Hey, Euro stars, that's a Caddy in your rearview mirror. Until now, Cadillacs and serious imported sedans had about as much in common as Snoop Doggy Dogg and the Vienna String Quartet. As in mutually exclusive. As in fat-daddy Caddys and hypersonic Bimmers, Mercs, and the zoomy new Lexus GS400s. Never the twain shall meet. Unless, of course, you bolt yourself inside a 1998 Cadillac STS and aim it toward Stuttgart on the E4 Autobahn.
For the first time, and following much tiresome posturing, General Motors has created a serious, internationally adept luxury car. This time, Cadillac isn't kidding. What it recently offered up at the Frankfurt and Tokyo auto shows is a machine that is intended to invade the turf of elite four-doors everywhere, ultimately raising export sales in 40 countries to about 20 percent of production (up from five percent today). Moreover, Cadillac will build right-hand-drive models for Japan and other Far East markets. Most of these export models will be "five-meter" shorty versions (196.5 inches long) sans 5-mph bumpers, much as Chrysler is doing with its new Eagle Vision. (The domestic Seville is a still-compact 201.0 inches overall.)
All of this comes on yet another iteration of the notably rigid General Motors G-platform that forms the basis for the Olds Aurora and the Buick Riviera—and is widely acclaimed as the stiffest, best-designed GM structure in history. In the engine bay of the STS is the world-class 300-horsepower, 4.6-liter DOHC Northstar V-8 (the kinder, gentler SLS offers a 275-hp version) that generates lusty performance throughout the range (0 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds, the quarter-mile in 15.2 seconds at 93 mph, and a top speed governed at 130 mph, or an estimated 150 mph if you opt for Z-rated tires).
View Price on AmazonBut it is a plethora of microprocessors that help propel the STS to new levels. In addition to standard goodies like anti-lock brakes, the Seville offers such esoterica as "performance algorithm shifting," a superb stability-enhancement system (StabiliTrak), Magnasteer variable-assist power steering, and a road-sensing electronic suspension. The shift algorithm was developed by a young engineer from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute named Ed Lansinger. It couples GM's silky 4T80-E four-speed automatic with sophisticated accelerometers that analyze braking and cornering force and then automatically select the proper gear for max acceleration out of a corner.
The STS exudes considerable attention to detail, as opposed to the slavish application of effluvia that has cursed many previous Cadillacs. From the capacious glove box to the umbrella storage compartment under the front passenger's seat to the neatly designed shoulder harnesses mounted on the front seatbacks to the front-door side airbags, the STS is the result of intense product planning. To amplify the point, the Japanese versions, with right-hand drive, will offer on-board navigation systems, the current rage in Tokyo, and cloth seats, which are favored over leather in that market.
Source: caranddriver.com
