I happen to be a member of the RMAP so that makes me extra proud that we voted today to name the CTS Coupe as the New Vehicle of the Year.
Congrats to Cadillac.
From the press release:
“Chiseled good looks and refined performance earned the elegant 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe the RMAP 2011 New Vehicle of the Year award for the top redesigned or new-to-market model.”
JD Power has released their latest Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) results and the DTS has taken honors for most reliable large luxury model (after 3 years).
The DTS nudged out the BMW 7-series, Mercedes S-Class, and Lexus LS in the rankings.
Cadillac ranked 9th this year with a score of 130 (industry average for this year is 151) behind Lincoln, Lexus, Jaguar, Porsche, Toyota, Acura, Buick, and Mercedes-Benz.
Finally, we are starting to see ATS mules running around in their own sheetmetal (rather than the modified CTS bodies spied previously).
Of note is a fairly significant upwardly sweeping character line that appears to run from behind the front wheel up and through the rear door on its way to the trunk.
The ATS is Cadillac’s answer to the BMW 3-series (smaller than the CTS that tended to match the 3 for price, but not for size). It is expected to pack a 4-cylinder for base power (though it is likely to be forced-induction) through a 6 in high-line models and a normally aspirated V-8 or pressurized V-6 for the ATS-V.
Body styles will likely include a coupe, convertible, and sedan – a wagon might be offered as well depending on the success of the CTS Sportwagon.
Cadillac sales rose by 70% in February, speeding past the likes of Mercedes and perennial 1st place Lexus to take the second place luxury spot in the US market behind BMW.
A portion of the sales growth is due to increased sales of the SRX crossover and the DTS large sedan. The new SRX has been a huge success for Cadillac since it’s introduction over a year ago. The DTS is due to be phased out thus year along with the STS, both to be replaced by the new XTS large sedan (based on GM’s Epsilon II platform).
Incentives have made it easier for Cadillac intenders to finally pick up the car they’ve been wanting with lease deals on the CTS as low as $299/mo (lease deals are a major driver of luxury car sales in the US market).
Time will tell if this sales spike keeps Cadillac near the top in months to come as the US market recovers from the precious years’ economic downturn.
Of note is a fairly significant upwardly sweeping character line that appears to run from behind the front wheel up and through the rear door on its way to the trunk.
