A day with Cadillac XTS Platinum concept

If someone asked you to write a review of a restaurant, with the proviso that you were allowed to visit the establishment but you weren't actually permitted to taste the food, chances are you'd probably turn the job down.

But such is the automotive industry that reviews of concept cars are not uncommon, and so for the first time ladies and gentlemen I shall attempt, without the aid of a safety net, to give an accurate assessment of a luxury saloon I have seen, touched, sat in and indeed, discussed with its minder — but not actually driven.

Now there are two types of concept car, those which are ridiculously radical, designed to draw maximum media attention to a manufacturer's exhibition stand because their competitors are launching a really rather good productat the same show, and those which are used to judge Joe Public's reaction to a design which is actually quite likely togo into production.

Given the styling cues taken from the CTS saloon in particular, and the fact that the XTS has been doing the rounds of motor shows the world overfor almost 12 months (Abu Dhabi being the most recent), it's probably safe to assume that, despite official ‘no comments' from Cadillac's PR team, the XTS Platinum will be going into production in a year or two's time.

If and when it does, chances arethat it will have suspension dampers controlled by advanced magnetorheological technology.

It was just a couple of months ago, when I tested the impressive Cadillac CTS-V sports coupé on the mountain hillsides of Lebanon, that I was sold on the idea that constantly variable suspension dampingis a good thing.

Throw the XTS's imaginary weight (whatever that might be) around the Yas Marina circuit and the adaptive dampers will no doubt stiffen up, leading to formidable road holding and handling. Probably.

Then cruise home along Shaikh Zayed Road and the dampers will, like the XTS's driver, relax a little, their toughest work done for the day, ride comfort now being their main concern, with pot holes and ‘road surprises' dealt with in style as is customary with Cadillacs. Even 2013-model Cadillacs — although of course I can't confirm that production date. Officially.

Obviously being a top-of-the-line model — sorry, top of the line concept — the XTS Platinum will feature an all wheel-drive system, ABS, Stabilitrak stability control and full-function traction control. Doubtless these would lead to excellent road manners and driver safety, though of course that would only be important if this one-off concept made it into showrooms.

Naturally the XTS's owner will be in a hurry to get home to his or her executive villa and GM's engineers will have thoughtfully provided said driver with a choice of propulsion systems designed to move them quickly and economically.

For once there's no need to eliminate one or other option because Cadillac has seen the green light and decided that the XTS should be fitted with both a real engine — namely a 350bhp, 400Nm of torque 3.6-litre V6 direct injection petrol unit — and one of those newfangled battery powerplants.

You know, the sort of thing that used to be found only in golf carts and is now going to save the world. So for speed you'll be able to fill up at a petrol station, and for convenience you'll be able to plug your XTS into a normal domestic power socket in your garage and charge the vehicle's batteries overnight.

Using electricity generated by an oil-burning power station. No, I don't understand how that reduces pollution either but don't blame GM for giving the public what they're told they want…

Apart from bigger engines, of course what drivers know they want is a comfortable, well laid out and engaging vehicle interior and since that's something I did actually experience first-hand in the XTS, I'm happy to report that even fora concept, Detroit's design guys havedone a great job.

Settling down into a seat which is stylishly trimmed in a cream-coloured leather-like material (difficult to know if it really was leather in these days of synthetic products), the first thing that confronts you are the XTS's instruments.

Or rather, they would confront you, if there were any. All digital dashboards are of course nothing new, but Cadillac's implementation of a black glass panel behind the steering wheel is particularly elegant, and as the car is fired into life, the dashboard lights up like an iPad celebrating Diwali, ultimately generating images of ‘instruments' which are easy on the eye, clear to read and doubtless safe to use.

The hi-tech theme continues with the centre console and infotainment system, featuring another black display and chromed buttons laid out below in a style which seems to be influenced as much by the Transformers movie as it is by Cadillac's "Art and Science" design philosophy. But whatever the key influence, it's a good look and helps toadd to the XTS's character.

Another nice touch is the tastefully installed polished wood trim on the doors and centre console, a theme which continues with a full length roof-mounted centre panel on which a handful of lighting and rear seat AC controls are found. In the back seats there was little room for a passenger's feet under thefront seat, leading to a rather ‘economy class short haul' leg position, but given, this was (allegedly) a concept car, at least GM has now had my feedback — and that was to suggest that they need more legroom in the back!

Special mention must be made of the perforated pattern the vehicle's interior designers have managed to incorporate on the door trim, seat tops and cleverly sculpted rear headrest feature. It probably has no function other than to visually break up the very large areas of cream-coloured fabric, yet it lends a nice styling touch which adds to the ‘feel good' factor enjoyed by both front and rear passengers.

From the outside, there's no mistaking that this is a Cadillac, not only because of the distinctive sharp-edged styling, including the rear spoiler and brake light design seen on the CTS-V, but because the word ‘Cadillac' appears on the boot, the taillamps, the tops of the headlights, the grille and, in fact, pretty much moulded or bolted on components visible to passing drivers or pedestrians.

Still, it seems to me that in the XTS Platinum, Cadillac has made a stylish, tastefully trimmed premium saloon and if I'm honest, a few years ago the words ‘Cadillac' and ‘tastefully trimmed' were pretty unlikely to appear alongside one another in any article I wrote.

If the economic downfall and subsequent re-birth of GM has led to the blindingly obvious (to others) conclusion that Cadillac needs to compete with European manufacturers if it's going to survive, and if the CTS and XTS are signs of more good things to come, then I'm not surprised they are plastering their name all over their cars.

Apparently they have plenty to shout about; unless of course the XTS Platinum is just a concept, in which case, if anyone from GM asks you about it, just look the other way and deny everything…