The new Cadillac STS is spearheading the luxury American brand’s drive into Europe, which means that General Motors will be targeting right-hand drive markets, perhaps also South Africa.
The new Cadillac STS is spearheading the luxury American brand’s drive into Europe, which means that General Motors will be targeting right-hand drive markets, perhaps also South Africa.
The in-your-face angular styling of the STS may remind some enthusiasts of erstwhile luxurious, but lumbering “yank tanks”, but with its début scheduled for the upcoming Paris Motor Show, the Cadillac is definitely aimed at markets outside America.
The STS is expected to go on sale outside America early next year. It has already been confirmed for the Continental mainland, and we can expect a formal announcement on right-hand drive availability at the Show. What is the likelihood of General Motors SA launching the STS on the local market? Very good, sources say.
The car’s dimensions and specification places it in between the executive and grand saloon sectors of the market. It will be offered with rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive drivetrains and a choice of a 168 kW 3,6-litre V6 or 240 kW Northstar 4,6-litre V8 petrol engine mated with five-speed automatic transmission. It is built on GM’s Sigma platform, which it shares with the SRX 4×4-crossover – which will also be promoted in Paris – and, in shortened form, the CTS saloon.
GM says that the STS is “a distinctly American package”, but it is likely to receive some modifications to cater for European consumers’ predisposition to cars with above-average handling characteristics. The car’s suspension incorporates GM’s two-mode adjustable “magnetic ride control” system.
Reports say that GM has doubled its efforts to bring the fit and finish of the interior in line with premium offerings from European manufactures. The STS does not skimp on specification, either: leather seats (with optional heating and ventilation), eucalyptus wood or aluminium trim, adaptive cruise control, head-up display, Bose surround-sound 15-speaker audio system with six-disc CD/DVD and MP3 autochanger, touch-screen and voice-recognition controls, sat nav and Bluetooth compatibility.
Cadillac will also exhibit its SRX sports utility vehicle in Paris. The SRX will have rear-wheel and four-wheel drive configurations and be fitted with either the Northstar V8 or the 3,6-litre V6. It competes against the BMW X5, Lexus RX300 and Mercedes-Benz’s upcoming R-Class.
:: A driving impression of the Cadillac STS will appear in the October edition of CAR magazine. ::