Its presence is extraordinary -- refined and self-assured, yet possessed of an
undeniable boldness. On the road it handles with a poise and balance that
may surprise you in a car of this luxury and spaciousness. And
technologically, it paves the way for the entire automotive industry, with
innovative features developed to heighten your control, comfort and
confidence. What is it? Nothing less than the full-size luxury sedan as
refined for the third millennium by Cadillac. That's right,
Cadillac.
INTRODUCING THE ALL-NEW 2000 DEVILLE
WHY BE AFRAID OF THE DARK?
What lurks beyond the reach of your headlight beams? The open road? Or
an unexpected obstacle? Cadillac's amazing Night Vision system can help
put an end to that kind of uncertainty. Exclusively available on the 2000
DeVille DHS and DTS, Night Vision detects the "heat signature" of
people, animals, vehicles and other objects, then projects their images onto
the inside surface of the windshield comfortably inside your field of vision.
The result? You see many potential hazards long before they're illuminated
by your headlights, so you have much more time to take the necessary
evasive action. You'll also enjoy a kind of peace of mind you may never
have experienced before in night driving.
THE PURE PLEASURE OF DRIVING
Driving the all-new DeVille for the first time is a revelation. A new
generation of the much-praised Northstar V8 achieves even greater levels
of responsiveness and sophistication. Push this engine hard and the
performance is exhilarating, yet it's glass-smooth and virtually silent in
highway cruising mode. Similarly, Cadillac's exclusive Northstar
technology results in ride and handling behaviour that also delivers the best
of two worlds. Working with premium components like the Magnasteer
variable-assist steering system, Cadillac's chassis engineers have achieved a
new standard for poise and balance in this class of automobile. The end
product is handling precision that rivals the most respected imports,
blended with a level of ride quality even beyond what you have come to
expect from DeVille.
HIGH-TECH, HIGH-SPEED COMMUNICATION
The sooner drivers behind you are aware that you are slowing your pace,
the longer they have to react -- and the better the chances of a collision
being avoided. That's why the new Cadillac DeVille is equipped with
high-tech Light Emitting Diode (LED) taillights, including an LED centre
high-mounted stop light. These LEDs light up much faster than
conventional bulbs, giving drivers behind more than 5 m of extra warning
at 100 km/h.
THE NEW HEIGHT OF TECHNOLOGY
RESPECT FOR TRADITION
Technological advances are ever-present in the 2000 DeVilles. Witness the
exceptional comfort of the massaging lumbar front seats in DeVille DHS
and DTS. Yet DeVille also demonstrates that there are some things from
the past that even the latest engineering innovations cannot improve upon.
Take, for example, the superb natural materials used throughout the
DeVille cabin. Produced by a small, century-old tannery, the leathers are
lustrous, supple and pleasingly fragrant. For an even higher level of luxury,
DeVille DHS and DTS are generously trimmed in genuine East African
Zebrano wood, with its intricate grain flawlessly finished and polished to a
fine glow.
SPOIL YOUR SENSES
In the DeVille cabin, fine design, quality materials and thoughtful touches
are everywhere. The controls and instruments are everything you could
desire -- complete, well-located and logical in their operation. Power assists
abound, as do handy storage compartments and many other amenities. The
automatic climate control system allows separate temperature settings for 3
individual zones inside the car, to ensure every occupant's comfort. The
crowning touch is provided by DeVille's stereo system, which delivers a
level of sound reproduction to please even the most demanding
listener.
WHAT LUXURY SHOULD BE
A RARE INTELLIGENCE
To assist you in finding the luxury automobile that matches your taste, the
new DeVille is offered in 3 distinct models. DeVille is comprehensively
equipped with a 275-horsepower Northstar engine, traction control and
many more advanced technical features. The DeVille interior is equally
well appointed, with seating for six, 10-way power adjustable front seats
and a leather-wrapped steering wheel containing switches for the car's
climate control, cruise control and sound system. The DHS model provides
an even more comprehensive array of luxury features. Leather seating
surfaces and genuine Zebrano wood trim adorn the cabin, along with a
power rear window sunshade and many other premium touches. Finally
there's the athletic member of the family, DeVille DTS, which comes with
a 300-horsepower Northstar V8, Continuously Variable Road-Sensing
Suspension, 17" wheels and standard StabiliTrak, along with supportive
leather-trimmed front bucket seats featuring massaging lumbar controls and
much more.
THE SUBSTANCE BEHIND THE STYLE
The understand what really sets the new DeVille apart from other luxury
cars, you have to look beyond the gleaming paint and thoughtful interior
appointments. Below the surface, DeVille is a technological marvel. Its
computer-designed body architecture, highly sophisticated powertrain and
many astounding uses of electronics point the way to the future. And puts
the 2000 DeVille in a class by itself.
THE INTELLIGENCE OF NORTHSTAR
The secret behind DeVille's exceptional composure lies in the
Cadillac-exclusive Northstar System, which integrates DeVille's powertrain
and chassis systems into a single, intelligent whole. Using a complex
network of electronic sensors and processing units, the Northstar System
provides key links between the new-generation Northstar V8 engine,
transmission, steering, traction control, anti-lock braking (ABS) and, on
DeVille DTS, even the suspension and StabiliTrak systems. The result is a
kind of finely balanced performance and real-world driving confidence that
competitive luxury cars simply can't match.
THE MOST IMPORTANT SAFETY ADVANCE IN YEARS
A lateral skid is one of the most difficult and perilous situations a driver
can encounter. DeVille's available StabiliTrak 2.0, standard on DeVille
DTS, was specifically developed to help you regain control and get out of
danger fast. StabiliTrak 2.0 constantly measures DeVille's speed, cornering
force, steering wheel angle and "yaw" (the rate at which the car is turning
around its centre of gravity). When StabiliTrak 2.0 detects a lateral skid, it
engages automatically and selectively adjusts the application of the
individual front brakes to help return your DeVille to your intended path.
[StabiliTrak 2.0 includes Active Steering Effort Compensation. This feature
slightly increases effort during sudden manoeuvres to enhance driver
control.]
FINDING LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS
To help you literally see in the dark, the Night Vision system available on
DeVille DHS and DTS combines several highly developed technologies. A
special sensor positioned in DeVille's front grille detects infrared radiation
coming from warmer objects such as cars, animals and people in the area
ahead of the car. The system then processes this information into a
black-and-white image, which is projected onto the inside surface of the
DeVille windshield via a Head-Up Display (HUD) unit. Night Vision lets
you see approximately 5 times as far ahead as you could with low-beam
headlights alone.
A SANCTUARY OF SOLID STEEL
The 2000 DeVille represents Cadillac's latest thinking in body design, a
fact that pays large dividends in occupant protection. In an impact, crush
zones at both ends of the car fold in a controlled fashion to absorb energy.
The cabin, however, is a very different story. It's surrounded by a very
strong steel safety cage, complete with a roof capable of withstanding a
force of up to 4500 kilograms. Thanks to these and other features,
including a cast-magnesium beam positioned behind the dash, the new
DeVille surpasses government and corporate safety standards in barrier
crash testing.
RAISING THE BAR IN OCCUPANT PROTECTION
DeVille literally surrounds you and your passengers with protective
features. Driver and passenger-side Next Generation frontal air bags are, of
course, standard equipment. Side-impact air bags have been built into the
outboard bolsters of the front seats, to offer supplementary protection in a
collision at the side of the car. Similar side-impact air bags are available
for the protection of rear passengers. Even DeVille's front shoulder belts
deliver an extra measure of safety performance. They're equipped with
special pre-tensioning devices designed to pull them snug for extra
protection.
A GIANT LEAP FORWARD FOR DRIVING IN 'REVERSE'
Of the many innovative safety systems on the all-new DeVille, the
available Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist system is probably the one you
will use most frequently. This system uses 4 sonar sensors on the rear
fascia to sense objects, such as other cars, sign posts, etc., located to the
rear of DeVille. When the system detects an object within 1.5 metres of the
rear bumper, it uses audible chimes and varying combinations of amber
and red LED warning lights to alert the driver to an impending impact.
Rear passengers are very well taken care of: aside from a wide, three-person rear seat and
lots of legroom and headroom, rear passengers have separate rear heater and fan controls, and
a folding centre armrest with a built-in storage compartment and two flip-out cupholders. In
addition, each outboard rear seat has cushion and backrest seat heaters, individual power
points located in the rear armrests, map lights, coat hooks, and map pockets located on the
back of the front seats. It's almost like riding in a limo...
One complaint: some of the wires for the front power seats lie loosely under the front seats
and look rather untidy to the rear passengers.
A centre rear armrest with a pass-through allows access to the trunk, but like most luxury
cars, the rear seatbacks do not fold down.
Safety features
All five seating positions in the DeVille offer three-point seatbelts - the front seat belts
are built into the front seats so that they're always in the right position and fit more
snugly than seatbelts mounted to the body. The DeVille's front head restraints are height
adjustable and rear head restraints are fixed, and there are three rear tether anchors for
child seats.
Dual front airbags and front side airbags are standard while rear side airbags are optional.
A new backup warning system gives audible beeps which increase in frequency when the DeVille
approaches an object behind it. A unique feature are three lights near the rear window which
visually confirm how close the car is to the object.
Three models
There's no doubt, DeVille's offers a lot value in the luxury car class. Base DeVille's start
at $52,770, and both DHS and DTS models priced at $60,570. This is considerably less than
comparable full-size luxury cars from Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Infiniti, BMW and Audi. The
DeVille's closest competitors are the Lincoln Continental and Lincoln Town Car which also
start in the low $50,000 range.
Technical Data:
2000 Cadillac DeVille DTS
Base price $60,570
Freight $940
Type 4-door, 5 passenger full-size luxury sedan
Layout longitudinal front engine/front-wheel-drive
Engine 4.6 l V8, SOHC, 32 valves
Horsepower 300 @ 6000 rpm
Torque 295 ft-lb @4400 rpm
Transmission 4-speed automatic
Tires P235/55HR17 Goodyear All-Season Performance
Curb weight 1835 kg (4045 lb.)
Wheelbase 2929 mm (115.3 in.)
Length 5258 mm (207.0 in.)
Width 1891 mm ( 74.4 in.)
Height 1439 mm ( 56.7 in.)
Trunk capacity 541 litres ( 19.1 cu.ft.)
Fuel consumption City: 13.9 l/100 km (20 mpg)
Hwy: 8.1 l/100 km (35 mpg)
Warranty 4 yrs/80,000 km
Greg Wilson is a Vancouver-based automotive journalist and editor of CanadianDriver