From its dramatic exterior to its handcrafted and tailored interior, the 2008 Cadillac CTS extends Cadillac’s legendary design lineage and creates a dynamic new presence in the world of luxury sedans.

On the outside, there’s no mistaking the CTS for anything but a contemporary Cadillac, with signature cues that include vertically shaped headlamps and taillamps, horizontal spline lines and a dihedral-shaped hood.

“The Cadillac CTS takes Cadillac to the next level,” said John Manoogian, director, exterior design. “We added more art to Cadillac’s art and science philosophy, with greater detail, sculpted shapes and more surface development.”

The exterior is notable for extremely tight gap tolerances, flush-mounted elements and high-grade components. The result is a honed overall appearance that is crafted to meet the discriminating tastes and demands of customers at the top tier of the luxury sedan segment.

Just as definitive of Cadillac CTS’ exterior design is the interior. It expresses luxury and performance themes with appointments that are both purposeful and elegant. Advances in surface development, technology, materials and construction combine to make the CTS cabin a compelling blend of technical sophistication, precise tailoring and luxurious character.  

“The CTS’ interior reflects the market’s expectations for what defines luxury and performance – expectations that have evolved significantly since the first CTS was introduced,” said Eric Clough, director, interior design. “We spent a tremendous amount of time refining the materials, surfacing and details to give the CTS a dramatic, inviting interior befitting an excellent overall car.”

Both the exterior and the interior design elements of the new Cadillac CTS reflect not only an evolution from the previous-generation model, but serve as forerunners of future Cadillac designs.

Exterior details: performance backed with substance

Inspired by Cadillac’s landmark Sixteen concept car, the CTS front appearance is immediately recognizable. The large, chrome dual-textured grille is significantly more vertical in shape, and is both aggressive and intricate. A large center-positioned wreath and crest add to the three-dimensional face. The front fascia is balanced with vertically stacked headlamps with bright bezels stacked in a staircase-like array. The lower air intake is flanked on both sides with fog lamps and brake duct intakes.

Chromed, side air extractors located forward of the front doors are a modern homage to Cadillac’s grand heritage. Additional bright details include chrome molding surrounding the side windows and three-inch, chromed exhaust outlets. Even on the rear of the car Cadillac designers injected charisma. The vertical taillamps are a Cadillac trademark. The roofline and rear backlight have a coupe-like profile. At the centerline, the decklid carries the angular and directional theme of the front.

Additional design details include:

·     HID headlamps with GM’s Advanced Forward Lighting system, which allows the headlamps to turn in the direction of the front wheels

Available Ultra View sunroof system that covers more than 70 percent of the roof area – making it one of the largest such offerings in the segment

Front and rear windscreens with exposed edge glass contribute to a sleeker appearance by eliminating the need for trim moldings

Laser-brazed roof panel has an uninterrupted surface, free of “ditch” joints common on many vehicles

LED-lit taillamps are designed with indirect optics and incorporate multiple sources of illumination per unit, eliminating the typical “pinpoint” look for a more refined appearance when illuminated

Exceptional fit-and-finish details, including gaps of 3 mm or less for door-to-door, door-to-fender, hood-to-fender and lamp-to-fascia gaps

Coupled with a new overall shape, the 2008 Cadillac CTS comes with a 50-mm wider track. This change, while driven mostly by performance and engineering goals, served designers well. The wider stance gives the new model a more planted, capable and well-grounded appearance that’s exemplified by much tighter tire-to-fender relationships.

The car’s new exterior surfaces were lavished with attention from expert modelers and sculptors, rather than computer-generated shaping. Additionally, a wider, tapering sail panel, lower, more sculpted hood, smoother wheel housing lips and a tighter wheel-to-body relationship help communicate the CTS’ agility as well as its sophistication and substance.

Dimensionally, the 2008 CTS is 4,766 mm long, 1,841 mm wide and 1,472 mm in height.  The wheelbase is 2,880 mm with a front/rear track of 1,575 / 1,585 mm.

Standard 18-inch wheels surround large, high-performance brake calipers and rotors and are available in a premium multicoat painted finish or a high polish finish.

Interior: performance and elegance combine

The 2008 CTS represents an evolution for Cadillac interiors, emphasizing premium materials and technical precision with elegant, hand-crafted details. The interior design is decidedly more upscale, with luxury features, ornamentation and attention to detail.

Strict attention to material choices, surface development and comfort combine to meet the discriminating tastes of luxury performance sedan buyers. Several interior surfaces are hand-cut, sewn and wrapped by expert craftsmen.

Clean, white ambient LED light pipes are recessed between the upper and lower instrument panel. The result is a dramatic effect similar to indirect lighting used in contemporary homes. Subtle backlighting positioned in the door pulls and footwells completes the theater-style night lighting.

The hand-assembled center console with a satin metallic finish sweeps smoothly into the low, laid-back integrated center stack, providing a sporty “cockpit” feel for the driver and passenger without compromising space. Center stack controls were optimized for logical, intuitive use. Tri-barrel analog instrumentation, defined by bright chrome accents, is tightly framed with a compact hood that adds to the car’s sporting feel.

Heated and ventilated seats incorporate new “thin-seat” technology for maximum occupant comfort and enhanced rear-seat leg, knee and foot room. Highly sculpted bolsters provide lateral support for spirited driving without sacrificing comfort.  A signature V-shaped medallion appears as a decorative touch on the backs of the front seats. French stitching is used throughout the interior, including the upper instrument panel, door inserts, seats and shifter boot.  The leather-wrapped steering wheel includes standard integrated controls for cruise and the audio system.

A multitude of details – small and large –speak to the CTS’ comfort, craftsmanship and convenience. Highlights include:

Telescoping eight-inch touch screen navigation system that rises out of the top of the integrated center stack

Audio system with hard drive storage for downloaded music and for recording radio broadcasts

Woven headliner and pillar material for a more detailed, upholstered appearance

Available heated and ventilated seats with multiple comfort settings

Dual-zone climate control with air filtration system

Individual displays and controls for temperature and heated/cooled seats for front occupants

Eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat

Driver information center with six available languages (English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish)

All touch points on the CTS interior are engineered and tuned for a refined tactile feel, including features such as damped glove box, cupholder and ashtray doors. The center console storage bin and glove box are cushioned to prevent rattles and provide a soft feel.