New Car Profile of the 2004 Cadillac CTS Mid-Size Luxury Sedan

Description:Mid-Size Luxury Sedan
Base MSRP Range: $30,490-$49,300
Invoice Price Range: $28,203-$45,603

The CTS (Cadillac Touring Sedan) made history with its 2003 debut as the first RWD vehicle in Cadillac's fleet since 1979 and the first to offer a manual transmission on a rear-drive platform in half a century. Package size for CTS measures to mid-size proportions with the overall length held to less than five meters so CTS may compete on the global market.

The RWD Sigma platform employed for CTS features an extended wheelbase and wide track with wheels set on outside corners for a sure-footed stance. Inside a spacious cabin fit for five, the exterior theme of chiseled forms and angular features is expressed in a monochromatic treatment on CTS that appears contemporary. The base CTS continues with a V6 engine produced by General Motors in England that displaces 3.2 liters and makes 220 hp as linked to a manual five-speed by Germany's Getrag. For 2004, CTS with a four-speed automatic transmission earns the new 3.6-liter V6 VVT engine, which runs up to 255 hp in this application.

A sport package with 17-inch wheels, variable assist steering, high-performance brakes and StabiliTrak vehicle controller becomes an option for any CTS trim. At the end of 2003 the new GM Performance Division will release new CTSv, the most powerful Cadillac production car ever with a version of Corvette's LS6 V8 stuffed under the hood and pumping up 400 hp.