Cadillac Gives Its Oldest Luxury Sedan A New Lease Of Life

The 2018 Cadillac XTS has received a much-needed update with a fresh face and new tech.

Just when we thought Cadillac was going to put the ageing XTS out of its misery in 2019, the automaker has given the luxury sedan a new lease of life with a much-needed redesign for the 2018 model, while also updating it with modern tech and making the ride more refined. Noticeably, the front and rear fascias have been freshened up to bring the XTS closer to its CT6 sibling, while new fenders, grille and LED headlights and taillights, which now come as standard, give the 2018 XTS a more modern look.

Ride comfort has been refined thanks to an updated chassis with revised tire designs for both 19- and 20-inch tires. Brembo brakes also now come as standard. For the first time, the XTS can be equipped with optional Magnetic Ride Control and Rear Air Levelling for sharper handling while also reducing outside noise. Cabin comfort has been improved thanks to redesigned foam geometry, wire frame structure and heat pad design on the front seats, as well as 40 inches of rear leg room. Exclusive to the Platinum model’s leather-wrapped interior are Maple Sugar and Jett Black interior color options, as well as a microfiber suede headliner and premium wood trim.

The new XTS is also more hi-tech thanks to the addition of Cadillac’s new intuitive infotainment system, which includes an array of in-vehicle apps displayed on an eight-inch LCD touch screen. You even get an eight-speaker Bose audio system as standard. A range of driver assists can be added to the Luxury trim via the Driver Awareness Package, which include Low Speed Automatic Braking, Following Distance Indicators, Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward/Reverse Automatic Braking, Lane Change Alert and Side Blind Zone Alert. As you would expect, all assists come as standard in the Premium Luxury and Platinum models.

Tailoring to enthusiasts, the V-Sport trim is powered by a twin-turbo V6 that produces 410 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, and comes with all-wheel drive as standard. The rest of the range is powered by a 304-hp 3.6-liter V6 mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox.

Here's All The Discounts Luxury Brands Are Offering Right Now

Great deals are to be found this time of year.

It’s that time of the year. The holiday season is fast approaching but, above all for automakers, the end of the year is only a few weeks away. That means it’s time to not only get rid of excess inventory but also to aim for a strong end of year finish. BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz know all about this. And speaking of those luxury brands and some of their competitors, Cars Direct has discovered that many are offering some pretty sweet deals right now on many of the most popular premium cars and crossovers.

Here's several luxury makes and models that are very likely experiencing the best prices they've had all year. If there was ever a time to buy or lease, it's now. Remember, if you snooze you lose.

Audi

Thanks to a Season of Audi Credit when buying or leasing a vehicle, you can now get a $1,000 credit on either a 2018 or 2019 Audi Q7. The 2018 A4, A5 Sportback and Q5 are also each be offered with a $750 credit. The A3 sedan has a $500 credit of its own, while the Q5 has an additional $2,000 off. Note that Audi is offering dealers unadvertised incentives from $1,000 to $17,500 on select models. Of course, the amount you could save will likely vary from dealer to dealer, so it’s best to shop around.

Cadillac

Cadillac is really pushing end of the year deals. For example, you can buy a new Escalade SUV with as much as $7,000 off, depending on trim. That figure could potentially increase to $10,000 if you plop down a $2,000 down payment and finance through GM Financial. If you don’t want a big SUV but still like to sit up high, the XT5 is also being offered with some attractive discounts, like $2,000 in rebates on select trims. If you were to trade in a competitor and also finance through GM Financial, another $2,000 could be slashed. Lastly, there’s a $3,000 Flex Cash incentive. Do your homework, put your bargaining face on and you could drive home quite happy.

Jaguar

Fancy a new XE, E-Pace, F-Pace, or even an F-Type? Jaguar is now offering its Winter Sales Event bonus which entitles buyers to a $1,000 discount on a 2018 or 2019 XE or E-Pace. There’s another $3,000 discount option happening for the latter. The F-Pace has a $1,500 discount of its own that can also be combined with another $1,000 bonus. As for that F-Type, how does an $11,000 discount sound? We thought so. And yes, this applies to the supercharged V8 F-Type. The turbo four and supercharged V6 variants each have a smaller but still solid $8,000 discount.

Lexus

Lexus is no stranger to end of the year deals. Remember its December to Remember sales event? It’ll soon be back and there’ll be 0 percent financing and extra cash offered. Several 2018 models, including the IS, RX, and LS are eligible for 0 percent APR for 60 months. However, there’s a bit of a catch. If you go with the financing you could potentially be sacrificing other attractive rebate offers. Here’s one example: in California, a 2018 LS is eligible for a $5,000 discount plus another $3,000 when trading in a competitor for a total of $8k in savings. Your call.

Mercedes-Benz

The German automaker is bringing back its attractive low APR after over a year of no factory financing. For example, you can get 1.99 percent APR for 72 months on the 2018 and 2019 C-Class sedan or 2.99 percent APR on a 2019 E-Class sedan and the GLC. Prefer to lease? No problem. The 2019 GLA 250 Premium is receiving a $20/month price reduction for a final price of $359 a month for 36 months, but there’ll be $3,707 due at signing. You could also look at the offer like this: with its effective cost of $462, a new GLA is only $8 a month more expensive than the CLA 250.

This Is The All-New 2019 Cadillac XT4: A Luxury Compact SUV You Might Actually Want

Cadillac's newest SUV gets a 2.0-liter turbo engine, nine-speed automatic, and all-wheel drive.

On the eve of the 2018 New York Auto Show, Cadillac added another SUV to its car-heavy range of luxury vehicles during a reveal at Cadillac House in Manhattan. The 2019 XT4 is the brand's first-ever compact SUV, which Cadillac claims is "tailored for the next generation of luxury customers." It may end up being a hoot to drive, too, as Cadillac has fitted it with Active Sport Suspension and a potent 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, good for 237 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission.

The all-new XT4 rides on what Cadillac calls "an all-new compact SUV architecture," though that's likely a lengthened version of the D2XX platform used by the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. The additional wheelbase length will give the XT4 "segment-leading rear-seat spaciousness," Cadillac claims. The new model is just the beginning of an onslaught of new vehicles to come from Cadillac. “The first-ever 2019 Cadillac XT4 expands our successful SUV lineup to a segment where Cadillac has never been before,” said Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen.

“And it sets off a dramatic expansion and elevation of the product range, that will see a new Cadillac virtually once every six months through 2021.” The launch of the XT4 also marks the debut of Cadillac's new "Y" trim strategy, which has been used automakers like Volvo and Hyundai as of late. Instead of offering a linear trimline, the paths diverge into luxury- and sport-oriented models that can sometimes be priced quite similarly with differing content. For XT4, the Luxury trim will be the base model, then Premium Luxury and Sport trims will sprout in a Y from there. Their main visual differentiators will be black trim pieces on Sport models while Premium Luxury models will wear bright trim work.

Inside, all models will feature an all-new rotary controller to better command the Cadillac User Experience infotainment system and a wireless charging pad for your mobile device. The 2019 Cadillac XT4 will go on sale this fall with a base price of $35,790 including destination charge. Eight colors will be available at launch: Atlantic Metallic, Autumn Metallic, Crystal White Tricoat, Twilight Blue Metallic, Shadow Metallic, Red Horizon Tintcoat, Stellar Black Metallic and Radiant Silver Metallic. Order books open at the end of this month.

Luxury Car Nameplates We Want Brought Back To Life

Like the BMW 8 Series, we'd like to see these models get revived.

Just like Hollywood, modern automakers can't help but dive into the well of the past to pull out the greatest hits. Why struggle to invent something new when you can dust off Snow White for the thousandth time and tell the story yet again? The industry is about to experience an influx of revived nameplates including the BMW 8 Series, Alfa Romeo GTV, and Toyota Supra. We are happy to see these models make a return, but we wondered what other luxury nameplates deserve to be revived. Here are our eight contenders.

Porsche 928

The Porsche 928 is one of several models rumored to be reintroduced to the Porsche lineup. The original car was a RWD V8 Grand Tourer, which would easily slot above the 911 as a more luxurious option for buyers. We'd love to see Porsche base a new 928 on the Panamera platform, along with its twin-turbo V8 hybrid drivetrain producing 680 horsepower.

Acura RSX

The Acura RSX, also known as the Integra, was one of our favorite cars that Honda ever built. By the end of its life, it offered a 2.4-liter VTEC four-cylinder producing 201 hp in the RSX Type S. The RSX/Integra was sporty to drive, but also packed some of the practicality of a hot hatchback. With the popularity of SUVs and crossovers, it seems unlikely that Acura will bring back a sporty hatchback.

Buick Regal GS

The Buick Regal GS is a nice, comfortable sports sedan, but it doesn't live up to the brand's most badass model: the Grand National. The original Grand National was based on a Regal, but Buick seems reluctant to revive its legendary nameplate. We think a twin-turbo, 400 hp Regal Grand National could pick up where its predecessor left off, for around the $50,000 price range.

Cadillac Eldorado

One of the things that annoys us about Cadillac right now is the company's lack of creativity in the naming department. CT6 sounds like a graphing calculator, and the ATS, CTS, and XTS scheme never made that much sense. We miss names like Eldorado and Coupe DeVille, and wish Cadillac would reincorporate these names back into the lineup. We have seen Cadillac build gorgeous concept cars like the Ciel, all that's left is to build one and give it a name from the company's past.

Lamborghini Espada

Lamborghini is best known for its mid-engine V12 flagships: the Miura, Countach, Diablo, Murcielago, and Aventador. However, the company does have some lesser known models that we'd like to see today. The Espada was a large, front-engine V12 GT car, which could go toe-to-toe with models such as the Aston Martin DB11 and Bentley Continental. Since Volkswagen owns both Bentley and Lamborghini, the German automaker likely doesn't want too much competition between its own brands.

Alfa Romeo Spider

Alfa Romeo currently uses the Spider name on the convertible version of the 4C sport car, but it used to be one of the prettiest and affordable two-seat convertible cars on the market. When Mazda and FCA announced a partnership to build a two-seat roadster based on the Miata, we thought it would be the return of the Alfa Romeo Spider. Instead, we got the slightly disappointing Fiat 124.

Bugatti Atlantic

Bugatti is one of the most fabled brands in the automotive industry, so it seems almost cruel to leave so much of the company's past within the pages of history. We'd love to see the legendary Bugatti Atlantic come back as an ultra-luxurious four-door sedan, based on the Galibier concept from several years ago. Of course, power would come from the Chiron's quad-turbo W16 engine.

Ferrari Daytona

The Ferrari 365 GTB/4, also known as the Daytona, was built from 1968 to 1973. Like most Ferrari models, the Daytona had an official numerical name, but became well-known by its media-given name after the car finished 1-2-3 at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona. We'd like to see Ferrari bring back nameplates such as Daytona when it builds special one-off models for wealthy customers.