June 6, 2008 5:00 PM by Clinton Deacon Filed Under: Cadillac
The Cadillac XLR was first introduced to the market in 2003 following its debut at the Detroit Motor Show, ever since then the sales performance of the retractable hardtop roadster have been consistently disappointing and we would hardly be surprised to see the American premium brand's second attempt into the roadster market fall flat on their face, just as the Allanté did.
In keeping with automotive tradition, the XLR will get a mid-life update for the 2009 model year, the base model will be abolished leaving just the Platinum and the high-performance XLR-V models available for the market. The Platinum's 4.6L Northstar V-8 engine and XLR-V's 4.4L Supercharged Northstar V-8 engine have been left untouched but the designers have revisited the styling of the roadster.
Inspired by the multi-award winning CTS sedan, the XLR gets completely new front and rear fascias as well as new side fender vents resulting in a much more aggressive stance. The cabin area also receives a touch up with new striking wood and metal trims along.
"XLR has been a catalyst for the dramatic design and technology driving Cadillac's ongoing renaissance," said Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager. "The enhanced 2009 model exemplifies the continued development of Cadillac's approach to design, performance and craftsmanship."
Since its inception in 2004, Cadillac's XLR has been a fresh face in the elite club of the world's finest luxury roadsters. Today Cadillac revealed the new 2009 edition of the XLR Roadster, featuring styling and model enhancements providing more dramatic design and technology.
Only the finest editions of Cadillac's retractable hardtop roadster will be offered in 2009: The luxurious XLR Platinum and the high-performance XLR-V. The XLR Platinum is equipped with a 320-horsepower (239 kW) 4.6L Northstar V-8 engine. The XLR-V, part of Cadillac's V-Series of high-performance models, is powered with a 443-horsepower (330 kW) 4.4L Supercharged Northstar V-8 engine.
The 2009 XLR includes a new front fascia, new rear fascia and new side fender vents. The revised design is inspired by the award-winning CTS sport sedan, delivering more detail and aggressiveness to Cadillac's roadster. The front fascia includes new fog lamps and specific upper and lower grilles for the Platinum and V-Series models. Also, both '09 models feature the distinctive hood with a raised center section that was previously exclusive to the V-Series.
"XLR has been a catalyst for the dramatic design and technology driving Cadillac's ongoing renaissance," said Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager. "The enhanced 2009 model exemplifies the continued development of Cadillac's approach to design, performance and craftsmanship."
The ultra-luxury XLR Platinum model receives additional exterior identifiers, including a revised rear fascia with more pronounced new exhaust tips and a new 18-inch wheel design (painted wheel finish is standard; chrome is optional).
Inside, the '09 XLR lineup delivers more luxury and technology. Alcantara™ - a suede-like microfiber material - is used for the headliner material, in either Ebony or Cashmere color. Also new is hand-cut and sewn leather used on the upper instrument panel. This hand-stitched and wrapped leather lends tailored elegance to the cabin, representing Cadillac's new approach to modern and elegant interior craftsmanship.
The updated cabin includes new instrument cluster trim rings and graphics, new wood grain trims (Natural Olive Ash Burl for XLR Platinum and Black Olive Ash Burl for XLR-V) and new metal trims (Quartz for XLR Platinum and Bermuda for XLR-V.)
Advanced technology has always been a trademark of XLR, and that legacy continues in 2009. This includes Cadillac's acclaimed Magnetic Ride Control system and amenities such as Keyless Access with push-button start, DVD navigation and entertainment, heated and cooled seats, head-up display and heated steering wheel. XLR's advanced technologies also include Adaptive Forward Lighting that enables the headlamps to swivel in concert with vehicle steering, and Adaptive Cruise Control.
XLR is factory-equipped with OnStar 8.0 with Bluetooth capability. The next-generation OnStar 8.0 system (OnStar subscription is not required for Bluetooth) features enhanced hands-free voice commands, Turn by Turn navigation and Emap powered by MapQuest. This includes the industry-first Destination Download feature, in which directions can be downloaded from OnStar directly to the car's navigation system - eliminating the need to stop the car to manually enter a destination.
afterace2
June 6, 2008 5:06:57 PM
it's hard to see any difference, and this is after 5/6 years of production. I don't think it will rescue it's sales
Corvette still is going to be getting this money...This car needs a redesign and something more than just a crappy face lift, which is barely noticable
I like what the front page to the New Facelift SL550 says, "Revered, studied, collected, admired, praised but still unchallenged". This can't be more true.
I suspect it was a mild cosmetic update that allows GM to skip the cost of crash re certification. If XLR had got truly new front , rear end and interior, NHTSA guidelines and crashworthiness would have to be re established. This costs of millions of dollars per test!
Too bad GM didn't at least slap some wood trim around the interior. BEFORE YOU FOLK SAY HOW TACKY THIS INTERIOR IS BE AWARE - I don't like the color of this wood or the extra piece on the bottom of the steering wheel.
I think with darker richer wood finish and expensive looking metal/billet pushbuttons instead of grey plastic, a dress up job like this one would easily liven up the XLR interior. It wouldn't cost much more the simple changes of the 2009 interior and would show some effort on Cadillac's part.
it's hard to see any difference, and this is after 5/6 years of production. I don't think it will rescue it's sales