Cadillac XTS Platinum Concept at 2010 Detroit Auto Show
- Looks like: A flagship sedan — in hybrid form
- Defining characteristics: Plug-in hybrid drivetrain, billet aluminum trim
- Ridiculous features: The steering wheel is white ... for now
- Chance of being mass-produced: Aspects are almost certain to appear, and soon
The XTS Platinum concept is a strong clue as to what Cadillac's next flagship sedan will look like, and it suggests that Cadillac's consideration of hybrid drivetrains goes beyond the Converj concept. Introduced at the Detroit show last year, the Converj shared the Chevrolet Volt's approach: a battery-electric drivetrain with a gas-powered generator, or range-extender. The XTS can also be plugged in and charged, but it's otherwise a conventional hybrid, combining a 3.6-liter V-6 and an electric drive motor, both of which can propel the car. Total output is 350 horsepower and 295 pounds-feet of torque, matched to all-wheel drive.
The concept has a substantial presence — bold but more mature than the CTS sedan, as a full-size luxury car buyer would probably prefer. Blue-tinted LED headlights flank a bright grille that some are sure to find overpowering. Billet aluminum accents on the exterior remind you that this is a concept car.
The interior combines wood and earth tones with piano-black finishes. The instrument panel and center screen are LED-based displays, whose dark blacks blend with the black lacquer bezels in ways traditional LCD screens never could. The company claims these displays are customizable, hinting at future tech advances in the Cadillac line.
Cadillac says the Platinum name, which is also used on special editions of the current DTS and STS sedans, reflects the use of handcrafted cabin materials. Suede makes up the seats' center panels as well as the center and door armrests. A console runs the length of the ceiling, not unlike what we've seen in some minivans — but it's made of wood rather than plastic, and obviously much, much nicer.
The backseat has two displays for passenger entertainment as well as for accessing what Cadillac vaguely calls a "connectivity feature."
Cadillac says the car's battery pack can be recharged in five hours but emphasizes that the plug-in feature is a bonus, not a necessity for normal driving.
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THE BEST looking 'Lac I have ever seen!Slap in a 400+ horsepower engine and throw this thing on the streets!Change nothing except maybe the digital dash! This is a hit!
I know you won't much care but those wheels are almost identical to the ones sold on the Ford G6E Turbo sedan in Australia.
Did anyone else notice the randomly placed perforations on the side of the center console between the front seats?
Oh yeah....looks awesome, wish they hadn't cancelled Cadillac for Australia.
Let me get this straight. According to the specification charts I have seen the XTS is the "Flagship" and is going to ride on a 111.7 inch wheelbase, approxiametly two inches shorter than the CTS? And it is expected to compete against European and Japanese fullsize luxury cars that ride on 119 inch to 126 inch wheelbases that have approxiametly the same body length as the XTS? Plus the XTS is based on front drive architecture which has east/west engine placement vs. north/south in all of the competition. I am not a GM or American car "hater." I sincerely want to see them succeed. However, I am concerned how "competitive" the XTS will actually be in the big leagues.
To be competitive the XTS needs to ride on a 124 inch wheelbase with an overall length of no more than 205 inches and should use rear wheel drive with all wheel drive option.
Yes, the wheelbase is about 112 inches and a CTS is 113 inches. But that doesn't necessarily mean there won't be room in the back, which looks gigantic in these images. We'll be in it this morning and will have an "Up Close" report and let you know how it holds up.
Personally, I like the looks and think it could do well.
This seems worryingly like the STS was in 2005: CTS styling cues stuck on a bigger car and then toned down, producing an attractive result that too quickly became anonymous.
I'm also concerned that the rear seat looks very low -- this could suffer (like far too many GM sedans) from Buick LaCrosse syndrome, ending up with something that looks great in photos or on the spec sheet but that doesn't approach like-sized rivals for comfort. With the CTS and SRX facing similar difficulties, that would leave the Escalade as the only roomy Cadillac.
I do find it handsome, however, it has the same "spear" as the 2011 Sonata and looks somewhat like a flattened Avalon when looking at it from the side. Lets hope it does't drive like the DTS it is set to replace!
And who is saying the LaCrosse isn't comfortable?
WOW! Now that's what I call a Cadillac.
H,
Sit in the rear seat of the LaCrosse and see if it's as comfortable as any other car its size. Not even close.