Cadillac XTS. Farewell. The Management Fleet

We bid farewell to our long term Cadillac XTS. Well, at least that means we can’t break it any more.

My days of big pimping are now gone. No longer do I roll around in a big black Cadillac. This is a sad day.

Save for a slightly iffy tyre pressure sensor, it’s been a trouble-free performance from the XTS – the only issues have been self caused. The first problem was when I mistook a handle for a drawer in the centre armrest storage box, and pulled it out. It wasn’t broken, I just couldn’t get it back in again. Then last month I managed to catch a rear wheel on a kerb, and burst a tyre. Thankfully the dedicated Cadillac service centre in Dubai fitted a replacement and fixed the armrest at the same time.

So those niggles aside, the time with the XTS has been entirely pleasurable. The Cadillacs of late have improved dramatically in interior build quality and technology, so the XTS has been a haven of comfort and cutting-edge technology. The seats are like armchairs, the entertainment system very snazzy. I particularly like the infotainment system, which included haptic feedback when you hit the touchscreen, and allows for streaming music from my phone. Underneath the screen is a cool hidden compartment that magically opens when you caress the underside of it. Practical for hiding stuff you want to leave in the car, and a neat party trick to.

As far as driving goes, the XTS is a cruiser rather than something you want to head into the mountains. All-wheel drive ensured traction aplenty, and there’s thoroughly decent and smooth acceleration from the 3.6-litre V6 engine. You could possibly argue that a V8 would make sense for this market, but it’s not lacking in grunt, despite its size. The gearbox is a six-speed automatic, and while it’s efficient, it also doesn’t make you want to push it. There are paddles behind the steering wheel for manual gearchanges, but after using them just to see if they worked, I never felt the need to touch them again – auto is all you need.

Did we mention the style?

The XTS takes the new, evolved Cadillac look debuted on the ATS and enlarges it – contemporary, sharp, but not in your face. The Caddy was at its best on long motorway journeys, where I could settle into the seats, put the tunes on and watch the world fly by in comfortable isolation. The performance is there, but it’s secondary to the living-room-in-motion aspect of the XTS. I shall miss it.