OREANDA-NEWS. December 06, 2012. Cadillac’s new XTS lets drivers decide the design and theme for the luxury sedan’s gauge cluster, an industry-exclusive feature that allows the choice of four layouts from simplistic and minimal to ultra-informative.

The experience is powered by CUE, Cadillac’s in-vehicle experience for connectivity and control and is available on XTS models with the Premium or Platinum trim level.

Controlled by an intuitive multi-directional switch on the steering wheel, the 12.3-inch LCD screen replaces traditional analog dials. Each of the four cluster layouts continually displays vehicle speed and fuel information, just like the dials of old. What’s new is the reconfigurable display technology that enabled Cadillac designers to formulate options for both the design and type of information displayed. The result is four distinct clusters that skew to particular styles of luxury sedan drivers. 

“We spent time with owners of all kinds of vehicles to learn how they used the radio, navigation, phone settings, and other user connectivity features,” said Scott Martin, senior creative designer in charge of building the digital cluster layouts. “Most drivers fall into one of four different categories in terms of the amount of information they want to see at any given time, so we built the XTS gauge cluster layouts to appeal to any one of those drivers.”

The “Balanced” display is the default cluster design for XTS, designed for drivers who prefer a traditional layout while determining the size and graphic quality of the display. The layout features three “zones” across the screen, displaying a speedometer, tachometer, fuel level, radio station information, and outside temperature.

The “Performance” layout is intended for enthusiast drivers who want information on the car itself. The clean look features a large speedometer on the right and tachometer on the left. The driver can also modify the display with other performance-driven information such as fuel consumption and tire pressure.

The “Enhanced” cluster display option is for the uber-connected driver. The web-inspired design features a navigation map on the left and digital speed and fuel readings on the right. The layout is simple and clean, allowing the driver to pull up and scroll through all the information pages with the touch of a button.

The “Simple” cluster layout is designed for the minimalist who desires a more sparing approach to graphics. The cluster focuses on speed, fuel and audio, with additional information available at the driver’s request.

Each cluster layout allows users to view more information through a “screen-within-a-screen” feature. This smaller display in the center of the speedometer and tachometer images lets users view navigation routes and control the radio, among other features.

“Drivers can also further customize each layout to their own personal liking,” Martin said. “They can flip through all the information pages to permanently display their favorite preset radio stations, check tire pressure, navigation, fuel range, and temperature among other features.”