Cadillac’s core luxury sedans, the compact ATS and the mid-size CTS, are struggling to make sales inroads on the German competition. To aid in that, the 2017 CTS is receiving some trim-level updates similar to those visited upon the smaller ATS, along with a mild visual refresh. And when we say “mild,” we might even be overstating it: The only noticeable change up front is an additional horizontal chrome bar for the grille; at the rear are reshaped exhaust outlets.
The more significant changes are to the 2017 CTS sedan’s trim-level structure, which is more logically arranged and includes fewer models than before. The base CTS, which starts at $46,990 ($435 higher than before), comes only with the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder and doesn’t offer a whole lot in terms of luxury equipment.
The CTS Luxury, starting at $52,690, also comes standard with the 2.0T engine. But it allows buyers to step up to the 3.6-liter V-6, for an extra $2000. The Luxury also adds luxury essentials such as leather seats, a sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats, along with several active-safety features including blind-spot warning, lane-keep assist, and forward-collision warning.
One step up is the CTS Premium Luxury, which comes standard with the 3.6-liter engine as well as features including adaptive dampers, rain-sensing wipers, and park assist, for its starting price of $60,190. In all models, either engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission...