Cadillac CTS-V: UK RHD models coming

Cadillac CTS-V coming in RHD

The Cadillac CTS-V – we assume in Coupe, Saloon and Estate versions – is being prepared for launch in the UK in right hand drive.

One of the good things to come out of General Motors’ financial woes of a few years ago – apart from producing smaller world cars – has been the arrival of the Cadillac CTS-V.

The Cadillac CTS-V may not be the biggest seller Cadillac are ever going to produce, but as a halo car to demonstrate just how good Cadillac can be, it’s pretty much unbeatable. With a 6.2 litre V8 delivering 556bhp, the CTS-V can blast to 60mph in under 4 seconds and plough on to an unrestricted 191mph (or 175mph if you choose the auto ‘box – which you should). And now the Cadillac CTS-V is coming to the UK in RHD.

For around £60k you’re going to be able to buy a CTS-V that will show a clean pair of heels – certainly in a straight line – to the best of the current crop of super-powerful executive cars – including the M5, E63 AMG, RS6 and XKR. It’s even good round the bends, although the Germans – and maybe even the Jaguar XFR – will have its measure on the twisty stuff.

But with a price point a good 10-15 per cent below the competition – and the joy of proper Estate and Coupe versions too – the Cadillac CTS-V will be a properly credible – if a little left-field – option for buyers in this league.

And it looks like GM are serious about the future of their cars in a world market (around a third of the world drives on the left) with the new Cadillac ATS, a 3-Series rival, planned for a world market and available in RHD too. GM’s Marketing boss, Joel Ewanick, told Autocar:

We’re geared up for right-hand drive now – we’re working on it.
There wasn’t a commitment to the product before and we didn’t design cars to the market demands. The Germans do this very well. There is now a full resource commitment and a vision to get this right. Bankruptcy refocused GM.

Which, with cars like the new ATS and the CTS-V, should make the Germans – and Jaguar – a little nervous.