[Blastphemy]

The C.U.E. system layout in the new CT6 looks interesting; can't wait to see if overall responsiveness, ergonomics, and functionality have been improved. I'm very excited that the CT6 has a bottom middle grip on the button-heavy steering wheel... I've missed having that since I traded in my last Infiniti. I hope this is the steering wheel all Caddys use going forward.

Can't decide if I like the new touchpad input on the middle console behind the cup holders; probably will be fine once I've gotten used to it. Larger display screen is definitely nicer.

It'll be interesting to hear the new 34-speaker Panaray audio system and see if it Bose has finally stepped up its game and installed a stereo comparable to the Lexus LS460's Mark Levinson system. Gotta wonder why 34 speakers are required, though! Looking forward to putting this system through its paces when the CT6 finally appears in dealerships at the end of the year.

If Cadillac does ever announce a new ELR, I sure hope this is the C.U.E. system that comes with it. We won't know how good this new C.U.E. system is 'til later this year, but it has to be better than what's offered currently.

 

[flycaster]

Although I have an ATS, I'm not a Cadillac person. Don't get me wrong, I really like my ATS, but it's being a Cadillac had nothing to do with my buying it. Nonetheless, comparing the dashboards between the CT6 and ATS, I'd say that this was a step backwards into the the "oldfart's" Cadillac image. To me, the present ATS' dash is a great example of minimalistic modern. They should have at least kept the swooping flow of the dash into the console.

 

[nightracerx]

I'm going to NY auto show tomorrow and I will see how well it performs in person.

 

[Blastphemy]

Did you have a chance to play with the CT6 C.U.E. system on April 2nd, nightracerx? If so, what did you think?

 

[nightracerx]

Did you have a chance to play with the CT6 C.U.E. system on April 2nd, nightracerx? If so, what did you think?

Had a chance to sit in the auto show car in NY, didn't really test voice commands since it was flooded with journalists with noisy background. Here are my thoughts on the CUE in CT6:

Pros:

- Larger 10" compare to existing 8" units we have today. Allows five columns of icons instead of four we have today.
- Graphics are HD quality.
- Entire system is better integrated into the dashboard design so it looks like part of dashboard instead of a small gap in current units. CT6 interior trim quality is on par with ELR, very high quality material and craftsmanship.
- New apps integrated into the unit I didn't get to test out all, it was in demo mode and some features were locked. So far notably new is integration of Apple Carplay and Mirrorlink, also a 360 degrees view camera similar to many Infiniti models.
- Camera based rear view mirror is also neat, not part of CUE though.
- Touch pad is positioned perfectly at a very good ergonomic position, good response to touch commands.


Cons:

- It is a good responsive unit, better than current 2015 CUE units but still lacks the fluidity of many tablets.
- Unknown upgradability. This is one of the main complains with current CUE owners on function upgrades through software release. I didn't see any over the air upgrade function in menu options like Ford Sync 3 or Tesla, so it looks like one of the current deal you go to dealer to get firmware upgrades. I asked the GM rep on show floor about upgrades they didn't really answer and just said they are still making final tweaks to the system. Looks like a dead end unit like current CUE.

Overall I would say they improved the graphics and size of screen, also added touch pad to better compete with the German cars that have them.

 

[inspectorudy]

"I asked the GM rep on show floor about upgrades they didn't really answer and just said they are still making final tweaks to the system. Looks like a dead end unit like current CUE." That about sums it up. This entire CUE system is a stop gap until a universal system, like Apple play, can be adopted.

 

[nightracerx]

"I asked the GM rep on show floor about upgrades they didn't really answer and just said they are still making final tweaks to the system. Looks like a dead end unit like current CUE." That about sums it up. This entire CUE system is a stop gap until a universal system, like Apple play, can be adopted.

When CUE was first released on XTS few years ago I was at NY auto show, the GM rep said updates can be done by just inserting USB drives that will add on features and improvements. I guess they got smart and instructed their rep to avoid the answer to updates hahaha...

From what I understand most manufacturers that offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto today still have their core system software developed in-house, CarPlay and Android Auto is an app that is added onto the existing system. In the case with CT6 and ATS-V I think that's how the CarPlay works. CUE still has its core software based off Linux. So even if they offer CarPlay updates users can do themselves but that's just updating that specific app, what I was hoping for was update to the entire system from core software to apps. Similar to how smartphones are today.

I heard there will be CUE Collection releases with a bunch of apps in it but I didn't see it in the CT6 I was in. There were a few CT6s on the show floor I only got in one of them didn't get a chance to check the other ones, too crowded.