Vehicle Overview Cadillac’s flagship sedan gets a handful of new features this year, including an airbag suppression system for the front passenger seat. The front passenger-side airbag will not deploy if the seat is empty or occupied by a small child. Weight-based sensors in the seat determine when the airbag should not deploy in a frontal collision.
Seville was redesigned for the 1998 model year and returns in SLS (Seville Luxury Sedan) and STS (Seville Touring Sedan) models.
Exterior With an overall length of 201 inches, the front-drive Seville is 6 inches shorter than the new DeVille. Seville is smaller because it is Cadillac’s key export model, and most European garages can hold cars that are a little over 5 meters long.
Interior Front buckets are standard on the SLS and STS and can be equipped with Cadillac’s adaptive seating feature. Ten air cells in the upholstery change pressure about every four minutes to adapt the seat to the occupant and the way he or she is sitting.
Among new options for both models is a navigation system with a 5-inch color display in the dashboard and touch-screen controls.
Under the Hood Cadillac says that several internal changes to its 4.6-liter V-8 engine have lowered emissions, reduced noise and improved fuel economy. This engine comes two ways: with 275 horsepower in the SLS and with 300 in the STS. Both now can operate on regular gas, though Cadillac recommends premium for best performance and efficiency.
Safety In addition to the new standard airbag-suppression system that does not deploy the front passenger airbag if the seat is empty or is occupied by a child weighing less than 66 pounds, a new ultrasonic warning system that operates in reverse gear is optional on both models. The ultrasonic parking assist uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver through chimes and lights when the car is within 5 feet of an object.
Side-impact airbags for the front seats, anti-lock brakes, traction control and StabiliTrak, an anti-skid system, are standard on both Sevilles.
