The Award-Winning 2008 Cadillac CTS arrives at Aljomaih Automotive Company showrooms

he CTS was the star during a launch event for 2008 models of Cadillac and Saab vehicles, held at their Premium Brands' showroom on the King's Road in Jeddah.

"The new CTS achieves both the serious performance of a sports sedan and the sophisticated poise of a luxury sedan - breaking down the traditional compromise between spirited driving and luxury motoring. The 2008 CTS is even more desirable to luxury sport sedan buyers,"

says John Moran, Sales Director for General Motors Middle East Operations.

The 2008 Cadillac CTS embodies a contemporary revival of two of the brand's great traditions: innovative technology and precise craftsmanship, and since its launch, it has been acclaimed by critics worldwide. The CTS recently received the 2008 Motor Trend Car of the Year award, one of the world's most coveted automotive awards.

The CTS has an athletic form that reflects a combination of luxury and sport. Sculpted fenders emphasize the car's wide track and enhanced chassis dynamics. The front fenders feature side air extractors that recall a styling element from Cadillac's Sixteen concept that also appear on the STS and Escalade. This CTS has a "faster", coupe-like profile, owing to both its increased performance potential and more evolved styling theme. The optional Ultra View sunroof covers more than 70 percent of the roof, giving both front- and rear-seat passengers a sky view.

Aiming for the highest levels of quietness and appearance, Cadillac engineers lavished attention on sights and sounds of the body construction. An innovative laser brazing technique affixes the roof panels more cleanly. The windshield glass is free from visible rubber seals and joints, and the hood and door panels have improved sealing for added noise control

The cabin has been revisited and represents a different, new design theme for Cadillac interiors. Emphasis has been paid in technical precision with elegant, hand-crafted details, precise tailoring and luxurious character. The upper instrument panel and door trim surfaces are hand-cut, sewn and wrapped by expert craftsmen. The dashboard and central console are new with user-friendly instrumentation and intelligently placed controls. Trims now include wood, aluminium and carbon fibre options. The car also uses the latest in LED technology for interior illumination.

The car is powered by a normally-aspirated 3.6-litre V6 with either port or direct injection. With port injection output is 278 hp comes at 6,400rpm and net torque of 360 N-m is available at 3,100rpm. Direct injection enhances the engine's output by 15 percent to 323hp at 6600rpm, while torque goes up by 8 percent to 379 N-m of torque at 5200 rpm. Cold-start hydrocarbon emissions have been reduced by 25 percent. A new Hydra-Matic 6L50 six-speed automatic gearbox a first for the model and for the first time customers can choose from rear or all-wheel drive options.

A smaller 2.8-litre engine is also available that produces 234hp at 6,600rpm and 270 N-m of torque at 3,100rpm. Meanwhile, the suspension, braking and the ZF steering system feature extensive changes to increase responsiveness, premium "feel" and performance. Three suspension settings designated FE1 (base), FE2 (stiffer) and FE3 (track ready) will be offered to customers.

The infotainment package of the CTS includes advanced systems such as a telescoping touch-screen, a 40-gigabyte hard drive, USB and auxiliary audio connectivity, navigation and an unprecedented level of iPod integration into a car, including power charging for an iPod and capability to record tracks from CDs.

The navigation system in the CTS takes advantage of the latest developments in the GPS industry to create a faster, more informative and better looking total package.

These features of the navigation system can be accessed via simple push-button controls, touch-screen controls and enhanced voice activation. Drivers can use traditional voice commands, or take advantage of a new series of "voice tags," which are shorter, simpler voice commands.

The navigation screen in the CTS is telescoping, enabling it to rise or retract into the instrument panel. When retracted, a small portion of the screen remains visible, showing alphanumeric data in the manner of a traditional radio display. The retractable touch-screen is an eight-inch full VGA display, with 800 x 480 pixel resolution and a large 104 x 174 mm viewable area. The screen even has anti-pinch technology, preventing it from pinching objects in its path as it closes.