New York Live - 2014 Cadillac CTS makes its global debut

The all-new 2014 Cadillac CTS mid-size luxury sedan took its first public bow at the New York Auto Show yesterday.

The third generation of the sedan features a design which is an evolution of the firm's Art & Science design philosophy. The car is based on the rear-wheel drive architecture of the ATS sport sedan.

The new CTS is longer than the outgoing sedan by 5" (127mm) out of which 1.2" is consumed in increasing the wheelbase. The car's roofline and the base of the windshield are lowered by 1" to enhance the aesthetics.

The front fascia of the 2014 CTS has a wider grill which now boasts of a more detailed texture. The signature vertical LED lighting, the headlamps which run along the bonnet line and the shield emblem proclaim its Cadillac identity loudly.

On the inside, eight options for the cabin environment are offered, each bestowed with authentic wood, carbon fiber or aluminum trimmings. The dashboard is driver centric and the company claims that the cabin has handcrafted components. The CUE multimedia system comes with a 8" touchscreen display and has Bluetooth, USB and SD card capabilities.

Cadillac says that the CTS is the lightest sedan in its category and has a near 50/50 weight balance. The car benefits from Cadillac's first aluminum door structures.

Other noteworthy features include the Magenetic Ride Control real time dampening system, limited slip differential and Brembo disc brakes with aluminum calipers.

The top end Vsport variant is powered by a new 3.6 litre twin turbo V6 which puts out 420 bhp and 583 Nm of torque. The engine is connected to a 8-speed automatic transmission which propels the sedan to 100 kph from rest in an estimated time of 4.6 seconds.

The other engine options include a normally aspirated 321 bhp 3.6 litre petrol V6 and a turbocharged 272 bhp 2.0 litre petrol motor. The former is available with a 8-speed automatic gearbox in rear-wheel drive models and with a 6-speed automatic in all-wheel drive models. The latter makes do with the 6-speed autobox.