2014 Cadillac CTS

CTS at NYIAS

  When I heard that the new Cadillac CTS would be shown at the 2013 New York International Auto Show I was very excited. But also a little scared. In the days preceding my visit to the show, I prayed that the Cadillac designers hadn't messed up one of my favorites-- I have three posters of the second generation CTS on my wall.
    Unfortunately, when I finally reached the Cadillac stand, I was disappointed.
     Its not that the new CTS is an ugly car. In fact it is quite stylish. But the previous incarnation had a unique--almost boxy, with hard edges yet still remarkably sleek--look, while the new version, with the angles toned down, lacks that powerful and luxurious vibe.

CTS at NYIAS

     The new CTS does take some strides forward. The headlights  retain the original vertical shape but they are more detailed, keeping in line with the Cadillac design language shown in the headlights of the XTS and ATS. I also love how the running light, while separate still follows the line made by the LED strip in the headlight. Another area where Cadillac succeeds was in the character lines, which remain strong and muscular. I particularly like the way the crease that stretches from the front side vents to the taillights separated the headlights from the grille, giving the hood its own distinctive shape.

CTS at NYIAS

Now let's focus on what went wrong. Starting at the front, the grille and other front vents have had the edges smoothed out, and have lost the subtle jagged look that made me fall in love with the previous CTS. Another huge problem is in the rear: the taillights are too smooth and remind me to much of the XTS's taillights, which led me to think the designer had become lazy and just cut and pasted the XTS taillights on.
Another thing that has gone awry is the brake light. On the previous generation, the V-shaped brake light acted as a spoiler while fitting in with the angular design of the car. Now the brake light has lost most of the V and is a lot less radical looking.

The previous generation Cadillac CTS coupe

      If somebody offered me a Cadillac CTS I'd still accept it, but I hope that Cadillac is able to find its way again in the next update to the CTS.


Grade
Front:A-
Back: C+
Overall: B+
 

Subaru WRX Concept

WRX at NYIAS

      When I reached the Subaru section, I ran past the boring family cars for which they're known, the Outbacks and Foresters. I even skipped the sportier BRZ to get a look at the WRX concept. This car exudes excitement, from the aggressive headlights to the glowing exhaust tips. The headlight shape is very unorthodox, as an "eyebrow" extends beyond the bulb itself towards the grille, where it features "eyelashes" dropping down below the inner section of the "eyebrow." I particularly like the way Subaru experimented spatially, as the main rectangular bulb is set back deep in the car, and is outlined by emerging rectangular halos. 

WRX at NYIAS

       The hexagonal grille juts out in front of the angular headlights, and has a light-up neon green "WRX" badge on the lower right corner. The concept's lower front fascia is dominated by large attractive air vents, which lends to the sedan's sporty vibe. Below the headlights are equally futuristic fog lamps, which have backwards L-shape pieces accented by three vertical lights, which enhances the glowing effect of the front fascia. 

      The body features many strong character lines, which reinforce the vehicle's athletic nature. On the hood, the air intake is flanked by to converging creases, and a deep "canyon" extends from the intake to the front of the car. A sharp line goes from the headlights over the wheel arch and into the vent behind the wheel, where it then sweeps back to the taillights, create the sedan's coupe-like profile. This crease makes the car feel as if it is traveling through the air extremely fast, giving the sense of motion even when it's at rest, which unfortunately it will be forever, as it is purely a design study. 

WRX at NYIAS

WRX at NYIAS

       The vent, which sits behind the large silver twin-five-spoke wheels (accented by highlighter green brake discs) is a basic but necessary opening that allows for cooling for the brakes. Around back are the WRX's backwards C-shaped taillights, which protrude from the much narrower upper rear end. The taillights stand out because of the differently shaped crystals inside, which glowed and reminded me of lava. Beneath them are the exhaust tips, which have one last unique detail--a ring of bright green light around the edge.

      Hopefully Subaru will take as many of these awesome details into production as they can when the next-generation WRX model comes out in the next couple of years.

Grade

Front: A

Back: A

Overall: A

The following few posts are from the New York International Auto Show this past April at the Javits Center in Manhattan.