As the final part of an expanding lineup for Cadillac's entry-level luxury car, the CTS Coupe arrives the spring of 2011. Powering the two-door 2011 CTS Coupe is the upgraded 304-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 found in the CTS sedan. Rear-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission are standard. A six-speed automatic is optional, as is all-wheel drive. An even more powerful version, the supercharged CTS-V, is also set to debut for 2011.
The coupe rides on the same wheelbase as the CTS sedan, but its body measures nearly 2 inches lower and 2 inches shorter than the sedan's. Of course, the main difference for the coupe model is its more dramatic styling, highlighted by its long, nearly horizontal rear window and trunk lid. The suspension has been tuned to improve handling, and an upgraded suspension package with 19-inch wheels and summer tires is available.
The interior is largely carryover from the sedan, though the rear seat is for two passengers only and is down on headroom. Standard or optional interior features include 14-way-adjustable Recaro sport seats, a surround-sound audio system with a 40-gig hard drive that allows users to pause and replay live radio, a navigation system and a back-up camera.
We've yet to fully test the new 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe, but in our initial drive we found that the coupe does indeed drive with a more sporting flair. Its styling is certainly polarizing, though most of our staff has found it to their liking. Unfortunately, some of the CTS' regular downsides are also present, including poor rearward visibility and a ride quality that might be too rough for some people. Check back later for a full review with additional driving impressions and buying advice.
