Inside info on the next Caddies, Escalades and Tahoes (CarzUnlimited)

Inside info on the next Caddies, Escalades and Tahoes

Coming from GM: Cars That Can

Many pundits have questioned whether GM^s (GM ) new-car czar, Vice-Chairman Robert Lutz, who is 73, still has the magic he worked at Chrysler in the 1990s. They needn^t worry too much. GM has been shepherding analysts and the automotive press through its design works for the past two weeks to give them a sneak preview of some of the new cars that are coming between now and 2008. I^ve seen these future cars -- and Lutz still has the touch.

From the next generation of the Cadillac CTS sports sedan to the latest hulking Chevrolet Tahoe and Cadillac Escalade SUVs, GM has unveiled 18 new models for a look-see that are vastly better than anything it^s selling now. GM won^t allow viewers like me to give out many details, but suffice to say that the newcomers look strong.

RIDE IN STYLE. The new Cadillacs are especially stunning. The CTS still has the brash, edgy look of today^s model, but with some cues from the Cadillac Sixteen concept car that was the rage of the auto-show circuit last year.

The new full-size SUVs, due out in early 2006, aren^t very boldly styled, but GM promises a smoother ride and big V-8 engines that get 20 miles per gallon. GM also has a family of crossover SUVs coming starting in 2007. The Buick crossover looks sharp and bears a family resemblance to the Centieme concept from a year ago.

Lutz has been pushing GM to raise the interiors of its cars to the levels of craftsmanship and artistry that Toyota (TM ) and Volkswagen^s Audi division have mastered. Most of the concept cars were decked out with finely stitched seats, richer materials on the dashboards, and high-tech gauges on the instrument panel. I^m betting the confines of GM^s future cars should be competitive with, and in many cases better than, the current competition.

Source: www.autospies.com