October 09 2008
Cadillac
CTS Delivers An Award-Winning Package
-
Spearheading
Cadillac’s arrival into the Australian automotive market is the highly
acclaimed Cadillac CTS sedan, which was launched today at the 2008 Australian
International
Motor Show.
-
Recipient
of the prestigious 2008 Motor Trend Car of the Year in the United States,
the Cadillac sports sedan offers a remarkable blend of dramatic design,
innovative
technology, interior luxury and undeniable performance.
-
“Cadillac has
a long history of offering customers exciting, highly specified vehicles
that offer a combination of luxury and performance and the CTS is the
all-new generation
vehicle that exceeds that expectation,” said Director of GM Premium Brands,
Parveen Batish.
-
At a glance,
there is no mistaking the CTS for anything but a contemporary Cadillac.
Building off Cadillac’s design ethos of Art and Science, the CTS exudes
strong road
presence and bold, sharp design. The CTS is packed with infotainment
and safety technologies and creates a dynamic driving experience through
a highly developed
ride and handling package.
-
“CTS is earning
the acclaim of luxury buyers, the most discerning critics,” said Jim Taylor,
Cadillac global general manager. “It has earned a position as one of
the premier
luxury sports sedans, further strengthening Cadillac’s historic resurgence
into the top tier of global luxury brands.”
-
The
Cadillac CTS will be on-sale in early 2009 with pricing to be announced
closer to the sales date.
-
Design
-
The new 2009
CTS has an athletic form that reflects its combination of luxury and performance.
The evolved styling theme has produced a ‘faster’, coupe-like
profile and
strikes a sporting stance, while the more sculpted bumpers emphasise the
car’s wider track and enhanced chassis dynamics.
-
Signature exterior
cues include vertically oriented “light pipes,” horizontal spline lines
and a dihedral-shaped hood which enhances the CTS’s dramatic presence
unlike most
traditional luxury sedans.
-
The athletic
form of the CTS is characterised by sculpted fenders. They feature side
air extractors that recall a styling element from Cadillac’s 2003 ‘Sixteen’
concept car;
and an UltraView “double” sunroof is available, spanning both the front
and rear seats.
-
Nine-spoke,
18-inch wheels surround the CTS’ high-performance brake calipers and rotors
(available in a premium multicoat or a high-polish finish).
-
Interior
elements
-
The 2009 CTS
cabin features advances in surface development, technology, materials and
construction which all combine to highlight technical precision with
elegant, hand-crafted
details and precise tailoring.
-
Analogue instrumentation
is streamlined and defined by bright accents. An integrated centre
stack design, with either satin metallic finish as standard or optional
genuine Sapele
Pommele wood, blends into the lower instrument panel that sweeps forward
and away of front-seat occupants. The hand-assembled centre
console leads
seamlessly into the centre stack, providing a sportier “cockpit” feel for
the driver and passenger without compromising space.
-
Heated and
ventilated seats incorporate “thin-seat” technology for maximum occupant
comfort and enhanced rear-seat room. French stitching is used throughout
the interior,
including the upper instrument panel, door inserts, seats and gear shift.
The leather-wrapped steering wheel includes standard integrated controls
for cruise
and audio system.
-
Clean, white
ambient light emitting diode (LED) accent lighting, positioned in the door
pulls, foot wells and recessed between the upper and lower instrument
panels, creates
a discreet theatre-style night lighting.
-
Powertrains
-
Direct injection
technology helps the CTS offer more power while maintaining fuel efficiency
and lowering emissions. Combining greater power with smoothness,
efficiency
and technical sophistication, it delivers fuel more precisely to increase
the efficiency of combustion.
-
With the 3.6-litre,
VVT direct injection Global V6 engine, this translates to a power output
of 227 kW* and 370-Nm* of torque and a 25-percent drop in cold-start
hydrocarbon
emissions. Unlike many of its competitors, the 3.6-litre engine runs on
less expensive regular unleaded petrol.
-
The CTS engine
is matched with a fuel-saving electronically controlled Hydra-Matic 6L50
six-speed automatic transmission. The Hydra-Matic 6L50 six-speed
automatic features
Driver Shift Control sequential manual gear shifting, a technology which
enables on-demand clutch-less manual shifts.
-
Driving
dynamics
-
Cadillac’s
development team set goals to achieve near sportscar levels of grip and
handling, while also emulating the dynamic poise and ride smoothness of
prestigious
luxury cars.
-
CTS prototypes
were extensively developed and tested at Germany’s Nordschleife circuit
at the Nurburgring and on city streets and country roads across Europe,
China and North
America.
-
The CTS chassis
enables a great balance of performance and luxury. The hardware includes
structural enhancements via a tower-to-tower brace; large, four-wheel
disc brakes
and premium steering. Two suspension tuning levels are available with one
featuring firm but compliant sports suspension and the second option of
a
performance
handling suspension for more spirited driving. Both suspensions are
paired with 18-inch alloys.
-
The CTS uses
an independent short/long arm (SLA) front suspension system. Its performance
characteristics are optimised with the use of aluminium for the upper
and lower control
arms, as well as the knuckles, reducing overall mass.
-
Hydraulic control
arm front bushings are used for motion control and help minimize high-speed
road vibration by damping energy transmitted through the
vehicle structure.
Hollow front stabilizer bars bring weight savings and are sized specifically
to each of the three available suspension levels.
-
A multi-link
rear suspension, with a fully isolated sub frame, delivers excellent suspension
kinematics that contributes to a superior ride with excellent handling.
It provides
maximum tuning flexibility so that the suspension can be tuned to react
in a predetermined manner, such as during high-lateral cornering forces,
where the rear
wheels will respond with the correct camber and toe to avoid rapid destabilising
changes.
-
The CTS features
advanced chassis technology in the form of Cadillac’s StabiliTrak®
electronic chassis stability control system. It integrates the car’s standard
four-channel
ABS with the full-function traction control, hydraulic brake assist and
engine drag control systems.
-
Craftsmanship
and quietness
-
Every CTS features
Cadillac’s “cut-and-sew” interior process that combines advanced technology
with the hand-rendered precision of expert craftsmen. Coverings
for components
such as the instrument panel, center console and door trim are cut, sewn
and wrapped by hand. This enables details such as decorative French
stitching and
the near elimination of gaps and seams, for a superbly tailored appearance.
-
Quietness is
another measure of the CTS’ craftsmanship. Detailed analysis of sound and
vibration was lavished on the CTS during its development. This reduced
overall cabin
noise via improved body sealing and sound insulation. It also focused on
tuning the quality of the remaining sound. A perforated pattern, for example,
has been added
to the inside of the tailpipes to increase resonance, adding more pleasing,
low-frequency sounds to counteract high-frequency noise.
-
On the exterior,
quieting elements and manufacturing techniques include an innovative laser
brazing process that affixes the roof panel more crisply; installing the
windshield
glass without visible rubber seals and joints; and triple-sealed doors.
-
Infotainment
and vehicle technology
-
CTS features
integrated infotainment and technologies including advanced iPod®/MP3
capabilities. Designed in consultation with the engineers behind
the iPod
and other computer
and entertainment industry experts, the centre console of the CTS is tailored
for MP3 players, iPods or other digital music devices.
They can be
charged via a USB port, which also enables play lists to appear on the
car’s retractable eight-inch touch-screen display, and steering wheel controls
can be used
to advance tracks.
-
The CTS is
also fitted with a 40-gigabyte hard drive which allows pausing and rewinding
of live radio, as well as “ripping” tracks from CDs. The hard drive enables
60-minute “buffering”
of the car’s radio, meaning that passengers can “pause” a live broadcast
in order to take a phone call, or even leave the car to run an errand,
or simply rewind
to listen again.
-
Developed by
Bose, the CTS’s sound system delivers concert-quality sound normally reserved
for home theatres. The 300-watt, 10-speaker system incorporates
the exclusive
Bose Centerpoint technology, producing rich and spacious sound.
-
The Keyless
Access system enables passive vehicle and trunk entry and keyless ignition
via a personalised keyless fob. With the fob in a pocket or purse, a person
can approach
a locked vehicle, pull the door handle and open the door or boot.
-
In addition,
the vehicle is equipped with a Smart Remote Start system which operates
from as far as 60 metres. It not only starts the vehicle via fob activation,
but also activates
the climate control and the optional heated and cooled seats, depending
on temperatures outside and inside the car.
-
Safety features
-
The 2009 CTS
is designed to continue Cadillac’s reputation for providing safe occupant
environments in luxury vehicles. Features such as a robust body structure
that helps
absorb crash energy and six standard air bags – including a dual stage
driver front air bag, roof-rail side curtain, seat-mounted pelvic/thorax
side airbags
and a dual
depth passenger frontal air bag – helped it earn a Top Safety Pick recognition
by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the United States.
-
The new Pedestrian
Protection system senses a collision with a pedestrian through the front
bumper sensors and activates a mechanism that lifts the bonnet to
create additional
clearance to hard points in the engine compartment, reducing severity of
the impact to the pedestrian’s head.
-
GM’s Adaptive
Forward Lighting system for the bi-xenon HID headlamps automatically adjusts
headlamp direction for improved night driving visibility.
The system
turns the headlamps up to five degrees inboard and up to 15 degrees outboard
on each lamp.
-
Safety is also
enhanced by a rear park assist system, tyre-pressure monitoring, front
safety belt pretensioners, active head restraints and automatic rain-sense
windscreen
wipers.
END
OF RELEASE - TOP
-----
August 15
2008
Mercedes-Benz
to Introduce Advanced Driver Fatigue Safety Technology
-
Stuttgart -
Accident researchers at Mercedes-Benz are acutely aware of the danger in
nodding off at the wheel (the "one-second nap"). In the view of these specialists,
long holiday
journeys without intermediate breaks involve a high risk of overtiredness,
which drivers often fail to notice in time. As such Mercedes-Benz has developed
the innovative
driver support system Attention Assist. This is able to recognise driver
fatigue at an early stage, and warn the driver that a break is called for
soon.
The system
will enter series production in 2009.
-
Scientific
studies indicate that around 25 percent of all serious accidents occurring
on motorways are caused by overtired drivers. In other words, overtiredness
is
responsible
for more accidents than driving under the influence of alcohol.
-
During long-distance
journeys in the dark, or under unchanging conditions at a constant cruising
speed, the risk of the "one-second nap" is greatest because the
driver's attention
lapses and monotony increases the danger of falling asleep. Studies have
shown that the reaction times of drivers can be 50 percent longer after
only four hours
of non-stop driving. The risk of an accident is doubled after this length
of time, and after six hours of driving it is no less than eight times
as high.
-
With the newly-developed
Attention Assist, Mercedes-Benz is continuing its practically-oriented
commitment to accident prevention as already demonstrated through
innovations
such as the Electronic Stability Program (ESP®) and Brake Assist, which
have already led to a measurable improvement in traffic safety.
-
Attention Assist
monitors the driving behaviour of the driver, generating an individual
driver profile which is constantly compared to a flow of sensor data.
This continuous
monitoring is important, so that the system can recognise the driver's
transition from alertness to drowsiness and warn them in sufficient time.
-
Steering characteristics
as the most important indicator of fatigue
-
In addition
to the vehicle speed and linear/lateral acceleration, the Mercedes system
also registers steering wheel movements, indicator and pedal operation,
plus a
number of specific
control operations and external influences such as side winds or uneven
road surfaces. Monitoring the driver's steering behaviour has proved to
be particularly
relevant, as an overtired driver has difficulty in keeping the vehicle
precisely on track. They make minor steering errors which are often quickly
corrected in
a characteristic manner. Intensive tests by Mercedes engineers involving
more than 550 male and female drivers have shown that this effect already
commences during
an early phase of the onset of fatigue – usually before the highly dangerous
"one-second nap".
-
The heart of
the Mercedes system is an extremely sensitive sensor that enables the steering
movements and their speed to be monitored very precisely.
-
During the
first few minutes of each journey, Attention Assist uses these data to
compile an individual driver behaviour pattern which is constantly compared
with
the current
steering behaviour and driving situation by the onboard electronic control
unit. This enables the system to recognise the typical signs of overtiredness
and warn the
driver accordingly. This is done by an acoustic signal and a display in
the instrument cluster with the clear-cut advice: "Attention Assist. Break!"
END
OF RELEASE - TOP
-----
Jul 02
2008
Stuttgart/Riyadh
– Mercedes-Benz Buses and Coaches
Mercedes-Benz
Buses and Coaches has received a major contract from SAPTCO (Saudi Arabian
Public Transport) for 300 Mercedes-Benz
Travego coaches.
The first 150 coaches will be delivered before the end of this year. The
other 150 will be delivered at the beginning of next year.
This is the
first time that SAPTCO has ordered the Travego coach. Amongst other duties,
these ultra-modern, two-axle coaches will be used for journeys between
the pilgrimage
cities in Saudi Arabia. SAPTCO is the country's biggest bus operator and
has a total fleet of 2,500 vehicles, more than half of which display the
Mercedes three-pointed
star.
The Mercedes-Benz
Travego is the top model in the Mercedes-Benz coach range and epitomizes
outstanding safety, comfort and environmental compatibility.
The coaches
are powered by Mercedes-Benz OM 457 LA diesel engines, producing 310kW
(422 bhp). All the vehicles will be fitted with an uprated air
conditioning
system, with a 39kW cooling capacity, in order to cope with the extreme
climatic conditions.
END
OF RELEASE - TOP
-----
|