Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon: The family beauty

Since making its comeback, Cadillac (which belongs to GM) has been trying to revive its noble history by taking on the BMWs, Mercedes-Benzes and Audis of the world. All these prestigious brands offer wagon versions of their intermediate sedans (BMW 5-Series Touring, which strangely became the Gran Turismo, Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon and Audi A4 Avant). To be in the running, Cadillac had to do the same.

Fortunately, Cadillac had just the right sedan for the job, the CTS. Contrarily to what you might think, the wagon is actually shorter than the sedan (by 7 mm), but it is taller (by 30 mm). And naturally, the most radical stylistic changes were to the rear portion of the vehicle. The Cadillac Sport Wagon features many of the design themes that the prestigious GM brand holds dear, such as sharp angles and stretched headlamps. And the result is excellent. At least, that’s my subjective opinion, but I’ll let you judge for yourself!

Three and a half tires

The word "wagon" is often synonymous with "versatility." The trunk of the Sport Wagon can carry 736 litres, or 1642 litres with the seats down. That’s better than the ineffable BMW 5-Series Grand Turismo (440 to 1700), but less than the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (1950 litres, the minimum number of litres has not been released) and the Audi A4 Avant (787 litres, the maximum number of litres has not been released). Perhaps this proves that, even among the most high-end vehicles, nothing is perfect. What does this space mean in practical terms? Well, I couldn’t quite fit four 15-inch tires into the back of the Sport Wagon without folding down one of the two back seats. The inclined hatch may add to the vehicle’s style, but it reduces the amount of space available.

The CTS Sport Wagon’s power liftback can be set to open partially or fully, while the floor features a very good anchoring system, similar to what Audi offers. But why is the cargo cover (which is so handy since the trunk contents are in full view) offered as part of the options package (Luxury Package 1) for $1,000? At least you can hide some objects in the in-floor containment.

The interior, and especially the dashboard, reflects the style of the body. Easy to look at! (Ok, that’s another personal opinion that I’m all too happy to share with you.) Some people may find there are too many buttons, but since I tried the CTS Sports Wagon right after test-driving a few Acura products, I felt there were really very few buttons (Acura seems to have specialized in aggressively breeding buttons). However, I wasn’t thrilled with the speedometer, which goes up 30 km/hr increments. You find yourself constantly wondering just how close or far you are from a multiple of 30 (If the needle is slightly over 90, I must be doing 100 km/hr?). Most of us are used to multiples of 20, instead. The driving position can be found in no time, but the foot rest is too far (for me, at least). The quality of the Bose sound system is worth mentioning.

3.6-litre V6 and AWD

Our CTS Sport Wagon was equipped with a 3.6-litre V6 and AWD. This engine produces 304 HP and 273 lbs-ft of torque, which is more than enough to give you safe and enjoyable starts and pick-up. The engine sound during full-out accelerations is great. During out week-long test drive, we counted an average of 11.9 L/100km, which matches GM’s reported 11.7 L in the city and 7.4 on highways. The automatic six-speed transmission is excellent, except that it was sometimes a little lazy on downshifts when asked to work a little harder than usual. At least it allows the engine to run at "just" 1,750 rpm at 100 km/hr (2,100 at 120).

This gearbox delivers torque to all four wheels thanks to reasonably good AWD that adds to the driving pleasure by pushing the limits a little further when cornering. The front-wheel control system intervenes the same way my wife does when she wants me to do something around the house...politely but firmly. The steering is pretty precise – for a Caddy; this is no Corvette! The brakes are very powerful for emergency braking, especially at first. Then you feel they lose some of their power. After all, they do have to stop a fairly sizeable mass (the weight of which has yet to be revealed by GM). You can definitely feel this weight as you head into curves.

The Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon adds some zest and versatility to a well-designed sedan. It’s not expected that this vehicle, like the CTS Coupe unveiled a little after it, will experience spectacular sales. But its main reason for being is not volume sales. The CTS Sport Wagon is here to add prestige to the brand. A luxury wagon, the height of refinement among the rich and rational!