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2008 Cadillac CTS4 SIDI Road Test |
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2008 Cadillac CTS4 SIDI Road Test
by Justin Pritchard / Auto123.com
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Optimus Prime, your Cadillac is ready
Many cars have organic, flowing lines and appear as if they've been molded out of a soft piece of soft clay, but Cadillac's new CTS takes a different approach - it looks like it was chipped out of a piece of diamond. The body is full of sharp edges joining flat surfaces, and metallic accenting is presented throughout.
It's slightly robotic, beautifully jagged and very, very full of life.
 | | This new generation's design is much more spectacular. |
Looks like someone's finally built a transformers toy you can drive. It certainly deserves every long, breathtaking stare it receives- and compared to CTS, BMW's 3-Series and Audi's A4 look like they're sleeping. Visually, this thing's a roller-blade in a closet-full of loafers.
It's always nice to look good when doing battle with some of the world's best, after all.
Same approach goes for the interior. Bright, airy, dynamic and high-tech is the approach here- rather than simple, traditional style. It looks fantastic- especially at night when mood-lighting along the dash and doors creates a striking atmosphere. Don't miss the navigation screen with animated Cadillac badge intro-movie that rises out of the dash when you turn the car on.
It's striking, but not so spacious. If you're even slightly taller than average, you'll need to lean the front seat back as headroom is at a premium. Front passengers will feel like they're in a large coupe rather than a small sedan- though it works with the CTS's sporty character.
Powering said sporty character is an optional high-output version of GM's 3.6 litre V6. With 304 horsepower, it's even more potent than the iconic Northstar V8 powerplant which has two more cylinders and a litre more displacement. That's impressive, especially considering CTS drinks regular unleaded, not the expensive stuff the German cars drink.
The engine is whisper quiet during start, idle and gentle acceleration- and it sounds decent when it makes itself heard. It's not shy about doing this when your right foot drops- although I found it lost a bit of composure towards redline.
 | | One strong point of this mill is that it runs on regular gas. |
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