Cadillac CTS gets diesel power in Europe, wagons on the way
by Damon Lavrinc on Jan 22nd 2007 at 9:52AM 
In a move to make the new CTS more appealing to European luxury buyers (read: compete with the Germans), Cadillac will begin offering their mid-sized sedan with a diesel sometime after its initial launch in October of this year.
Automotive News' sources are claiming that Italian engine manufacturer, VM Motori, will be tapped to produce the oil burner, likely a 3-liter V6, producing around 250 HP.
Considering that GM expects to sell approximately half of it European CTSs with diesels, and only 464 sedans were sold in 2006, this decision is crucial to the success of Cadillac abroad.
Also of note: AutoExpress is reporting that the Saab-based BLS and the new CTS will get wagon variants in the coming years. Expect the BLS estate to debut in Frankfurt, while the CTS will be unveiled sometime in 2008. No word yet on whether or not we'll be seeing the CTS wagon in the U.S.
[Sources: Automotive News - Sub. Req., AutoExpress]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
pitcrew 9:55AM (1/22/2007)
That car is so cool..........Good going Cadillac!!!!!
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The driver 10:06AM (1/22/2007)
Only 464 sold in 2006? That makes it more exclusive than even Ferrari. Or, may be, it is not quite at the level that people would buy it?
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J.Crew 10:21AM (1/22/2007)
The previous design was not up to what European buyers would like, but Cadillac also has a limited dealer network that they are expanding across Europe. The new car should increase sales with a wagon, AWD, and diesel. Exciting times for Cadillac as every sale there is a conquest with a new product.
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Michael Karesh 10:27AM (1/22/2007)
This engine better be far superior to the VM Motori unit used in the Jeep Liberty, which I reviewed here:
http://www.epinions.com/content_210733469316
The diesels used in the German competitors are excellent. I hope GM doesn't think that any old oil burner will do.
On the wagon, I'd love to see it. The SRX is already something of a CTS wagon, but it hasn't sold well, possibly because it's neither fish nor fowl. It needs to be replaced by a vehicle with proportions more like those of the X5 and MDX.
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Tal D 10:34AM (1/22/2007)
Good for Cadillac CTS !!
Hopefully, VM Motori produces quality, durable, efficient,"clean" and reliable diesel engines.
Does this mean the U.S. market will see a diesel powered CTS in the future??
A disel powered wagon, perhaps?
For some reason my wife loves her van and comments on SUV/wagons more than anything. I want a sedan, but a CTS wagon may be a compromise.
I believe Cadillac is on the right track.
Will the rest of GM follow suit? Or will each division keep doing there own thing?
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Accordsforall 10:55AM (1/22/2007)
Hmmm
Although.. I would never wipe my azz with the majority of the Caddy lineup i.e Deville / DTS, Seville / STS, the Tahoe with a bad nose job and lipsosuction Escalade, and the chief of all wussy wussy female luxo duh duh drivers.. THE SRX.
Now.. mentioning a wagon.. from Caddy.. turns me on.
And I wouldnt mind a CTS / Malibu / Saab 9-3 / BLS.. 'specially a WAGON variant. But.. in the typical GM way.. I doubt the wagon (from CADDY)would ever come to the US. Thats called overlap.. and GM couldnt have any overlap in their "product lineup" *laughs hard*= Saturn model range against the Chevy lineup, being that Saturn is going up market to "compete" with Buick. And Caddy being the ultimate overlap with GMC.
But then again.. find a reason for the SRX to exist and I got 10 other reasons why it shouldnt.
But thats just me.
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Stphane Dumas 11:17AM (1/22/2007)
#6 there was in the past some various coachbuilders who did Cadillac wagons, you can see some pics at http://www.car-nection.com/yann/Dbas_txt/Drm70-74.htm some did a very good job while others are wierd.
Or these 1955 models customized by Hess & Eisenhardt
http://www.car-nection.com/yann/Dbas_txt/Drm55.htm
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Stuart 11:20AM (1/22/2007)
Isn't this the company which is half owned by DaimlerChrysler?
Even Chrysler will have the better Mercedes 3ltr diesel engine
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Steve2 2:01PM (1/22/2007)
Wow, I thought I was on track to get a CTS this year. Of all the possible things that would keep me from getting one, I never expected the possibility of a wagon version next year to pop up as one of them.
Make a CTS wagon with a 6-speed stick and the 300HP V6 and I'm ALL OVER IT.
Of course, me and the 12 people like me wouldn't be enough to support the vehicle, unfortunately.
I really need a vehicle like this that I can get stuff into the trunk of. I came close to getting an SRX, but I just can't deal with the lousy fuel economy.
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Mike 2:37PM (1/22/2007)
I was actaully looking forward to seeing this concept when I went to Detroit. The front looks amazing, but the side and rear profile look too much like a big STS.
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mike 1:23PM (1/22/2007)
uhhhh...no. cadillac is owned by gm.
i think a cts wagon would eliminate the srx, which is built on a platform that is supposedly not being updated (tb and envoy are supposedly on their way out). a diesel cts in the states would be great, but for some reason, the publics perception is the same as it has been forever, loud and dirty diesels. so although a disel would be good, can gm get over the bad perception of diesel? not many automakers have been able to.
and i dont understand how theres overlap with gmc- all the build are trucks. and i dont see what a caddy wagon would overlap with. certainly not a malibu. family value against luxury-sport?
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BOB 1:36PM (1/22/2007)
AH, YES!!!!
GM needs to spend resources on selling a few Cadillacs in Europe, so faltering execs can claim they have made a world-class car!
And don't forget the special STS for the Chinese market, where they "need" to stretch it to the size they should have produced here in the first place. (I am sure it ended up too small, so some exec could compare it to an E-class Merc.)
I still don't know whether to laugh or cry over the tidbit that surfaced when the Corvette Z-06 came out: the designer was able to use the more pointed nose he originally wanted for the base model. He was ordered to flatten the nose, so the Vette would not be longer than a 911.
Heaven forbid they got their local house in order first.
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Daniel 2:03PM (1/22/2007)
So the Europeans continue to get the good stuff and we in America are stuck with 100 year old gasoline technology.
The Big 3 should offer diesels in all of their products (even if it is only in 45 states). Once the folks in California and the North East see the kind of great mileage and low maintenance cost - they too will demand that their states allow diesel - especially full plug-in biodiesel hybrids.
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ruggels 2:22PM (1/22/2007)
"Once the folks in California and the North East see the kind of great mileage and low maintenance cost - they too will demand that their states allow diesel"
Man I hate this line of thought. People in California already see the kind of great mileage and low maintenance, look at all the TDI products VW has sold her, or all the used TDIs being imported. The notion that people just don't get diesel is one firmly set in the 80s, VW has had no problem selling their entire alocation of TDIs in california. What people like you need to realize is that Californians, and those in the North East (blue, wealthy, college educated demographics) are also concerned with the environment. California only recently restricted the import of diesels due to environmental restrictions, which isn't an issue as VW/Mercedes are releasing cleaner oil burners as 08 models. Get with the times. I've got an 02 and 05 TDI, both purchased in california.
Per plug-in biodesel hybrids, you might want to do a bit of research into the prospect of people paying a $10,000 premium for such a setup before spouting it as the next magical car running on kitten farts solution. Critical thinking is fun, and goes a long way, as do google and frequent visits to the autoblog comment section.
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Daniel 4:14PM (1/22/2007)
Hey Ruggels:
Try getting your facts straight. You can not buy any new diesel car in California today - period.
As for full plug-in BioDiesel Hybrids check out the USDOEs Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles Program (PNGV) of the mid '90s and you will find that the Big 3 each developed a full size sedan using series electric drive with a small diesel APU and they got between 70 MPG and 80 MPG. In a small car they could approach 100 MPG.
And, yes, there are a lot of people, including myself, who would gladly pay a large premium for a truly green car.
Finaly, BioDiesel will be the "Bridge Fuel" until we can develop about a trillion dollars worth of infrastructure to support a national hydrogen fueling system. That will take a couple of decades.
I have owned two diesel pickups and they just run and run and run and they get great fuel mileage. We need the same for cars.
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ruggels 6:32PM (1/22/2007)
Hey Daniel, when did I mention you could? I didn't. Rather I indicated VW/Mercedes will be bringing 2008 models to comply with new emissions standards. How about you try reading peoples comments a little closer before embracing that someone-peed-in-my-chereos mentality.
As for plug in biodiesel hyrbids, I didn't indicate they weren't possible, rather that they're going to be very expensive, so relating to plug ins of yore bares no relevance on any of my comments, thus i'm curious why you feel the need to flap your fingers. Who cares what happened years ago? Four years ago I spent some time with a hybrid diesel VW New Beetle, who cares.
Yes, there are a lot of people, trouble is, the big automakers don't think there are enough to justify building a diesel hybrid at current, or at least, that's what they're saying, publicly, when the question is posed to them. Again, more fun with facts.
Finally, BioDiesel won't be a bridge fuel, the hydrogen economy won't take off her because no one is taking it seriously (ie inventing real billions upon billions in it). the Biofuel movement will become the next big thing, if we're to believe such loons as one of the founder of SUN (Vinod Khosla - you really should listen to interviews with him if you’re even moderately interested in championing bio-fuels ) who's investing a great deal in bio type fuels and plans to begin building an infrastructure very soon, and vehicles within five years. Then again, he's a billionaire, wildly successful, and thinks that people that talk about these sorts of things as a possible reality are crazy (he thinks it's a reality, today)... but what would be know.
I'm glad to hear you've owned two diesel pickups, i OWN (current tense) two diesel cars, and a hybrid, so I'm not sure why you're offering your experience as though it's countering a comment I made, as I'm not anti-diesel anything, i've got two diesels... diesel cars... which get great fuel mileage.. today.
To sum it up, i'm not sure who peed in your chereos or why you're arguing with me, when you're really not arguing with me but rather making statements that support my initial assertions or purport to counter arguments i'm not even making.
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Tifighter 2:30AM (1/23/2007)
Never owned an American car. I don't have a specific beef against them, just never found one I seriously considered. A Caddy wagon would make think differently in the future, guaranteed. Interest officially piqued...
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Afi K. James 9:22PM (1/24/2007)
Nice Car.
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