The new 2014 Cadillac XTS Vsport goes hunting for Audis

By John LeBlanc In yet another attempt to lure import brand buyers, the latest edition to General Motors’ growing Cadillac luxury stable continues to put the emphasis on high performance, a quality normally associated with vehicles from the more established German brands. Welcome to the 2014 Cadillac XTS Vsport, a new addition to Caddy's full-size sedan’s lineup that introduces GM’s first ever twin-turbo six-cylinder engine and a new performance sub-brand. While you’re probably familiar with Cadillac’s high-performance V-Series cars, Cadillac’s new “Vsport” trim bridges the gap between “regular” models and the all-out V Series cars, similar to how BMW’s M Performance cars sit underneath the topline M vehicles. As such, the XTS Vsport doesn’t get the 420 horsepower and 430 pound feet of torque eight-cylinder slated for the forthcoming 2014 Cadillac CTS V Series mid-size sedan. Instead, the full-size, Cadillac sedan sports a new, 410 hp and 369 lb-ft, twin turbo version of GM’s ubiquitous 3.6-litre V6. To reign in all this newfound power, the new XTS Vsport will also come with all-wheel-drive as standard fare. With a U.S. starting price of $63,020 (a $17,495 U.S. dollar premium over a base, front-wheel-drive XTS with 304 hp), the Caddy matches up best with the all-wheel-drive, 2013 Audi S6, powered by a 420 hp eight-cylinder. In addition to the XTS, Cadillac will also introduce this fall a new AWD CTS Vsport, with the same twin-turbo V6. Only time will tell if Cadillac’s new Vsport models will be able to attract existing Audi or BMW or Mercedes-Benz buyers. But these are heady days for Cadillac. In the U.S., its sales are running at a 40 per cent increase over the same period in 2012. And while adding these new Vsport and V-Series cars may not add that many sales, the goal is to get import buyers to think “Cadillac”. For some of those buyers, perhaps a challenge. What do you think? Do you feel Cadillac’s strong emphasis on quality products and high-performacne will eventually steal sales from the Germans? Or are the days of Cadillac as an aspirational brand as dated as an episode of Mad Men? Source: General Motors

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