Cadillac announced on March 18, that the all new 2014 Cadillac CTS mid-size luxury sport sedan will not only be new on the outside, but will offer a brand new Twin-Turbo V-6 engine mated to a new eight-speed paddle shift automatic transmission that delivers acceleration of 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds.
The all new 2014 Cadillac CTS will debut at the New York Auto Show that opens March 29, 2013 in New York.
With the announcement of the new power train for the 2014 CTS this week, the auto media buzz has moved from speculation on the changes in the design of exterior, interior and features of the new 2014 Cadillac CTS to this new engine and transmission combination that will add eye-popping performance to the 2014 CTS sport sedan.
“The new Cadillac Twin-Turbo brings a new dimension of technologically advanced performance to the all-new 2014 Cadillac CTS sedan,” said David Leone, executive chief engineer. “Delivering power and sophistication, it marks another large step forward in the product-driven expansion of Cadillac.”
The Cadillac Twin-Turbo V-6 (based on the same architecture as the existing 3.6L V-6) is rated at 420 horsepower and 430 lb.-ft. of torque making it the most powerful V-6 ever from GM and the first twin-turbo power plant as well.
Approximately 90 percent of the 3.6L Twin-Turbo’s peak torque is available from 2,500 rpm to 5,500 rpm, giving the engine a broad torque curve that drivers will appreciate in all driving conditions and especially in acceleration and overtaking traffic on the highway.
The power of the Cadillac Twin-Turbo is paired with the new high-performance, paddle-shift eight-speed automatic transmission that delivers smooth, quick shift performance – as quick as 0.3-second on wide-open-throttle upshifts – with the quietness, smoothness and refinement Cadillac customers expect. Smaller gear steps – closer ratios and seriously quicker, more imperceptible shifting.
The wide, 6.71 gear spread of the transmission enables the CTS to deliver strong performance at all rpm levels, while achieving good fuel economy on the highway.
A 0.69-ratio eighth-gear also helps maintain a low engine speed of approximately 1,800 rpm at 70 mph – about 200 rpm lower than a six-speed – which not only enhances efficiency but contributes to a quieter driving experience.
The complete electronic control of the transmission enables it to select the best gear for the driving conditions, allowing the transmission to “skip” one or more gears, if appropriate, when up-shifting or down-shifting.
In manual shift mode, the torque converter lockup is used in gears two through eight to balance performance and efficiency, while preserving the maximum torque multiplication in first gear for optimal launch performance
The CTS development team focused on engineering the transmission for the high torque output of the Cadillac 3.6L Twin-Turbo using stronger gear sets and a greater number of clutch plates.
Driver-selectable performance features enable the transmission to hold lower gears during certain performance-driving situations for a more connected and responsive driving experience.
The new 2014 Cadillac CTS sedan launches and reaches 60 mph in an estimated 4.6 seconds and is expected to achieve a top speed of 170 mph.
The Twin-Turbo V-6 equipped 2014 Cadillac CTS mid-size luxury sports sedan will be offered as a RWD only.
The new Twin-Turbo engine will also will be offered in the 2014 XTS large luxury sedan this fall.
If you do not feel the need to run 0-60 in under five seconds or top out at 170 mph, the 2014 CTS sports sedan will also have the naturally aspirated 3.6L V-6 rated at 321 horsepower, as well as a 2.0L turbocharged engine rated at an estimated 272 horsepower as power plant options.
Both engines will be available with the six-speed paddle shift automatic transmission. Both of these power train equipped CTS sedans will be available in Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) and All-Wheel Drive (AWD).
And, since you are probably wondering, fuel efficiency for the Twin-Turbo V-6 will be 17/25 mpg city/ highway. The other two power trains will be a mile per gallon or two better.
Both the Twin-Turbo V-6 and the eight-speed transmission are firsts for the Cadillac brand.
With this announcement, Cadillac is really stepping up the new 2014 Cadillac CTS to be a significant competitive performer in the mid-size luxury segment - taking dead aim at the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class for 2014, according to Cadillac.
Even with this new twin-turbo power plant in the CTS sports sedan, the CTS-V equipped with a supercharged V-8 that generates 556 horsepower and does 0-60 mph in under four seconds, is still the most powerful CTS in the line.
But, now that Cadillac has pumped up the CTS sports sedan for 2014 to this performance level, what are they planning for the CTS-V?
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