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Cadillac CTS puts some sport into wagon segment BY JEM ROBINSON METROLAND NEWSPAPERS CARGUIDE MAGAZINE Cadillac is now one of only four brands offered by the New General Motors and like Chevrolet Buick and GMC the future of the company depends on them I will miss Punriac Saab and Sat urn but wont miss many of their products like my least favorite car the Saturn L200 wagon Through the difficult years one standout was the Cadillac CTS Debuting in 2002 it was one of GMs first return to rear- wheeldrive vehi cles It was an attempt to go after younger more affluent buyers and followed two failed earlier attempts with the Allante and Catera Originally offered as a sedan with various options and trim levels the CTS was warmly received and has won a number of awards since The breakaway styling by Wayne Cherry with razorback lines big for ward sloping grille and signature upright head and taillights set the very much apart from what GM was offering back in For 2010 the CTS is no longer limited to just a sedan but Is also now available as a coupe and as tested a wagon In addition there is a hubris spitting 556 CTSV but thats another story Instead of one engine there are now two in the form of a 30litre producing and lb ft of torque As tested here the other is a 36litre DOHC V6 produc ing 304 and 273 lbft of torque FYl the CTSV comes with a 62- litre supercharged V8 with the afore mentioned 556 hp and 551 lbft of torque Standard transmission is a six- speed automatic The CTS is avail able in rear- and allwheeldrive as distinct models instead of AWD being an option In the case of this weeks test vehi cle it is the CTS Sports Wagon 36- litre AWD with base price of and with all options includ ing a shipping fee In this as tested drivetrain configuration estimated fuel con sumption is 1171100 km city and km highway with a cruising range of 570 km the Sport Wagon was debuted last year and really stood out with its Please tee page W6 wheels Theres still a lot of life left in Detroit Arguably the star of this weeks North American International Auto Show in Detroit concept the firstever car from GMs traditional truck division the Granite While they are no longer known as the Big Three the renamed Domestic Three came to this years North American International Auto Show in Detroit loaded with new life and new products General Motors alone featured four concepts and four new mod els including the Cadillac Platinum concept and arguably the star of this years show the GMC Granite concept If brought to market the Gran ite would be the smallest GMC ever but has been optimized to feel much larger Its length is a full 2 feet shorter than the new Terrain compact crossover but its open interior was designed to be spacious and flexible Generous cargo space and unique flipping folding seats for example enable a mountain bike to be loaded completely inside with the tailgate closed Up front GMC signature grille design is flanked by headlamps that sweep back into the fenders further suggesting motion The Cadillac Platinum Concept was designed from the Jim Robinson Carguide Magazine Newspapers inside out reimagining the luxu ry sedan as a personal headquar ters built for efficiency luxury and connectivity GM officials smiled broadly but would not confirm the production version of the will be built in Oshawa The concept introduces a new approach to incar electronics that improves the form and function of the cars entertainment naviga tion and information systems The interior takes inspiration from nature specifically the intri cate layers of petals that combine to form an orchid Cadillac design ers translated that into a layered and detailed interior Ford announced production of the next generation Focus will begin simultaneously in Europe and North America in late 2010 with individual market launches starting early in The new Focus will be one of up to 10 unique models to be built from Fords new Ccar platform which is expected to generate total sales in all regions of two million units annually by The first of these will be the new Ford and Ford Grand with the latter coming to Canada probably by 201 There was much needed good news for Chrysler too with new owner Fiat confirming the malea production plant is being looked at as a site to build Alfa for North America Also shown for the first time by the Detroit Three were With Canadas love of small Please see UNIQUE page WW Street Aurora Fouryiinder Grand offers no compromises on content MEDIA GROUP Suzuki may be a smaller player in the automotive marketplace but It Its name on SUVs which were compact rugged and offering solid value to consumers For those of you unfamiliar with the Grand Vitara it has been around for more than a decade replacing Suzukis Sidekick sport cute with a more grown up vehicle It also intro duced the first V6 albeit a small one into the compact SUV segment The current third generation Grand bowed in August 2005 as a model It was upgraded in 2009 wtth two new powerplants a litre four cylinder that offers and lbft of torque and a litre V6 that delivers hp and 213 lbft of torque These replace the former standard engine a 27 litre V6 rated at 185 and lbft of torque The Grand Vitara is avail able in three fourcylinder and in two V6 models all with fulltime fourmode as standard The starts at the JLX at and the JLXL with feather at The V6 starts at and the at All fourcylinder models get a fourspeed automatic the V6s get a fivespeed auto My tester for the week was the i with leather offering everything found on the loaded V6 version except for Hill Hold Control and Hill Descent Control It seemed a good choice for an extended road test as fourcylinder models account for nearly per cent of Grand Vitaras sold in Canada the top trim level is very well equipped so is the base vehicle The gives you standard air conditioning with automatic cli mate control power locks and win dows SmartPass keyless entry and start satelliteready sixspeaker AMFMCDMP3WMA player with steering wheel audio controls and speedsensing volume control heated power mirrors 17inch alloys Please see SUZUKI page Three allwheeldrive Acura vehicles One difficult decision ADVANCE RDX 2010 ly 020 TURBO 2010 MDX I 49 I Yonge SI 9058411400 4103243232