Put your checkbook away. As desirable as a CTS wagon in hot-rod V trim is, it's not here yet. The CTS Sport Wagon was developed as a way to offer the European market a configuration that's sure to sell, and it's headed to North America by the end of next year. When the Caddy wagon finally gets here, it will have the excellent 3.6-liter V6 providing power. Wagons aren't great sellers here, though, so the CTS Sport Wagon will likely be a niche model, dashing most of our hope that Cadillac will put its hottest powertrain in the two-box car just like BMW, Mercedes and Audi do.

The hardware port would be mostly a snap. The supercharged V8 is ready to go and the CTS-V has been developed around that engine, so there's suspension and drivetrain parts already on the shelf, and the V has already set the style direction for bodywork tweaks. While we won't be holding our breath for a CTS-V Sport Wagon that can rip off 12-second quarters while hauling 120 cubic feet of stuff, Cadillac's David Caldwell points out that the pre-existing hardware would make it "a relatively easy add." A high price – though still less than the German SuperWagens – wouldn't help the sales case, and really, there's only like ten of us wagon freaks, anyway. It probably won't happen, but it could, and it would be quite a welcome respite from those high-CG truck-lookin' things.


[Source: Inside Line]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Cadillac Sport Wagon

Please note the spelling, this a Cadillac and not a VW, therefore it's "Sport Wagon" rather than "SportWagen". What we have here is the result of a fission reaction on the Cadillac SRX. Seeing that the current "neither fish nor fowl" SRX crossover wasn't cutting it in the marketplace, General Motors' "Art and Science" brand has split its only CUV into two distinct vehicles. The old SRX was based on the CTS' Sigma platform but looked too car-like to be considered an SUV. At the same time it rode too high to be a car. Buyers who might have liked the wagon utility of the old SRX but are enamored with the style of the new CTS can now opt for the CTS Sport Wagon.

The Sport Wagon takes the largely acclaimed styling of the CTS and adds a rear hatch allowing much more stuff to be carried. The design team led by Clay Dean has done more than just graft a longer roof onto the sedan. They extended the roof-line back and the tail-lights up to the roof, as well as adding hidden rails in the roof line. The V shape of the grille is also replicated in the contours of the tailgate. The wagon ends up with 25 cu. ft. of cargo space behind the seats. Cadillac expects about 60 percent of CTS sales in Europe will be the wagon while only 20 percent of Americans will opt for the new body style when it goes on sale in the spring of 2009.


[Source: Cadillac]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Cadillac CTS Wagon.

Cadillac's product onslaught will continue with another iteration of the CTS that takes aim at the Kraut-wagons from Mercedes and BMW. The CTS wagon will debut in 2009 and will be sold worldwide, and it's expected that the CTS coupe will debut later that year.

As expected, the Provoq concept will replace the SRX in 2010 and will ditch its predecessor's Sigma underpinnings and utilize a new platform created by blending the Theta and Epsilon architectures. Power will be provided by a V6 and Cadillac's general manager, Jim Taylor, expects annual sales to land somewhere between 60,000 and 70,000 units.



[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

For three weeks in a row, now, we've brought you a new Autoblog Podcast courtesy of the B-Team. Here's episode #96 of the Autoblog Podcast, where Chris Shunk, Sam Abuelsamid, and Dan Roth kibbitz over some morsels of recent news. There's the requisite trip to the Autoblog Garage to start things off, then we move into actual discussion points like the CTS Wagon, a gasp of life on the Ford Ranger front, the massive confusion around Cerberus and Chrysler, and Hyundai's nose-thumbing at Toyota's hybrid technology. Remember to send in questions, comments, and suggestions for ways to mark the passing of upcoming episode #100 to podcast at autoblog dawt com. See you next week!

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Click above for high-res gallery of Cadillac CTS Wagon spy shots

Codenamed internally as the GMX 206, the Cadillac CTS Wagon has clearly gone beyond the consideration phase within GM's hallowed halls and is actively being developed. This prototype was just caught by spy photographers and the profile is unmistakable evidence that the CTS will soon get some extra cargo space. Cadillac's plan to expand the CTS into a full-fledged lineup that can compete with the likes of the the BMW 3-Series and Audi A4 hinges on producing more variants than just the sedan. The CTS Coupe Concept was introduced at the Detroit Auto Show in January, so it's no surprise that we're seeing the wagon in development now and we would expect a convertible version of the coupe eventually, as well. Sources say that Cadillac will build around 10,000 - 12,000 units of the CTS wagon at the same Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant as the sedan and coupe, with most of those being earmarked for sale in Europe. And we have to say that the Family Truckster has never looked so sharp.


[Source: Chris Doane for Brenda Priddy & Co.]

In Europe, Cadillac hasn't been moving the new CTS in the kind of numbers it wanted, and the BLS has always been somewhat of a disappointment. On account of this, Cadillac is once again being said to seriously consider broadening the CTS range to include a coupe and wagon, the better to compete with its German rivals in Europe. Word is that the CTS wagon could bow at Detroit in January, with a CTS coupe coming some time after that. While rumors of a CTS Wagon and Coupe have been around for at least a year, additional European demand for such models could sway the General into giving these cars the green light.

We can't say it strongly enough: Cadillac, do it. And in case that still wasn't enough: we double dog dare you. Cadillac wants its new CTS to swipe buyers from both BMW and Mercedes. Sure, the CTS is COTY, but -- and with all due respect to Motor Trend -- no one buys a 3-Series or C-Class because it wins COTY. The fact that Cadillac doesn't want to offend its core buyers attract new, trendy import buyers with a single four-door sedan is a challenge that we have yet to see anyone overcome. And certainly not a challenger starting from Cadillac's perceived image.

If Cadillac really wants to show the coastal metropolitan crowd that it's serious, it needs to offer more than one great choice of car. A coupe, a wagon, and throw a diesel in, as well... those are great places to start.

[Source: World Car Fans]