X

2013 Cadillac XTS restyles luxury (pictures)

Cadillac brings back the big, luxury cruiser with its XTS model, a car with excellent noise insulation providing a very comfortable ride. A little down on power, the XTS won't rule the road.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
3545474_OVR.jpg
1 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
The all-new XTS looks like the luxury sedan Cadillac has needed. This big sedan, although not quite flagship size, emphasizes comfort and modern tech in the cabin.
35454745_FT.jpg
2 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
The styling continues the Art and Science design language Cadillac used so successfully on the CTS. With its strong angles and lines, the XTS is distinctly a Cadillac.
35454745_SS02.jpg
3 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
Even the headlight reflect the Art and Science design language, as the lenses become architectural elements of the car. Vertical LED light pipes, similar to those on the CTS model, give the XTS a distinct Cadillac look during the night.
35454745_SS01.jpg
4 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
The XTS uses the same basic engine from the CTS, a 3.6-liter V-6 with direct injection. It makes 304 horsepower, which is adequate for getting the XTS moving.
35454745_SD.jpg
5 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
The XTS is built on the same platform as the Buick LaCrosse. Both cars share a similar overall body shape, emphasizing cabin space, although the XTS is obviously more angular.
35454745_SS04.jpg
6 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
Cadillac gives the XTS its Magna-ride adaptive suspension standard. The car can also be had with all-wheel drive.
35454745_SS06.jpg
7 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
The trunk of the XTS is huge, with a lot of depth all the way up to the backs of the rear seats. Those seats also fold down, making for a large pass-through.
35454745_SS07.jpg
8 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
The seats and dashboard are covered in leather, while shiny plastic shows up on many other surfaces in the car. Noise insulation is excellent.
35454745_SS08.jpg
9 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
The rear bench felt comfortable and fairly roomy, although not up to executive legroom.
35454745_INT.jpg
10 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
The centerpiece of the new XTS is the Cadillac User Experience (CUE), a new interface for the cabin electronics.
35454745_SS09.jpg
11 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
The electric-steering unit is highly boosted, making it extremely easy to crank the wheel around.
35454745_SS11.jpg
12 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
These switches, controlling the instrument cluster configuration, can be a little difficult to figure out at first.
35454745_SS12.jpg
13 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
With the car turned off, the instrument cluster is blank.
35454745_SS13.jpg
14 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
Turn the car on and these gauges float into place. There are other instrument cluster configurations available as well.
35454745_SS14.jpg
15 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
The XTS comes with a six-speed automatic, delivering smooth shifts. It has a manual mode, but no sport mode.
35454745_SS17.jpg
16 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
The head-up display can show a variety of views, such as speedometer and tachometer.
35454745_SS18.jpg
17 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
The rearview camera shows trajectory lines and a collision warning.
35454745_SS19.jpg
18 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
CUE offers a main menu screen, with icons for navigation, phone, and audio.
35454745_SS23.jpg
19 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
The navigation system shows detailed maps, with buildings rendered in 3D. Also note the lack of any control icons on this screen.
35454745_SS22.jpg
20 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
CUE has a proximity sensor that brings useful controls up on the screen when you put your hand near it.
35454745_SS27.jpg
21 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
Navigation is augmented by this display in the instrument cluster and turn-by-turn directions on the head-up display.
35454745_SS30.jpg
22 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
The stereo interface not only shows album art, but builds a media library interface from all the digital sources plugged into the car.
35454745_SS33.jpg
23 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
Pandora integration makes it possible to select stations you have created.
35454745_SS36.jpg
24 of 24 Josh Miller/CNET
Speakers in the front seat shoulders enhance the sound quality of the Bose audio system.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos