Cadillac heads to NYC’s Brooklyn Bridge to verify sensor safety tech

To beef up the safety technologies in new 2013 XTS and ATS sedans, Cadillac used New York’s famed Brooklyn Bridge to iron out the models’ Driver Awareness and Driver Assist active safety technologies that include maintaining a safe following distance to other vehicles even in stop-and-go traffic.

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Check out more news on the Cadillac XTS.

Caddy engineers used the bridge due to its metal design and traffic volume – allowing them to refine the radar sensors so they can tell the difference between objects like guard rails and bridge structure from actual vehicle traffic.

“The camera, sensors and radar technology act as the ‘brain’ behind all the safety features, feeding data 25 times per second into the car’s computer network,” Nickolaou said. “We found that the best way to test the system’s accuracy was to gauge its performance in stressful driving conditions that could confuse it, like those conditions found on the Brooklyn Bridge.”

Check out the video after the jump.

Refresher: Power for the 2013 Cadillac XTS comes from a 3.6 liter V6 (LFX) engine making an estimated 300-hp. The engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission and a front or all-wheel-drive layout. The Haldex all-wheel-drive system has an electronic limited-slip differential that splits torque between the rear wheels. Along with Magnetic Ride Control, the 2013 XTS borrows the Brembo braking from Caddy’s V-Series high performance models. Prices start at $44,995.

– By: Omar Rana