Cadillac XTS: Lord Vader, Your Cool Uncle's Luxury Sedan Has Arrived

With the 2013 Cadillac XTS, the General's luxury brand finally has a full-size sedan that fits in with its CTS-led future. Not only does it share the CTS' nouveau Art & Science exterior design language, but they manage to take things even further once you step inside. The XTS looks like it has the highest-quality interior of any car General Motors has ever built.

And we don't just mean it's got leather and chrome. No, we mean this sedan looks seriously plush — and filled with the same type of toys that you expect from the segment — especially one that now has to fill the role of being the most-spacious sedan in the Caddy lineup.

For starters, on a tech level, we've already shown you Cadillac CUE (Cadillac User Experience) and its awesome eight-inch center stack screen. But wrapped around the CUE system is an amazing-looking interior with the XTS Platinum trim level providing, as GM PR says

"the fullest expression of Cadillac's multidimensional philosophy, with features that include a chrome/satin-chrome grille finish, polished 20-inch aluminum wheels with chrome inserts, a fully wrapped leather interior with Alcantara headliner and more."

As you can see by the press images, it works. Very well.

But it's also got some technology under the passenger cabin. As a standard, the XTS gets the same fast-reacting Magnetic Ride Control suspension system found in the Cadillac CTS-V. While you can't connect your iPhone to it, it's certainly a level of sophistication we aren't used to finding in the full-size luxury sedan segment.

But that's the only thing close to -V you're gonna be able to get in the XTS. As Cadillac said back at the Detroit Auto Show last year, they'll be offering either a Platinum trim or a -V trim for every vehicle in the brand lineup. This big beefcake? Platinum only, baby.

Instead, as expected, the new XTS features the-becoming-standard 3.6-liter direct-inject V6 engine, in this application being coupled to an all-wheel-drive system that we think is likely the Haldex system that if we remember correctly, can be found on its Saab platform mate.

More to come from us when we see the sub-flagship-size sedan in person tomorrow — but for the moment, enjoy the photos.