Automotive Writer
One of those exceptions is the giant Escalade, a truck-based SUV that is simply too big and too heavy to follow that path.
The other is this car, the full-size XTS sedan that was introduced last year. It’s designed to appeal to Cadillac’s traditional customers who want a roomy, smooth-riding, quiet and luxurious car in which to waft down the highway.
Cadillac’s biggest sedan, the XTS, is available with a twin-turbocharged V6 engine that makes 410 horsepower for 2014.
This year, the wafting gets a bit faster.
Cadillac has added a new engine to the XTS lineup for 2014, and it’s a spectacular one: a twin-turbocharged V6 that makes 410 horsepower.
With direct injection and variable valve timing, this is a cutting-edge engine that makes more power than any V6 I can recall driving. It’s so powerful, in fact, that Cadillac calls this car the XTS Vsport, influenced by the nomenclature of Caddy’s insanely fast, Corvette-V8-powered V models.
Still, it doesn’t turn the XTS into a true sports sedan, and I think that’s a good thing. It’s still a relaxing, comfortable car to spend long stretches of time in, which I can’t always say about the luxury cars that try — often unsuccessfully — to impersonate BMWs.
In addition to the new engine, there are several noteworthy upgrades to the XTS just one year after its introduction.
You can get it with a two-screen DVD system in the back this year, along with automatically dimming headlights and Automatic Parking Assist, which can steer the car into a parallel parking spot on its own.
But my favorite feature of all is something the XTS launched from the get-go in 2013: its digital gauge cluster behind the steering wheel.
Instead of traditional gauges, the XTS has a big, high-resolution digital display that looks phenomenal. Not only does it have an animated, futuristic graphic design that will wow your passengers, but it’s also easily customized via a switch on the steering wheel.
This digital display where the gauge cluster usually goes is one of the snazziest features on the XTS. Drivers can configure it to suit their preferences, much like a computer or smartphone.
Want a bigger tachometer for spirited driving? How about putting navigation info on the left and your current fuel economy on the right? Every driver has different things they’d like to see, and the XTS makes it simple to customize the look and information of the gauges based on your own personal preferences.
To me, this is what a Cadillac should be. It’s roomy, comfortable, quiet, packed with new technology and — with the addition of the Vsport model — generously powered under the hood.
At a Glance
What was tested?
2014 Cadillac XTS Vsport AWD Premium ($62,095). Options: Driver Assist Package ($2,395), Crystal Red Tintcoat paint ($995). Price as tested (including $925 destination charge): $66,410.
Wheelbase: 111.7 in.
Width: 72.9 in.
Height: 59.4 in.
Engine: 3.6L V-6 Twin-Turbo VVT DI (410 hp, 369 lb.-ft.)
Transmission: Hydra-Matic six-speed automatic
EPA Mileage: 18 city/28 highway
RATINGS
Style: 9
Performance: 8
Price: 6
Handling: 5
Ride: 10
Comfort: 10
Quality: 9
Overall: 8
Video Review:
What’s cool about the Cadillac XTS
http://bit.ly/2014xts
Why buy it?
The new twin-turbocharged V6 engine is a great addition with 410 horsepower. It’s a smooth-riding, cutting-edge luxury car for people who value comfort on the highway.