €24,786).

Sources: Renault-Samsung, via Autoblog.it

 

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO

Read More