Cadillac was busy at the recent Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance motoring event in California, revealing a preview of its new CTS wagon, which is set to go on sale in the United States during the first half of next year. The new model is called the Sport Wagon and is based on the CTS sedan, which is already confirmed for Australian sale at the end of this year.

The release of the Cadillac CTS sedan marks the end of a 40 year hiatus from Australian shores for Cadillac. Furthermore, the announcement of the CTS Sport Wagon model presages the expected release of a coupe model as well. Both are potentially viable in the Australian market, and since the Cadillac brand is choosing to lead with its CTS sedan, the extension of the car into its other body styles makes sense for a quick and inexpensive way to offer a broader local lineup while maintaining mechanical and logistical simplicity.

Wagon may feature diesel powerplant
The new wagon features several unique elements, including a new turbodiesel V6 engine. While the Australian-spec CTS sedan will arrive with one engine option - a 3.6-litre, 227kW V6 – it’s possible that the wagon variant will also be available with a 2.9-litre V6 turbodiesel as well. The diesel engine is a compact, dual overhead cam (DOHC), four-valve V6 and is rated at 184 kW with 550Nm of torque.

Fuel economy for the wagon model is expected to be similar to the existing sedan's 9L/100km highway rating for the petrol unit. General Motors is yet to reveal fuel economy ratings for the diesel, but it should improve significantly upon the petrol engine given the smaller displacement and high torque values.

No six-speed manual for the CTS sedan yet, unlikely for the wagon as well
While other markets get the choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission for the CTS sedan, Australia will get by with an electronically controlled Hydra-Matic 6L50 six-speed automatic only. It’s likely that Cadillac will only offer an automatic transmission if the wagon is brought to Australia, in keeping with current trends.

Unique features of the wagon are a power-operated tailgate and up to 1,642 litres storage thanks to the split-folding 2nd row seat. This is reduced to 708 litres when the seats are put back in place. Despite a similar 2,880mm wheelbase as the sedan, the Sport Wagon is 7mm shorter overall.

Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon gallery

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