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| Cadillac
STS, SRX and XLR |
Broadcast
dates : 20th February 2005
24th February 2005 |
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Cadillac,
that icon of Elvis Presley’s America, has not exactly
set the world’s luxury market alight of late.
Once ranked alongside the likes of Mercedes-Benz as a
status symbol, Cadillac’s of recent years have been
rather faceless dress-up exercises of lesser brands from
General Motors.
With the new Northstar V8s and supercharged V8 engines,
the new 2005 Cadillac STS could be the number to get the
Caddy wheels out of the ditch and back on track.
Talking of off-the track, there’s also an all-new SRX
Cadillac, a Sports Utility Vehicle set to take on the
likes of Lexus, BMW X5 and the new Mercedes SUV.
It comes in rear-wheel-drive, all-wheel-drive and with a
choice of V6 and V8 motors.
But it has the new distinctive Caddy look for 2005 and
that’s good!
The new
Cadillac is one striking chunk of a motorcar. And the
SST_V supercharged model pumps out
three-hundred-and-twenty-eight kiloWatts!
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To contain
that power lots of work has been done to produce what GM
says is both an American and an Autobahn handling
package. Hmmm, a tough order.
This, says General Motors, will be the Cadillac to crack
the European market, and insiders at GM say no expense
has been spared in using top quality plastics, leather,
eucalyptus wood, aluminium and top quality workmanship
to get the cabin up to scratch.
Gizmos include a flip-up-flip-down infotainment console
that includes touch-screen and voice recognition, Bose
15-speaker surround-sound, DVD, a head-up instrument
display and lots more.
In the Utility version, the SRX, some novel design work
is incorporated, such as a full-fold-away rear seat. And
of course, sun-roofs are big in North America.
Nothing new about fold-away steel roofs. In fact the
Americans invented them back in 1957. But this Cadillac
XLR has a beautiful roof operation, to go with looks
that are pure comic-book meets the muscle-car-club.
Darth Vader, and just a bit of Batman! This Caddy looks
mean.
Inside, like the sedan, it’s all luxury leather and
wood, way up-market from both the Corvette and the
Chrysler Crossfire.
It costs one heck of a lot more than both of them, but
it should deliver in performance, with a Northstar V8
beneath the sinister hood, or bonnet as we South
Africans like to say.
Talking of us, there’s a strong possibility that
right-hand-drive Cadillac’s are destined for our
shores.
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Car Torque is
produced by
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