The word ‘Cadillac’ may have French origins, but to most people it’s as American as the White House and Walt Disney.
Case in point: when Mad Men’s Don Draper treats himself to a new car in series two (having been egged on by his incorrigible boss, Roger Sterling) he splashes out on a Cadillac Coupe deVille. Big, brash and with tail fins that look like something from a Thunderbirds space rocket, it’s a preposterous vehicle that was typical of the kind of boat-length gas-guzzlers that affluent Americans such as Don were driving at the time.
The Cadillac is not just an iconic American marque, it’s a symbol of better days. The days when the Detroit car industry was the envy of the world, Elvis ruled the airwaves and those nasty Commies quivered in their bearskins whenever Eisenhower shook his fist.
Things are different nowadays though. Cadillac has to battle with the likes of BMW and Audi for the suited executive’s dollar, and those drivers with no compunction about guzzling gas are more likely to buy an SUV than a roomy sedan. It’s hard to say who today’s typical Cadillac driver is, and this was going through my mind as I got behind the wheel of the latest CTS.
Together, I thought we’d strike a discordant note. I rarely wear suits to work, and have never been a fan of big American cars. Admire them from afar, yes, but driving them was as appealing as pushing a supermarket trolley around a packed mall.
So the car – a hunk of slightly boxy metal – was delivered to my office in the middle of the day, and there it sat, seething at being abandoned. Come 6pm, it was time to drive it home, but as I approached my building, instead of turning into the car park, like I do every day, I didn’t. Something compelled me to keep on going, and I found myself heading for the Al Ain Road, where I was able to let this beast off its leash.
The CTS has some serious power, with effortless (albeit noisy) acceleration. For a relatively large car, it’s a swift operator, whether shooting off at the lights or overtaking idiot drivers in the middle lane who slow down abruptly to take a phone call.
Night driving is made safer with an innovative headlamp system that responds to traffic and lighting conditions automatically. It also has Adaptive Forward Lighting, a clever gadget that monitors the car’s speed and steering angle and swivels HID headlamps to focus light into your path.
The finishing on the inside of the doors and dashboard, using some swanky exotic wood, is nicely done and it feels like a luxury car in almost every way.
Some reviewers have remarked on the boot being too small. I can only assume these people are WWE wrestlers whose weekly food shopping comprises hundreds of extra-large frozen turkeys.
The car’s technology gives the Germans a run for their money, with a touchscreen system that senses your hand as it approaches. The screen is iPad-like, responding well to all the standard swipe, pinch and tap gestures, and it also has decent voice-recognition software.
I was genuinely sad to give the Cadillac back, having grown to love that beefy grill, muscular chassis and headlamps that reminded me a little of an inverted Nike swoosh symbol.
It’s very American – unashamedly so – and modern-day Don Drapers, whether they work on Madison Avenue or in Mirdif, should give it a try.
