In what would, at first blush, appear to be a weird bit of nomenclature inconsistency, Cadillac chose to call the vanilla version of its station wagon the CTS Sport Wagon; while it named the fiery, high-performance version simply the CTS-V Wagon. Apparently Cadillac believes the "V" and "Sport" would be redundant, and they would be correct.
Once as common on our highways as coupes and sedans, station wagons nearly went the way of the Brontosaurus with the introduction of minivans. Although they are offered and driven in greater numbers today than, say, 10 years ago; station wagons are far from making a "come back." This degree of rarity in itself renders the Cadillac station wagon unconventional and intriguing. Its ability to sprint from a stop to 60 miles per hour in just over four seconds and cornering capability that would leave a cheetah in its dust, makes the CTS-V Wagon downright compelling.
Although it might not yet wield the impact of "AMG" for Mercedes-Benz or "M" for BMW, "V" is Cadillac's designation for vehicles given the "treatment" by its in-house performance group. Typical in that treatment: cramming more ponies under the hood, sport tuning the suspension, beefing up the brakes and adding a few unique design cues. Souped-up editions of the STS and XLR roadster have also worn the V badge.
Joining V versions of the CTS Sedan and Coupe for 2011, the CTS-V Wagon brings a heaping helping of performance to a vehicle that, in every other way, is designed for utility. Its maximum cargo capacity with the rear seat folded down is an impressive 58 cubic feet. Conversely, it introduces a bit of practicality into the high-performance realm. It's a vehicle for soccer moms with an attitude; if they can wrestle it away from Dad.
Like the V Sedan and Coupe, the Wagon gets its extra oomph from a supercharged 6.2-liter V8. If this engine seems familiar, it's because it's a version of the same engine that drives the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. Can you say, yikes? In this application it generates 556 horsepower and a whopping 551 lb-ft of peak torque. CTS-V Wagons equipped as my $62,990 test one was, use a six-speed manual transmission to hustle engine production to the rear wheels. A six-speed, driver-shiftable automatic tranny with steering wheel-mounted shift paddles can fill in for the manual for an extra $1,300.
As should be expected in a vehicle with scalded-cat performance, fuel economy isn't going to inspire warm and fuzzies among the tree-hugging crowd. The EPA estimates its numbers at 14 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway. For the sake of comparison, the CTS Sport Wagon with its 273-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 delivers 18 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.
Tipping the scales in excess of two tons, the CTS-V Wagon has some mass; however, it is more athletic than its curb weight might lead you to believe. Its four-wheel independent suspension is supplemented with Cadillac's Magnetic Ride Control. An automatic damping system, it can be set to either Tour or Sport mode based on the driver's preference and driving style.
Brembo supplies the disc brakes on all four corners, monitored by an antilock system. Sticky Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires cover 19-inch alloy wheels. Stability control, traction control, electronic brakeforce distribution and emergency braking assist are all standard.
From behind the steering wheel, the Wagon's cabin mirrors that of the CTS-V Sedan. In fact, there are only minor differences between the cabins of the Sport Wagon and the CTS-V Wagon. Up front, a twin-pod arrangement puts all controls within easy reach of the driver. Hand-stitched leather covers many surfaces. A suede-like material is found elsewhere and as the seat inserts. Two interior options worth consideration are the $3,400 Recaro front sport seats, and the $300 sueded steering wheel and shift knob. Not only do the Recaro seats provide gobs of lateral support through adjustable pneumatic bolsters, they also feature 14-way power adjustments.
Topping the list of leading-edge systems included in the Wagon's base price are a hard drive-based navigation system, a Bose-infused 10-speaker surround-sound audio system with CD/DVD player, USB port and iPod integration, a 40-gigabyte hard drive for music storage, and Bluetooth integration. Full power accessories, dual-zone automatic climate control, trip computer, power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, rear-vision camera and a power liftgate are also all standard.
Even just idling at a red light as the CTS-V Wagon's finely tuned exhaust note growls its warning to surrounding traffic, an enthusiast driver can't help but have a butterfly or two winging their way around his gut. When the light goes green, he knows that if he so chooses, he can put half a city block between him and person in the lane next to him in just a tick or two of the clock. Running some family errands has never been so much fun.
