2009 Cadillac STS news, pictures, and information

2009 CADILLAC STS & STS-V

Substantially enhanced and restyled for 2008, the 2009 Cadillac STS luxury performance sedan continues to offer premium levels of technology, craftsmanship and performance.

The advanced features include a standard, 302-horsepower 3.6L V-6 engine wîth direct injection technology that produces excellent power while reducing emissions and maintaining fuel economy.

'The STS is a showcase of Cadillac's design, technology and performance,' said Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager.

The 2009 Cadillac STS is available in V-6 and V-8 rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models. The ultra-luxury STS Platinum Edtion returns for 2009, along wîth the STS-V. Part of Cadillac's acclaimed V-Series, the STS-V represents the full extent of the car's luxury and performance including a supercharged, 469-horsepower (349 kW) Northstar V-8 engine.

The STS Platinum delivers distinctive luxury nuances, such as 18-inch wheels, leather-wrapped interior, an Alcantara ™ headliner and exclusive Platinum badging.

Bold styling

Enhanced last year, the STS expresses the bold design flair that has become a Cadillac signature. Úp front, the dual-textured, multi-faceted grille reflects the styling seen on the Escalade and CTS. High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps and the Intellibeam automatic high-beam system are available.

The lower front fascia features a distinctive intake and grille pattern evoking Cadillac's V-Series high-performance models. Similarly, side air extractors, again inspired by the Sixteen concept and Escalade, are now incorporated into the front fenders of STS. New chrome-plated door handles and lower rocker moldings are added for more presence and refinement.

At the rear, the new fascia is now body color and is highlighted wîth polished aluminum three-inch exhaust tips. New, polished 18-inch x 8-inch aluminum 14-spoke wheels are available.

Interior appointments

Inside, STS' luxurious interior includes a §teering wheel wîth available genuine Sapele wood trim. Sapele is an exotic wood more commonly used in fine furniture and musical instruments. A heated §teering wheel also is available. The center stack of the instrument panel is revised wîth the addition of wood trim that has new metallic surroundings.

Additional available features for the V-6-equipped STS include a reconfigurable head-up display. The head-up display projects key driving information (such as speedometer ratings) onto the windshield, enabling drivers to keep their eyes on the road.

Other technological appointments are plentiful, purposeful and driver oriented, including a Keyless Access system; Adaptive Remote Start system (not available in Europe or Russia); Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC); heated and ventilated seats and heated §teering wheel.

An available infotainment system includes one of the 's first OEM-installed surround-sound audio systems. The cabin is immersed wîth 15 Bose speakers. The 5.1 Bose system also has an integrated six-disc CD/DVD changer and plays formats including DVD-A, CD and MP3. It includes an eight-inch full VGA-quality touch screen and advanced navigation. (posted on conceptcarz.com) In addition, the system has Bluetooth phone capability, advanced voice recognition and OnStar.

STS models feature OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation. It allows consumers to talk to a live advisor, who in turn sends complete step-by-step directions to customers' vehicles through their OnStar system. These audio directions automatically play through the vehicle's stereo as needed, triggered by the OnStar system's GPS capabilities. This enables drivers to be led to their destination while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. New for 2009 is eNav that works wîth Turn-by-Turn navigation to deliver MapQuest directions directly from OnStar.

Direct injection 3.6L V-6

The STS' standard 3.6L V-6 engine uses direct injection technology. It is an advanced system for more precise and productive fuel delivery, enabling greater power and fuel efficiency than a comparable, non-direct injected engine, while also delivering a 25-percent reduction in cold-start hydrocarbon emissions

The direct injected 3.6L engine is rated at 302 horsepower (225 kW)* at 6,300 rpm; torque is 272 lb.-ft. (366 Nm)* at 5,200 rpm. It is GM's third engine variant offered wîth direct injection technology. With direct injection technology, fuel is sprayed directly into the engine cylinder where it is mixed wîth air. As the fuel vaporizes in the cylinder, the air and fuel mixture is cooled. This enables the use of a higher compression ratio in the combustion chamber, 11.3:1, which improves engine performance and efficiency.

Direct injection requires higher fuel pressure than conventional fuel-injected engines, and the engine-driven high-pressure fuel pump is used to supply up to 1,740 psi (120 bar) of pressure. The system regulates lower fuel pressure at idle – approximately 508 psi (35 bar) and higher pressure at wide-open throttle. The exhaust cam-driven high-pressure pump works in conjunction wîth a conventional fuel tank-mounted supply pump.

Four-cam phasing

In addition to direct injection, variable valve timing also helps reduce exhaust emissions and improve performance and fuel economy by optimizing the phasing of the intake and exhaust valves relative to the crankshaft position at all operating conditions. The result is linear delivery of torque, wîth near-peak levels over a broad rpm range, and high specific output (maximum horsepower per liter of displacement) without sacrificing overall engine response and driveability.

Cam phasing pays big dividends in reducing exhaust emissions by optimizing exhaust valve overlap and eliminating the need for a separate exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system.

By closing the exhaust valves late at appropriate times, the cam phasers allow the engine to draw the desired amount of exhaust gas back into the combustion chamber, reducing unburned hydrocarbon emissions. The return of exhaust gases also decreases peak temperatures, which contributes to the reduction of oxides of nitrogen (NO x) emissions. In tandem wîth the dramatic 25-percent reduction in cold-start hydrocarbon emissions enabled by direct injection, the 3.6-liter VVT DI V-6 surpasses all emissions mandates, and does so without complex, weight-increasing emissions control systems such as EGR and air injection reaction (AIR).

4.6L Northstar V-8 and transmission details

	Vital Stats
Engine : 3.6 L., 6-cylinder Power: 304 hp Torque: 273 ft-lbs Engine : 4.6 L., 8-cylinder Power: 320 hp Torque: 315 ft-lbs Engine : 4.4 L., 8-cylinder Power: 469 hp Torque: 439 ft-lbs
6-speed Automatic, 6-speed Automatic

In addition to the direct injected V-6, STS is available wîth the powerful 4.6L Northstar V-8, which delivers 320 horsepower (239 kW)* and 315 lb.-ft. (427 Nm)* of torque. It, too, features variable valve timing (VVT) for precise fuel management and exceptional power at all rpm levels.

Coupled to the new 3.6L V-6 engine or the 4.6L Northstar V-8 is GM Hydra-Matic's fuel-saving 6L50 six-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission. (posted on conceptcarz.com) It has a 6.04:1 overall ratio that enables a steep first-gear that helps deliver strong launch acceleration.

Active §teering technology

STS' StabiliTrak electronic stability control system includes the option of active §teering technology. In addition to controlling brakes and reducing engine power, this latest iteration of StabiliTrak combines active front §teering to turn the front wheels into the skid when rear wheels lose traction.

The system includes a new §teering motor assembly combined wîth computer-driven electronic controls that measure wheel slippage at all four wheels independently during acceleration, braking and adverse road conditions. Active §teering is available exclusively on all-wheel-drive 4.6L Northstar V-8 models.

Lane Departure Warning System