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The retirements of the iconic chauffeured workhorses, the Lincoln Town Car and Cadillac DTS, has left a void in the industry that automakers foreign and domestic are aiming to fill. One major successor vehicle, 2013 Cadillac XTS W20 Livery Sedan, debuted at the 2012 International LCT Show in Las Vegas, and became available for test driving in late May at the General Motors 2013 Product Preview in Tucson, Ariz.

2013 Cadillac XTS Livery Sedan

For starters, the summer sun soaked the city with an intense, dry heat, so nothing felt better than sliding inside the artificially-cooled cabin of the Cadillac XTS. The interior radiated refined luxury, as a chauffeured vehicle should. Operators trying it out were greeted by premium leather seats and upholstery, and natural wood accents. The test vehicle did not have the microsuede headliner, which will be standard on the W20 Livery Sedan.

Amenities abound
Cadillac has been noted for its art and science design language in styling and engineering its vehicles, values reflected in the XTS’s long list of standard features which include: HID headlamps, 19-in. aluminum wheels, Magnetic Ride Control, rear air springs, rear vision camera, illuminating door handles, compact spare, transmission oil cooler, premium microfiber headliner, rear center console and the Professional Vehicle Protection Plan (PVPP) extended warranty (3-years/150,000-miles, whichever comes first). Unlike the DTS, however, the XTS does not come with rear seat vanity mirrors. But GM can recommend a good aftermarket installer for the mirrors.

The dimensions of the XTS are marginally smaller than the DTS, but the sedan sacrifices nothing in terms of comfort and practical/useable space. Rear seat legroom in the XTS is 40 inches and rear seat headroom is 37.8 inches. There was ample room for all the testers, including those taller than six feet. The seats offer generous cushion without being too soft, and two passengers can fit comfortably in the rear cabin.

“As a big guy, I was pleasantly surprised and very comfortable with the room in the money seat (rear passenger seat),” said Jeffrey Shanker, vice president of Princeton, N.J.-based A-1 Limousine. “Even with a front seat passenger who also was over six feet tall, I had ample leg room and could easily do work there. If there was no one in the front passenger seat, and the seat was pulled forward, I could easily have stretched my legs out fully.”

Robert Levine of Hy’s Worldwide Limousine, Douglas Werdebaugh of Carey International, and Jeffrey Shanker, A-1 Limousine all drew favorable impressions of their first-ever test drive of the 2013 Cadillac XTS Livery Sedan in May at a GM event in Tucson, Ariz.

In the driver’s seat, Shanker, who is over six feet tall, said he felt surrounded by luxurious comfort with more legroom than he knew what to do with. “Chauffeurs of different sizes should have no trouble getting comfortable behind the wheel of [the XTS],” he said.

Overall, the XTS is a futuristic driving machine with high industry potential. Getting behind the wheel elicits an excitement comparable to that of a child about to step foot in Disneyland. The front-wheel-drive sedan purrs to life with the push of a button and all of the controls are conveniently within reach. The powerful 3.6-liter, direct-injection V-6 engine accelerates smooth as butter and generates a respectable 300 hp and 264 lb.ft of torque.