Review: 2011 Hyundai Sonata

Imagine, for a moment, that you're forced to invent a new candy with the specific objective of taking a bite out of the market segment comfortably satisfied by M&M's, Skittles and Reese's Pieces. Sounds daunting, right? With that in mind, the all-new 2011 Hyundai Sonata is being placed right back into the middle of the hotly-contested family sedan segment, already occupied by such established players as the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu, to name just a few.

Completely redesigned for 2011, the Sonata is freshly styled and more spacious than its predecessor. It brings a few innovations to the game, including a new direct-injected four-cylinder powerplant mated to a six-speed automatic – yet it has no V6 option. We put a couple hundred miles on the new Sonata in San Diego.

Erase everything you know about yesterday's Sonata. Forget those memories, delete the images. Reformat the hard drive. About the only significant things the all-new 2011 model has in common with its predecessor is the name badge on the decklid (now moved to the other side of the trunk) and the fact that they both burn a liquefied petroleum product and roll to their destination on pneumatic tires.

Now in its sixth-generation, the newest Hyundai dumps its consistent ho-hum styling in favor of what the automaker calls a "fluidic sculpture design." Created by the Hyundai Design Center team in Irvine, California, the sleek new four-door is a fresh face in a segment full of cookie-cutter sedans. Interesting and stylish, the Sonata offers an engaging mix of traditional sedan and four-door coupe rolled into one. Take special note of the chrome strip running from the tail of the headlamps clear to the base of the C-pillar, and the door handles deliberately positioned at different heights to aesthetically complete the bold character lines. The exterior is unique, rather exhilarating, and it looks downright expensive. We like it.



While the styling visually suggests otherwise, the Sonata is among the shorter "mid-size" vehicles within its competitive segment. The 2011 Hyundai Sonata and the Honda Accord are the only two in this class with an EPA "large car" classification – the Camry, Altima, Fusion and Malibu are all considered "mid-size" cars by the agency. Interestingly enough, the Sonata has the most total interior volume in the segment.

The Sonata's cabin continues the same "sculpted" theme as the exterior. Understandably, it debuts as a much more modern (um, futuristic?) looking cockpit. There are plenty of bluish lights, digital displays, buttons and even a hat-tip to Volvo for the humanoid-look climate control display. With knobs and buttons abound, it takes a few minutes to get accustomed to the vehicle's operation. But, after a few hours behind the wheel, it comes naturally. In practice, the human interface works even better than it looks, which is what really counts.



Under the hood is Hyundai's new direct-injected DOHC 2.4-liter GDI four-cylinder. The all-aluminum powerplant, fitted with continuously variable valve timing, is rated at 198 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 184 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm (the SE model bumps those to 200 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque). The Korean automaker offers two different transmission choices. The first is a traditional six-speed manual (M6GF2), the same transmission offered on the Hyundai Tucson. (Hyundai says "only a few percent" of owners will opt for the manual gearbox, so don't expect to see many in showrooms). The other transmission is the automaker's all-new six-speed automatic (A6MF2), also shared with the Tucson. This is Hyundai's first proprietary six-speed automatic (the Genesis and Veracruz use an outsourced Aisin gearbox) that's 26.4 pounds lighter and has 62 fewer parts than its five-speed predecessor. Fitted with a SHIFTRONIC manual shift mode, the SE trim level adds steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters for those Schumacher dreamers.

Unlike last year's model, the 2011 Sonata will not offer a six-cylinder option. Hyundai obviously realizes the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu – the Sonata's primary competitors – are all offered with four- and six-cylinder powerplants. However, the Korean automaker isn't flinching. When asked why the new Sonata doesn't offer a V6 option, John Krafcik, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America, boldly predicts that "V6 engines are going the way of the dinosaur." (Krafcik even went so far as to predict that no midsize sedans will have a V6 option in 2016 – the year more stringent EPA fuel economy regulations are enacted).

Power-hungry mid-size family sedan buyers shouldn't worry, as Hyundai is expected to introduce a turbocharged variant of the 2.4-liter GDI four-cylinder very soon. When talking about that engine, Krafcik smiles and says the yet-to-be-released turbocharged engine is "very delicious" (his exact words, not ours). It has an "endless reservoir of power... and we are shooting for the same EPA fuel economy as the normally-aspirated variant," he boldly adds.



Sure, a direct-injected four-cylinder is technically advanced and innovative, but it really isn't big news these days. What is big news is fuel economy and this is where the 2011 Hyundai Sonata climbs to the top of the podium. According to official EPA numbers, the Sonata earns 24 miles per gallon city and 35 mpg highway with the manual transmission and 22 mpg city and 35 mpg highway with the automatic. While those impressive efficiency numbers equal its four-cylinder challengers in the city cycle, all fall behind the Sonata in highway testing. When you consider even the strongest competition cannot muster more than 190 horsepower from their four-cylinder offerings, the 2011 Hyundai Sonata doesn't just beat its competition in the fuel economy battle, it frankly slaughters them. More on this later.

Posting big fuel economy numbers isn't easy. Hyundai not only focused its attention on the powertrain and fitted the Sonata with the aforementioned direct injection and efficient six-speed automatic transmission, but it has also added a "smart" alternator that pulls its power primarily when coasting. There is a low friction driveline with a unique bearing design, and low rolling resistance tires on all four corners. The body was sculpted with an aerodynamic design – an impressive drag coefficient of .28 – presenting a sleek profile to the wind. Lastly, the engineers optimized the body structure to save weight.

2011 Hyundai Sonata Limited

Tipping the scales at just 3,199 pounds, the 2011 Sonata is lighter than nearly all of its four-cylinder competition – 70 pounds lighter than the Accord and upwards of 108 pounds lighter than the Camry. It pays off in power-to-weight ratio, with the Sonata again leading the pack as it hauls around just 16.2 pounds-per-horsepower (for comparison, the Camry is 19.6, the Accord is at 18.5 and the Fusion is at 19.1). Don't think the lightened structure compromises safety either – the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) named the 2011 Hyundai Sonata one of its Top Safety Picks for this year.

The new chassis boasts improved body rigidity over the outgoing model, creating a more capable platform for the suspension. Speaking of underpinnings, the 2011 Sonata wears independent MacPherson struts up front and an independent multi-link design in the back. There are stabilizer bars front and rear and the SE trim level gets sport suspension tuning. Disc brakes are fitted on all four corners and tucked inside standard 16-inch wheels (the Limited models wear 17-inch alloys, while the sporty SE models have 18-inch wheels). An electrically-assisted steering rack alters boost based on engine speed (the SE trim level features a "sport" feel) and the Sonata also offers a class-leading turning diameter of just 35.8 feet (the Accord and Fusion add a couple of feet to that – kissing curbs).



Hyundai is offering three trim levels (GLS, SE and Limited) for the 2011 Sonata and several equipment packages. By the time you mix and match the trim levels, transmission and option packages, there are eight different models altogether.

Base price for the standard GLS model starts at just $19,195 (add $720 destination to all pricing), the sporty SE from $22,595, and the top-of-the-line Limited begins at $25,295. All models share the same engine, transmission choices, and full complement of safety equipment. To briefly summarize: The GLS starts with a manual transmission, cloth upholstery, manual seat controls, steel wheels, remote entry and a long list of power convenience equipment. An available "Popular Equipment Package" adds a power driver seat, 16-inch alloy wheels and interior trim upgrades among other things. The SE model starts with the automatic transmission, cloth upholstery, sport suspension, 18-inch alloy wheels and differentiating trim. The Limited models are fitted with leather upholstery, dual-temp climate control, a power-operated sunroof and 17-inch alloy wheels. Navigation with a high-res touch screen is also optional on all trim levels. Hyundai predicts about 60 percent of buyers will opt for the base GLS model, 10 percent will choose the SE, and the remaining 30 percent will step up to the Limited.

Consumers will be happy to hear that every 2011 Hyundai Sonata comes with iPod/USB connections, XM Satellite radio and Bluetooth phone connectivity as standard equipment – items are still optional on some cars costing three times as much. The base audio package feeds 104 watts through a six-speaker system (with AM/FM/XM/CD/MP3). A 360-watt system, adding a subwoofer and a six-disc CD changer, is optional on the GLS and SE and standard on the Limited. Audiophiles who buy the Limited may also upgrade to an even more powerful 400-watt system by Infinity.



We took first pick from more than a dozen brand-new Sonatas lined up outside our hotel, each with a set of keys ready to go. Attempting to satisfy the enthusiast within us, we jumped into a "Venetian Red" SE model first. Your writer's six-foot two-inch frame slid into the driver's seat with plenty of room. In fact, the seat had to be moved forward a bit for comfort (later that afternoon, we jumped into the rear seat behind "ourselves" and discovered that space and legroom was more than adequate). Outward visibility is good, and we didn't find any large blind spots on either side that wasn't solved with a simple mirror adjustment. We did find ourselves wanting some back-up sensors – no camera, just the simple beepers – to let us know where the rear bumper was during backing maneuvers.

Foot brake released and transmission in gear, we pulled out of the hotel. First impressions – the important ones – are that the new four-cylinder powertrain is just fine. Sure, it's no dragster, but it will chirp its front tires pulling away from a corner (would that be the litmus test?). We merged with traffic smoothly and settled down to a sedate cruise as we looked for the road out of town. The in-house six-speed transmission shifted nearly imperceptibly as it conducted the engine delicately through its paces. Power delivery of the 200-hp four is smooth, but the engine sang in a typical four-pot key (read: not so pleasant). The low rolling resistance tires did make a bit of a racket, but it was only evident because wind noise and is surprisingly low, even on the highway.



Hyundai will never claim the Sonata is a four-door sports car. Nevertheless, our burgundy SE sedan held more than its own when pressed into the corners. The steering was nicely weighed, and the vehicle's overall balance was surprisingly good. Nobody at Hyundai could tell us the weight distribution from memory, but the vehicle's overall low mass and suspension tuning made it enjoyable to drive at spirited speeds. We likely pushed the Sonata harder than most owners will during an unexpected emergency maneuver – and lived to talk about it.

Later in the afternoon, we took a higher-end Limited model for a 75-mile spin. Though the steering was slightly less responsive than the SE and the ride was marginally softer, it never put us off – although we admit preference for the sportier model. Funny thing, our wives, girlfriends, in-laws, neighbors and friends would rationally prefer the standard softer suspension for their Sonata family sedan. Not us, we like the SE.

We'd be remiss to not discuss fuel economy, as the Sonata's left a huge impression on us. As mentioned, the EPA rates the automatic models we were driving at 22 mpg city and 35 highway. In usual fashion, we typically take those EPA number and subtract a couple points to get "real world MPG," right? Well, it seems the 2011 Hyundai Sonata is also out to dispel that age-old calculation. In our "real world" driving up and down the hills surrounding San Diego, the on-board computer calculated 37.8 MPG during the morning trip... and we could have easily pushed 40 MPG had we attempted some hypermiling tricks.



Demonstrating the impressive mileage from the new direct-injected four, the Hyundai team hosted a fuel economy contest. Most drivers arrived back at the hotel with fuel economies in the high-30s and more than a handful dropped into the mid-40s. The day before our arrival, two teams topped an amazing 47 mpg and won a nice dinner for their efforts. Even if we assume the on-board computer was a few miles-per-gallon optimistic, the Sonata was still delivering efficiency more commonly associated with hybrids.

Fuel economy will undoubtedly draw consumers to the new Sonata. Others will be "emotionally connected" and impressed by the upscale styling and the spacious, modern interior. Some will take comfort in the automaker's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and the five-year unlimited-mile roadside assistance program. Many will be drawn by a window sticker that represents value. Regardless of the motivation, Hyundai has been very successful getting people to buy its products lately. Recent sales figures show its new introductions, both car and SUV, have all been very well received by consumers. The 2011 Sonata is yet another sweet addition to that proven lineup, and it's got a pretty hard candy shell to boot.

[Source: Autoblog]

2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon

Brush your long, grungy mop from your eyes, turn down the Nirvana and take a look around. It's the early '90s and an army of sport utility vehicles are flooding the streets. The newest four-wheeled object of America's affection has quickly become the default mode of transportation for everyone from inner city professionals to suburban soccer moms.

Fast forward a couple of decades and although sport utes are still around, they've largely been displaced by the crossover – the SUV's easier-to-maneuver, more fuel efficient and more comfortable unibody progeny. But even after years of refinement, the CUV is still a basketcase of compromises. Which begs the question: Did we have it right back in the day? Is a wagon still the best compromise of size, functionality and driving dynamics? We snagged the keys to a 2011 Acura TSX Sports Wagon to find out.

Needless to say, the TSX Sport Wagon is based on its sedan counterpart, but in addition to its two-box shape, Acura has set it off with a redesigned grille. The new piece looks far less hawk-nosed than the one worn by the four-door, as its been broken up by a thinner frame that creates a slimming effect. The lower bumper also improves front-end styling with a much wider and more aggressive appearance. Seeing the TSX Sport Wagon for the first time is a bit like running into that formerly plain-looking girl from high school who got some work done and now dates a pro baseball player; she looks nearly the same, but somehow better. And she knows it. All of which suggests that Acura's stylists may have been listening to at least some of the criticism they've received over the company's controversial front fascia.

The Sport Wagon's updated nose gives way to that long wagon body, which also benefits from a handful of well-placed styling elements. Noticeable fender bulges wrap around the 17-inch five-spoke aluminum wheels and serve to bookend a razor sharp shoulder crease. A strong character line takes over and works its way around the perimeter of the car. It's a neat visual trick that keeps your eyes moving along the bodywork, and it also helps to hide the extra length the wagon wears – a grand total of about 3.6 inches. The overall appearance, however, is somewhat sportier than the sedan because of how the rotund rear end sets off the car's stance.



The driver's perch gives you the chance to enjoy the TSX's dark trim and subtle contrast stitching on its seats. The heated leather front chairs wrap around your body like a mold and while the Audi A4 Avant, BMW 328i Sport Wagon and Volvo V50 might have nice seats, none of them offer standard heating and few are as comfortable. Rear seat passengers are well taken care of, too, as the wagon loses just 0.1-inch of headroom compared to the sedan, while leg, hip and shoulder room all remain the same.

Better still, the rear seats fold down nearly flat with the touch of a switch. The side pockets and lower panels can be removed to reveal even more storage options and the 28-inch height of the rear opening allows for some sizable objects to catch a lift. The 60.5 cubic-feet of rear cargo space is downright cavernous compared to the 50.5, 48.9 and 44.2 found in the Audi, BMW and Volvo, respectively. The closest you'll get to equaling the TSX's cargo hold is the Cadillac CTS Wagon which comes in at 58 cubes with the seats folded flat.



It's not just comfort and utility that makes the TSX Sport Wagon a near ideal place to log trips over the hills and through the woods. All of the knobs and switches are easy to reach, and the available infotainment system hits the moving target of today's technological standards. With the exception of the bulbous multi-directional controller blighting the center stack, the controls are logically laid out, providing an easy learning curve. Dual-zone climate controls keep more than just the driver happy and even the base seven-speaker sound system provides an enjoyable audio experience. The navigation system and rearview camera, however, only show up on the dashboard if you opt for the Technology Package, but Bluetooth and USB audio come standard.

The base model starts at $30,960 plus $860 for destination and handling, while the TSX Sport Wagon with Tech Package costs $34,610 plus D&H. When upgrading to the latter, buyers also receive a power-actuated tailgate, boosted ELS 460-watt 10-speaker audio system with voice recognition, navigation with real-time weather, traffic updates and dynamic re-routing, and the rearview camera. A loaded Acura TSX Sport Wagon with Tech Package still comes in under the base price of the A4 ($35,940), 328i ($36,200) and comparably-equipped V50 ($35,650). The Caddy? Just over $38,000 in base spec.



Comparing pricing and amenities never paints a complete picture, though, and that's where driving dynamics come into play. "Sport" is the TSX Sport Wagon's middle name, and after hauling around Southern California for a couple of days, the moniker is well-deserved. If just. The suspension is firm – almost surprisingly so – making this five-door a joy to push hard, at least on SoCal's smooth roads. The rack-and-pinion steering is also tight and responsive, combining neatly with the TSX's stiff suspenders to make for an engaging driving experience.

When the road turns even slightly rough, however, the TSX Sport Wagon transforms into something of a child's moonbounce. While never unsettled, on certain course surfaces we found the Acura to be not unlike navigating a Boston whaler across a choppy harbor. Suspension for this front-wheel drive wagon is composed of double wishbones up front and multi-link setup in the rear, and we suspect the issue lies with the constant-rate coil springs. Perhaps a set of progressive units would help smooth things out, but prospective buyers who live in areas blessed with four distinctly separate seasons should keep the TSX Sport Wagon's stiff nature in mind.



Under the hood of the TSX Sport Wagon lies a 2.4-liter four-cylinder producing 201 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 172 pound-feet of torque at 4,300 rpm. That doesn't sound like much, but the powertrain actually provides a surprising amount of motivation for this 3,599-pound premium utility sled and sounds pretty good while doing it.

Power is routed to the front wheels courtesy of a five-speed automatic transmission, while a pair of paddles mounted to the steering wheel allow for manual gear selection. When left alone, the automatic shifts smoothly, though sometimes it plays a game of hide-and-seek when pressing on with authority. If you're not in the mood for the cogbox's automated games, you can always switch the transmission into Sport and use the paddleshifters. Fortunately, whatever speed you build is just as easy to shed thanks to the TSX's well-sorted 11.8-inch ventilated front and 11.1-inch solid rear discs.



A six-speed manual transmission would offer even more engagement, but sadly Acura can't build a business case for one. When pressed why we can't get a row-our-own version, Acura officials indicated that the company expects to sell around 4,000 units per year, or 10 percent of all TSX models sold. The take rate for manual transmissions amongst current TSX buyers is only around two to three percent, and with the wagon already making up a minority of TSX sales, it doesn't make financial sense to offer a three-pedal model.

So where is the V6 that's offered in the sedan? The four-cylinder does a surprisingly credible job, but the 280-hp, 3.5-liter unit available in the four-door would be a welcome addition. Just as Acura was listening to its customers with regards to the front-end design, it's also evidently deferred to market research regarding what engine to plunk in the TSX Wagon's beaky nose. As the theory goes, the average wagon buyer doesn't need 280 hp when 201 hp works just fine, and prospective buyers Acura spoke with placed a higher priority on fuel economy than power. The 2.4-liter is rated at 22 miles per gallon in the city and 30 miles per gallon on the highway, while the V6-powered sedan achieves 18/27 – numbers that would no doubt fall in the heavier wagon.



That all said, why is the TSX Sport Wagon finally available in the U.S.? Because Acura says it wants to provide an SUV alternative for its entry-level customers. The wagon is aimed squarely at those successful members of Generation-Y for whom owning an SUV has become a stigma. Priced below the competition and boasting better fuel economy, the 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon is not yet the near-luxury estate of our dreams, but it's a welcome step in the continued resurrection of the premium wagon.

First Drive: 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe is audacity in motion

There was a time when General Motors was a design leader. Before the Aztek, before the Catera, before the Sunfire and before the Citation, GM was synonymous with bold, strong, emotional automotive design. The General was so good at it that in the 1950s it was able to flood dealerships and stress factories just by tweaking a given model's sheetmetal a few shades. Imagine anyone caring about a new rear end on a 2011 Chevy Malibu. Yet the revised bodywork of the 1956 Bel Air was a major cultural phenomenon.

The name Harley Earl – the legendary head of GM design from 1927 until 1958 – still strikes reverence into the hearts of many. One glance at his famed Buick Y-Job, a 1949 Cadillac or the original Corvette is enough to see why. Earl's parting shot was the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado – the one with the tail fins that could nearly touch the moon. Then you have Earl's successor, Bill Mitchell, the man responsible for the third generation Corvette, the 1966 Toronado and the magnificent boattail Buick Riviera.

For a variety of reasons, in the 1970s General Motors and striking design parted ways. GM's styling wandered through the desert, swapping glitz, purpose and chrome for tighter profit margins, increased badge engineering and a large patina of plain ol' dull. All you need to do is take a gander at the third-generation B-bodies to see how far GM went in the wrong direction. Let's not even mention cladding.

For the last decade or so there have been signs of hope. Vehicles like the Chevrolet SSR, Pontiac Solstice, C6 Corvette and the new Camaro were proof that GM and great design are on the road to reconciliation. As a division, Cadillac has made the biggest strides with their Art and Science design motif, showing great signs of life. The front end of the second generation CTS is fantastic. From a pure design point of view, and with the possible exception of the now dead Pontiac Solstice, no General Motors product has been world class since Mitchell retired in 1977.

It's difficult to describe just how striking the CTS Coupe is in the flesh. Fresh, crisp, bold, sexy, smart, savvy and even – to quote Cadillac – audacious. We hate to swallow marketing pabulum of any sort, but in this situation, with this car, the descriptor "audacious" rings absolutely true. What other word could we use to explain the dramatic, emotional and complex combination of lines, angles and curves that make up this new Cadillac? "Brave" perhaps, but regardless of the adjective, the CTS Coupe is a shot across the design world's bow.

The CTS Coupe is not simply a two-door version of the four-door CTS. Instead, Cadillac opted to shorten the car by two inches, widen the rear track by two inches and chop the roof by two inches. Naturally, if you take away two inches of height you have to give it back somewhere else, right? Cadillac says that's not really so, noting that it was able to simply lower the CTS Coupe's seats by nearly two inches making no one the wiser. Caddy also raked the Coupe's windshield back, producing a much racier profile than either the CTS sedan or Sport Wagon. They also yanked the door handles off, instead favoring two pushbutton Corvette-style openers hidden in the doors' metal. When the decision was made to, "Build the concept car," that entailed keeping the dual center-mounted tail pipes where they were. We freely admit that they look quite good, however be prepared to burn the front of your calves when getting groceries out of the trunk.



The most audacious (there's that word again) aspect of the Coupe's design is its rear end. It looks like nothing else on the road. At once muscular yet avant-garde, the straight-on and rear three-quarter view of the CTS Coupe's haunches is mesmerizing. We found ourselves muttering, "That's a good looking car," every time we stopped and looked. From its vertical, LED-filled taillights to the third brake light that's angled up enough to double as a downforce-generating spoiler to more points than a star fish, the CTS Coupe is Tertris meets tangrams meets sophisticated industrial design. It all works fabulously; the Coupe is an aspirational shape, one that simultaneously signifies a suddenly reborn brand. Once again and for the first time in a while, we're talking world-class.

The Coupe's interior is a different chapter from an older book. While there's no question that the second generation CTS' innards are a large step in the right direction, you won't find yourself thinking "The Standard of the World" while sitting in the captain's chair. The wood is nice, and there's leather trim here and there, but there is also a whole mess of fake leather and real plastic. Competitive with Lexus or the Hyundai Genesis, sure, but in no way does the Coupe's interior approach the luxury level of recent, resurgent Mercedes-Benz. And thirty-seconds spent in the new Porsche Panamera will leave you shaking your head in terms of Cadillac's take on luxury.



The wood-capped steering wheel is thick and fully adjustable, and is now heated, but for an exterior design of such sporting pretensions, it still errs on the side of your Uncle Al's Caddy. Cadillac has seen fit to include shift-buttons on the back of the helm (left for down, right for up), but serious drivers will prefer actual paddles. That said, it's a step in the right direction, especially as the CTS' gear-shift manual mode is activated by flopping the lever over to the right, into the passenger's knee space. Curiously, the new SRX's shifter flops to the left, towards the driver. As for the rear seats, they are on par with the space provided by Benz's E-Coupe or the Audi A5, though ingress and egress can be a bit of a squeeze. Really, no worse than the competition, though the front seats in the Mercedes do automatically slide when the seatback is flipped forward.

Then there's the matter of the slide up navigation screen. A nifty trick, but like similar moving parts in the new crop of Jaguars, we're left anxious in anticipation of the day when those little electric motors stop working. However, unlike the Jaguar's gearshift puck and air vents, the CTS Coupe will still be drivable when the nav-screen refuses to rise. When it's up, the display's quality is (again) not nearly up to snuff with what the competition is selling. Actually, forget other luxury cars, a Sync with Sirius Travel Link-equipped Ford Focus features a screen that's roughly five times better. To their credit, the Cadillac folks acknowledged that the interior isn't world class – yet. They suggested several times that we should wait 18 months before issuing final judgment, whatever that means.



On the road, everything that's good about the four-door CTS is amplified in the coupe. You're lower to the road, the wider rear-track and sticky 19-inch summer tires provide gooey gobs of grip and the view out over the hood is definitely sporting. The only available Coupe engine is the more potent 304 horsepower, 274 pound-feet of torque 3.6-liter V6, as opposed to the sedan which can also be had with a less powerful 3.0-liter V6. Well, we shouldn't say "only available" as the full-mental patient 556-hp supercharged LSA motor will be available in the CTS-V Coupe when both models go on sale later this summer. However, Cadillac chooses to view the V Coupe as a separate model, and for the purposes of this review, so shall we.

The direct-injection 3.6-liter V6 provides adequate if not good forward thrust, though introducing a new model into such a hyper-competitive segment and not being the most potent in class can be viewed as a bit of a head-scratcher. For instance, the Coupe is more powerful than the E350 Coupe and Audi A5, but is nearly thirty ponies down on the Infiniti G37 Coupe. Likewise, both the Merc and the Audi can be had with more powerful mills – the E550 Coupe and S5, respectively. We asked Cadillac if they planned to offer a CTS Coupe with the 6.2-liter LS3, with its 425 or so ponies and 420+ lb-ft of torque (depending on tune) or even the (slightly) less potent L99 6.2-liter V8. Our thinking being that a butt-kicking V8 would endow the CTS Coupe with performance worthy of its looks while smothering the competition without breaking the bank like the CTS-V is sure to do. For their part, Cadillac said "no," but we observed more than one suspicious smirk while they were answering. Either way, more power would do the Coupe wonders.



For the launch, Cadillac only had automatic-equipped Coupes on hand. A pity, sure, but we should point out that there's a less than thirty-pound weight penalty should you opt for the slushbox version (the manual Coupe weighs about 3,900 pounds, the automatic about 3,930, while the all-wheel drive Coupe, which is automatic-only, tips the scales at a hefty 4,100 pounds). The six-speed cogswapper performs quite well in both low-speed traffic situations and on back roads, where a heavy right-foot will convince the transmission to hold a gear until near redline. The wheel-mounted button-shifters work fine, and for the first time in a Cadillac, you don't need to move the gearshift into manual for the buttons to work. A very handy feature. If you do select a gear while in auto, the transmission moves in manual-mode for about ten seconds before reverting back to full-auto. The shifts, however, are on the slow side, and as far as we can ascertain, no dual-clutch transmission is in the immediate future.

As mentioned, the grip is copious if not prolific, in part due to the well sorted chassis and wider rear-track, though mostly, we suspect, because of the super-sticky Continental summer tires (245/19/40 front, 275/19/35 rear). For such a heavy two-door, the Cadillac is able to admirably change direction. At least as well as the G37, Audi A5 and E-Coupe, though its moves are not nearly as graceful and athletic as the thoroughbred BMW 3 Series. This is still good news, and a touch surprising when you compare the Coupe to the same-engined, similarly hefty Chevy Camaro. Again, this points to the inherent sportiness of the CTS' Nürburgring-tuned chassis. Remember, too, that come 2015, both the CTS and the Camaro is expected to ride on GM's new Alpha chassis, along with the upcoming Cadillac ATS, a dedicated 3 Series fighter.



The Coupe's ride isn't quite up to its handling. Cadillac has decided to go with floaty as opposed to tight and tied down. That makes the CTS Coupe something of a handful when the going gets really twisty. In fact, Cadillac made a point of offering us motion sickness hand wraps that they had procured after the previous day's drive. In fairness, we were turned loose on some rather excellent roads in California's Napa, Sonoma and Lake counties that would surely upset several stomachs no matter what car we were driving. We didn't get sick, nor did our passenger, but we found ourselves begging for firmer dampers and less bounce. Unlike the upcoming CTS-V Coupe, the regular flavor Coupe isn't available with GM's excellent MagneRide suspension, which is a shame.

At the end of the day, however, ride and handling, acceleration and even the interior aren't the point of the CTS Coupe. Style is, and in that regard Cadillac has grand-slammed it. Take a look at the competition. All of the previously mentioned Germans and Japanese two-doors simply can't hold a candle to the Coupe's glorious lines. The shape and the shape alone is what will attract buyers. And really, by taking the bold way out and "building the concept car," Cadillac has accomplished something we think is really, truly special. With the already gorgeous front end of the CTS coupled to the sculpted, athletic profile and sleek, groundbreaking rear, the Coupe is a powerful statement. Announcing that not only is GM on the road to recovery, but that Cadillac is once again ready to compete with the world's best.