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EDIG ON WHEELS- you could be driving around with e.digital inside if you want:

2001 Cadillac Seville

By Jill Amadio


Beneath a familiar skin, uncharted e-territory.
You don't think that the 2001 Cadillac STS (Seville Touring Sedan) is a car, do you? There's no such thing as mere four-wheels-and-an-engine transportation these days, especially around the lofty altitudes of the top luxury models like the Seville.

The next STS - outwardly little changed from the 2000 model but internally a jaw-dropper - is a rolling center of magical hi-tech computer technology. It's an e-vehicle, a computer on wheels. No longer a mere sedan, it's also an intimate friend with whom you can converse, and seek comfort and counsel on your lonely commutes.

We spend a total of about 500 million hours a week in our vehicles - more than some of us devote to eating, though at least by fueling our bodies we're doing something useful other than just sitting. Putting driving time to work for us so we can be more productive has become a favorite function that automakers are continually exploring. It's not enough to chat idly on the car phone in traffic. We can now also work - and Cadillac is in the forefront of this trend.

The mother of all motherboards
With a complete overhaul and redesign back in 1998, the 2001 STS's body styling and interior needed no changes except for a sport option package that includes larger wheels. This Seville still houses the fast, Northstar-engined powerhouse that leads America's luxury brands.

Infotainment integrates a computer, a navigation system, CD-ROM and radio functions. However, recognizing the hazards of having to dial up manually and read a display screen, Cadillac won't allow you to use some of these splendid advances while you're barreling down the highway. You must be parked. But you will be permitted to listen while driving, and that's where the new STS triumphs. Silken tones will tell you how your own specific stocks are doing, what the latest basketball score of your hometown team is, and will also read your e-mail to you until you have time to stop and download it yourself. All you have to do is program the Bose Infotainment software and you get personalized information.

Since the system is voice controlled, you can dock your portable cell phone and allow cell phone control via voice recognition or use the front panel keypad on the dash. To store your e-messages after you've listened to them, an infrared port connects your handheld device, personal organizers or Palm Pilots to exchange data with the system. The CD-ROM drive plays music CDs, reads CD-ROM map info and can be upgraded with additional software.

The Infotainment system also has a voice memo recorder so you can dictate notes and play them back later, as well as transfer them to your PDA to transfer to a desktop PC. One of the neatest features is that you can bark commands in the general direction of the dashboard to activate the system and receive, in return, location directions that are read to you as well as displayed on-screen. Yes, you can watch the color maps as you drive, but if you want to multi-task, as the nerds say, the e-mail and Web browser are safely disabled until your car's wheels stop rolling.

Okay, we're not finished with all this hi-tech stuff yet. New in the OnStar system for 2001 is Virtual Advisor. Although Cadillac introduced this telematics system three years ago in the 1997 models, the new feature answers the call for coddling our egos. If you don't want the same kind of information everyone else has, you can punch in your own preferences and get exact, exclusive hands-free feedback tailored to your own wishes. You can select news, for example, only about French railroad strikes, the latest prices on your five NASDAQ stocks (good luck), and college water polo results.

While the new OnStar is standard equipment in all 2001 STS models and gives you a free one-year premium service subscription, the Infotainment system is an option that's included in a special sport package. No price for it has been announced yet. [ now has price: 1SD STS Luxury Package (STS) Price Includes Bose 4.0 AM/FM stereo radio with CD and cassette players, 16" chrome wheels, wood trim package, wood steering wheel, and wood shift knob. NOT AVAILABLE with 1SE, 1SF. $1,687 $1,985 Invoice MSRP]

It drives, too
Included in Cadillac's midsize family alongside the Catera and the Eldorado, the four-door Seville has two 2001 models: the STS and the SLS (Seville Luxury Sedan). The former has a more high performance character and the availability of a sport package that includes 17-inch wheels and tires, a suspension tuned to the tires, tire pressure monitoring and the Infotainment system.

Both models have chassis improvements to reduce understeer, sharper steering response,and a better on-center feel. Our STS test drive took us to Colorado Springs where we dashed around Pike's Peak oval raceway, drove past the Rockies to the town of Pueblo, and charged through slalom courses and wet and dry skid pads. The Seville performed elegantly and competently though one is inclined to expect miracles in the face of overeager hype. In fact, the ride and handling from this heavy, 4000-lb car is excellent and less unwieldy than anticipated during emergency-style maneuvers.

Inside, the comfort zone is high. One of the most interesting features is called Adaptive Seating, which automatically recognizes front passenger positions when you're seated, and adjusts the support system to fit you. Sensors in a network of ten air cells in the seatback and cushions measure internal pressure and adjust the air inside the cells. The system cycles every four minutes as you move in the seat. However, my STS rode so smoothly in testing, it was difficult to detect much difference. The heating in the seats, however, was noted and appreciated in the high country cold.

Another feature I liked was the wiper system, standard on both the SLS and the STS, which automatically activates the wipers in wet weather, saving you from fumbling for a switch in a sudden downpour. Then there's the optional tire-pressure monitor whose sensor sends you a message on the display panel if the pressure is low, high, or okay.

If you're still feeling computer-deprived, you can order your 2001 STS with Night Vision to help you see objects 500 yards down the road in darkness. And don't forget Cadillac's Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist that uses chimes and sensor lights to help you park.

The Cadillac Seville, by the way, is immensely popular in Bahrain, Israel, Egypt, Qatar, Yemen, Ethiopia, Mali, Senegal, the Virgin Islands and Guam, where it well outsells its stablemates Catera and Deville. How long before infotainment reaches Yemen and Ethiopia? If it's up to Cadillac, not very long, it seems.

Copyright © 2001 - The Car Connection, All rights reserved. The Car Connection is a Trademark of DA Acquisitions, Inc.

http://www.kbb.com/kb/ki.dll/kw.kc.rp?kbb&&11&cc01seville
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The IBM Infotainment system consists of 3 * 12" LCD screens built into the seats of the vehicle in front of the 3 passengers. This gives the passenger access to : radio, audio player, video player (multiple videos with 3 seat cinema mode), fax, phone, e-mail, calculator, satellite mapping, local information, word processing, Web browser, calendar and is controlled by mouse or speech using a specially written version of IBM ViaVoice. The video is based on Mpeg II (DVD equivalent) and passes true 6 channel AC3 digital surround sound audio to the 15 speaker BOSE audio system.

http://houns54.clearlake.ibm.com/solutions/industrial/indpub.nsf/detailcontacts/key_ibm_automobile_n...
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http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=CLB00154&read=18288
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http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=CLB00154&read=18283