Thursday, December 29, 2011

Luxury SUV no longer a pushover for push-away or towing thieves

DETROIT – Just underneath the surface of the 2012 Cadillac Escalade are new security enhancements developed to combat thieves who have pushed and towed the segment-leading luxury SUV to the top of annual most-stolen vehicle lists. 

The Escalade is already well-protected against typical drive-away grand theft auto through existing security features and standard OnStar security technology.

“The goal is to make the Escalade a very difficult target for thieves without any added inconvenience for customers,” said Bill Biondo, General Motors’ global leader for vehicle theft prevention. “The new systems work in the background and few people realize they are there, but they are strong added protections.”

The 2012 security enhancements:

  • PASS Key 3+, a sophisticated encryption system for the key, key cylinder and ignition system (Deters: Drive-away thefts)
  • A more-robust steering column-lock system that makes it nearly impossible to maneuver the Escalade onto a flatbed. (Deters: “push-away” thefts)
  • An available inclination sensor that sets off an alarm when the system senses an unwarranted change of the angle of the vehicle, such as would occur with towing, flat-bedding or lifting the vehicle. (Deters: towing, push-away, and wheel thefts)
  • An available shock sensor intended to reduce content theft and push-away theft by sounding the alarm when the vehicle is “shocked,” such as by breaking window glass. (Deters: Property theft)
  • An available new wheel lock system to help prevent the theft of Escalade’s wheels and tires.

OnStar provides standard additional security with a remote ignition lock that can prevent the vehicle from starting if a break-in is detected. If a vehicle is stolen, OnStar can also provide vehicle location and remotely slow the vehicle down to assist law enforcement in vehicle recovery.

“Combined, these technologies comprise one of the most-extensive sets of theft-deterrent measures available for this type of vehicle and meet or exceed security specifications among global vehicle security analysts,” Biondo said.

The new inclination sensors will make it more difficult to push or tow an Escalade undetected. Undetected thefts and break-ins will also be more difficult with the added shock sensors and locking devices.

“These types of innovative theft prevention technologies are a significant step in helping to reduce vehicle thefts,” said Joe Wehrle, president and CEO of the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Cadillac and Biondo continually work with U.S. law enforcement agencies to help educate police agencies on the various GM theft prevention systems and to learn the latest tactics used by auto thieves.

“We listen and analyze real-world security information from law enforcement so we can continue to develop effective theft deterrent solutions for our customers,” said Biondo.

Protecting Yourself Against Grand Theft Auto

Security technologies are an important part of the chess game between law enforcement and car thieves, but drivers are the primary defense against break-ins and thefts. To better keep you and your vehicle secure:

  • Do not leave valuables unattended in unlocked cars, or in plain sight
  • Park vehicles in well-lit areas or inside locked garages
  • Don’t leave cars running with the keys in the ignition.
  • Do not defeat the ignition/key cylinder immobilizers with aftermarket remote- start systems
  • Always lock your vehicle with the key fob, which also sets the alarm system
  • Use wheel locks with premium wheels
  • Do not leave driver’s license, registration or insurance certificate in your car
  • Purchase a vehicle with OnStar or the aftermarket OnStar FMV mirror, which will enable your vehicle to be tracked if stolen.

Cad

Courtesy of media.gm.com

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Cadillac ATS Travels to Nürburgring’s North Loop

DETROIT – The Cadillac ATS engineering team traveled to the world famous Nürburgring in Germany to give the cars an opportunity to perform in a strenuous, yet predictable environment. There, on the Nordschleife, or “North Loop,” the next chapter in the Cadillac ATS video series continues.

At this world-class road course, the team can fine-tune the ATS calibrations for the new 270 horsepower 2.0L turbo four-cylinder and 3.6L V-6 engines, along with the second- generation Cadillac Magnetic Ride Control suspension.

 “No other facility in the world is like this. You can accomplish more here in one lap around the ring than you can on dozens of tracks in the U.S.,” said Dave Mikels, energy and powertrain integration engineer. Mikels and his colleagues on the ATS team are Nürburgring-certified performance test drivers.

“There are places where you’re airborne, and then there are valleys where you’re in full compression. There are off-camber, on-camber turns. There’s no other place in the world where you can test for all of that, except here.”

Cadillac monitors every aspect of the cars and can transmit that data back to calibration teams back in Michigan, who can then upload new algorithms to calibrate shock stiffness and engine dynamics to continually shave seconds off of lap times.

Additional details on the ATS will be announced at the 2012 North American International Auto Show. The ATS, which will be revealed on Jan. 8, will be built at the Lansing (Mich.) Grand River plant alongside the Cadillac CTS Sedan, Coupe and Sport Wagon and V-Series performance cars.

Cad

media.gm.com

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Performance elements from V-series offered for standard models from $2,065

DETROIT – Cadillac is offering some of the performance elements of its V-series product line on standard 2012 CTS models through the new Touring Package Sedan, Coupe and Wagon starting at $2,065.

The new CTS Touring Packages include such luxury features as Recaro seats, microfiber suede inserts on the seats and steering wheel, high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps, a performance-tuned suspension, a V-series aerodynamic spoiler and performance wheel packages.

“One of the best aspects of high-performance machines like the V-Series is that they bring new elements into the brand that enrich the rest of the breed,” said Cadillac Vice President of Marketing Don Butler. “The new Touring Packages give CTS buyers access to some desirable V-Series elements, in a more-approachable format.”

CTS Sedan and Sport Wagon come with either a 3.0L or optional 3.6L engine, both Direct Injection V-6 units, while CTS Coupe comes standard with the 3.6L engine. Each engine now will have its own Touring Package available:

The 3.0L V-6 touring package option retails at $2,065 and includes 18-inch pearl nickel finish wheels; dual exhaust; dark finish grille; HID headlamps and fog lamps; V-Series aerodynamic center high mounted stop lamp (except Sport Wagon); suede seat inserts, steering wheel and shifter; midnight Sapele wood trim and metal pedals. 

The 3.6L V-6 Touring Package option retails at $2,810 and features Recaro performance seating, suede-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, midnight Sapele wood trim and metal pedals. The 3.6L Touring Package also gets a dark finish grille, V-Series aerodynamic center high mounted stop lamp (except Sport Wagon) and the 19-inch polished wheels with either summer tire performance package or all season tire package.

With 318 horsepower from the 3.6L direct injection V-6 engine, the CTS accelerates from 0-60 in 6.3 seconds, and comes with optional all-wheel-drive and FE3 performance suspension designed for agile cornering and braking. Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters for the electronically controlled 6-speed automatic transmission are also included in the FE3 performance package.

Other new CTS features for 2012 include standard Bluetooth connectivity, optional RainSense Wipers and Side Blind Zone Alert (Coupe) along with new colors: Opulent Blue Metallic; Black Diamond Tri-Coat and Mocha Steel Metallic.

Suggested retail prices including destination charges for the 2012 models start at $36,790 for the CTS Sedan, $39,590 for the CTS Coupe and $39,890 for the CTS Sport Wagon

Cadillac

Courtesy of media.gm.com