2012 Cadillac CTS Sedan

That which is great can still be improved upon, and so it is with the 2012 Cadillac CTS, which gets 14 additional horsepower from its top-spec V-6 and some small styling and equipment changes.
The revised direct-injection 3.6-liter V-6 now puts out 318 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque, thanks mostly to intake changes, including larger valves, revised ports, and a tweaked camshaft that keeps the intake valves open longer. (The same engine makes 323 hp in the updated 2012 Chevrolet Camaro.) Compared to last year�s 3.6-liter V-6, this year�s iteration is nearly 21 pounds lighter; 13 pounds were saved by integrating the heads and exhaust manifolds, 2 pounds from a lighter-weight front accessory-drive cover and new connecting rods, and 5.5 came out from using a plastic intake manifold in place of last year�s aluminum piece. The base 270-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 carries over unchanged, and can still be mated to both a six-speed automatic and six-speed manual. The manual is no longer available with the 3.6-liter, however.
The 2012 CTS�s standard-equipment list sees Bluetooth added to all models and a blind-spot monitoring system to the coupe (good thing, because the two-door�s rakish roofline and wide C-pillars make for huge blind spots). A new Touring package is available with either engine and with any body style, and adds a dark-finish grille, metal pedal covers, dark wood trim, and V-style suede stuff covering the steering wheel, shift knob, and seat inserts. Polished 19-inch wheels and Recaro seats�disliked by most of us for feeling overstuffed and for rocking back and forth under braking and acceleration�come with 3.6-liter Touring models, while 3.0-liter examples get pearl-nickel-finished 18s and the regular seats, albeit now sueded. Sedan and wagon buyers who spec the pack get an extra-special bonus: chrome exterior door handles.
The line-wide cosmetic changes are less extensive. The grille sees new finishes and a revised Caddy wreath with �sharper colors,� and its mesh insert is flusher with the frame. That�s it.
The 2012 CTS sedan, coupe, and wagon go on sale at the end of this summer. View Photo Gallery