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Cadillac STS

The STS (Seville Touring Sedan) is a mid-size car manufactured and sold by Cadillac.

Origins

The STS is the successor to the Cadillac Seville. That car used the STS name, standing for "Seville Touring Sedan" on upscale performance-oriented versions from at least 1988. In 1992, Cadillac split the Seville line into STS and less performance-oriented SLS (for "Seville Luxury Sedan") trim lines. The next year, the STS got Cadillac's then-new Northstar System, including the aluminium DOHC L37 "Northstar" V8 engine. Throughout its existence, the STS was Cadillac's highest-priced sedan model. Worldwide, the STS is Cadillac's flagship model. In North America, the STS is positioned between the mid-size CTS and larger DTS, and is priced above the DTS.

2005

The front wheel drive Seville was retired in 2004, replaced by an entirely new STS model based on the rear wheel drive GM Sigma platform. All wheel drive is offered as an option, the first Cadillac sedan to be available with this drive system. The STS carries on the Magnetic Ride Control suspension, which has bragging rights as being the 'fastest reacting suspension ever,' before it was ever utilized on newer Corvettes and Ferraris.

The Cadillac STS is assembled at GM's Lansing Grand River facility in Lansing, Michigan along with the smaller Cadillac CTS sedan and Cadillac SRX crossover SUV.

As of 2007, Engines are a 3.6 L High Feature LY7 V6 with 255 hp (190 kW) and 252 ft·lbf (342 N·m) and the 4.6 L Northstar LH2 V8 which puts out 320 hp (239 kW) and 315 ft·lbf (427 N·m) in the STS. All engine models feature dual overhead camshafts with VVT. Remote ignition is standard. Although most 2005 and 2006 Cadillac STS models offer a engine, an option for a 3.6 L engine was available at the time through Cadillac's performance packages. As of 2007, Cadillac now has different packages and car models, which no longer support this option.

Wheelbase is , though overall length is shorter than the Seville. Interior space is greater than its predecessor, though. A heads-up display is optional, as is a 300 Watt Bose stereo system with MP3 capability. Base pricing starts at US$40,995, and extends to US$52,240 for the AWD V8 model.

2006

The 2006 V-series STS-V was introduced at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show. It features a supercharged 4.4 L version of the Northstar V8, along with handling upgrades. This engine is certified by the SAE to produce 469 hp (350 kW) and 439 ft·lbf (595 N·m).

It went on sale in the United States in late 2005 for just under US$80,000.

In 2006, Cadillac introduced a stretched STS called the SLS. Only available in the Chinese market, and assembled by Shanghai GM, the SLS adds of rear-seat legroom and has a different interior.

2008

For 2008, the STS has been updated. Changes include a refreshed exterior, with styling cues resembling the 2008 CTS, such as larger, more aggressive grille and chrome fender vents. The interior has also been updated, with new materials and a new steering wheel, though the overall interior design remains the same, despite previous rumors of an all-new interior similar to that of the Chinese-market SLS. The standard powertrain is now a direct-injected 3.6 L V6 mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, which in the STS will produce 302 horsepower (225 kW) and 272 ft·lbf (369 N·m) of torque. It also offers enhanced safety features, including a lane departure warning system, a blind spot monitoring system, and an improved version of GM's StabiliTrak stability control system, which can now operate the steering system in addition to the brakes to help correct a skid. Additionally, options previously limited to the V8 model (such as HID headlamps and heads-up display) are now available with the V6. The 2008 Cadillac STS debuted at the 2007 New York Auto Show.

Future

Cadillac has confirmed that it will be discontinuing the STS and the larger DTS sedan for the 2010 model year. They will be replaced with one performance sedan.

This continues a recent trend at GM that started in the late 1990's to consolidate redundant models such as the Oldsmobile Achieva and Oldsmobile Cutlass being replaced by the Oldsmobile Alero, the Pontiac Grand Prix and Pontiac GTO (and to a lesser extent, the Bonneville) being replaced by the Pontiac G8, the Chevrolet TrailBlazer and Chevrolet Uplander being replaced by the Chevrolet Traverse, the Buick Century and Buick Regal both being replaced by the Buick LaCrosse, the Buick LeSabre & Buick Park Avenue being replaced by the Buick Lucerne, the Buick Rendezvous, Buick Terraza and Buick Rainier being replaced by the Buick Enclave, and the upcoming replacement of the Pontiac Torrent and GMC Envoy with the GMC Terrain.