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Back-seat review: China Cadillac SLS

3K views 5 replies 6 participants last post by  Sal Collaziano 
#1 ·
A great privilege was afforded to me today as I got the chance to ride in the back of a white Cadillac SLS for about 1/2 hour through suburban Shanghai streets. Here are my impressions.

Interior: as is fitting for the Cadillac customer in China, the emphasis is on spoiling the rear seat passenger. And it's a stunner. The detailing is meticulous, with gorgeous double-stitched leather everywhere and soft indirect LED lighting that highlights glossy real wood trim. The Cadillac V-theme is carried consistently throughout the interior, even in small little details like the ashtray latches.

In addition to the now-typical headrest DVD screens and rear compartment temperature controls, there are thoughtful little touches like flip down lighted vanity mirrors and side window sunshades (even for the little triangular one behind the main window). We didn't get to try it, but an impressive-looking Bose subwoofer sits in the center console and surround speakers built into the front seatbacks promise a great entertainment experience. The piece de resistance, however, is the 60/40 split reclining rear seat. Power-operated, the seatbacks recline back and the seat cushions slide forward to allow you a restful semi-prone position perfect for napping, and yes, the seats are exceedingly comfortable. I believe they have a massage feature but I didn't get to try it.

Ride: we drove through mostly smooth roads on lightly trafficked suburban streets. Not exactly a demanding test but I can report that the ride and noise levels are suitably tranquil, as befits a car of this stature. Our car had the Northstar 4.6L V8, and it never felt strained.

There were only a few things worth nit-picking on this car. Rear seat headroom on this car felt a bit tight (I'm just over 5'11" and this car had a power moonroof), but you could solve that easily by reclining the seats. The plastic tabs that you grab to lift the side window shades up seemed a bit out of place amid all of the rich leather door trim. The nav screen in the dash showed a huge script "Cadillac" when it was not in use-it was overwhelming and took your attention away from the beautifully redesigned center stack with its tight fits and rich wood trim.

So it looks like GM spared no expense in making the SLS the "Cadillac" of upper end luxury cars. Although dynamically it may not comparable to a 7-series or S-class, for China's chauffeur-driven executives on their way to a business meeting or night on the town, it's a exceptionally luxurious, prestigious ride.
 
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#3 ·
Thanks for the review, man! I really hope the 2008 STS gets the same interior improvements that the Chinese SLS got. The extra length probably wouldn't hurt the car, either, so it's a little more differentiated from the CTS (especially since that model will be growing for 2008).

I'd love to check one of these out for myself sometime - hopefully in the US though. ;)
 
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