In addition to tailpipe emissions and greenhouse gases, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also regulates other materials in cars that may emit substances harmful to humans.

And so it is that the 2013 Cadillac XTS large luxury sedan will become the first U.S. vehicle to use a new refrigerant for its air-conditioning system with a lower carbon-dioxide impact.

Cadillac has been promising us a true BMW 3-Series competitor, and it is finally here. The 2013 Cadillac ATS is the compact luxury sedan that Cadillac is depending on to establish a new reputation among some of the world’s top performance sedans.

The ATS follows the new-expression Art & Science design direction set by the new 2013 XTS, which was introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show this past fall. The front end does a great job mimicking the XTS while the side character line is softer and less pronounced. While the standard 17-inch alloy wheels fill the wheel wells nicely, 18-inch alloy wheels are optional. Out back, the ATS uses the third brake light as a spoiler similar to the CTS Coupe and XTS. Dual exhaust outlets emerge through a pseudo-diffuser with a center mounted backup light mounted low to the ground.

Cadillac says it created a driver-focused interior for the ATS, focusing on the placement of the pedals and steering wheel, along with the location of the shifter. The flowing dashboard wraps around into the door panels and features ambient lighting. A wide range of interior color options will be available, ranging from black and tan to more vibrant colors such as brown and burgundy, all complimented by various trim materials ranging from real wood and plated metal to carbon-fiber. Sport seats will be available for those who seek more support for spirited driving.

If you’ve had a chance to drive the Cadillac CTS-V in coupe, sedan or station wagon flavors, you know what an impressive car it is.

With 556 horsepower on tap, mashing the accelerator produces the type of thrust normally associated with fighter aircraft, and the car’s suspension, seating and brakes are equally impressive.

If there’s a drawback to the CTS-V, it would be the car’s $64,000 starting price, which jumps to nearly $70,000 when you add the Recaro seats, suede steering wheel and polished aluminum wheels. Given the car’s performance potential, that’s still one hell of a bargain, but let’s be honest: how many of us can afford to buy a $70,000 sedan?

Cadillac had a momentary lapse where it thought today was the Los Angeles Auto Show, as it ‘accidentally’ revealed the production 2013 XTS sedan on its website. Fortunately for all of us, we grabbed a shot of the luxo barge before Cadillac had the chance to correct its mistake.

The XTS was first shown at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show as the XTS Platinum Concept. To our eye, the production car wears sheet metal that is a little leaner and features a few more creases. The front end looks somewhat short and stubby to our eyes. While the whole vehicle seems narrow. But we’ll reserve final judgment until we can see it in the metal next week.

As we become increasingly tethered to our smartphones, automakers are recognizing that we need in-car interfaces to help accomplish seemingly simple tasks—like making a call, accessing songs in our library, or getting a text—safely, without reaching down for the phone and becoming distracted.

With the MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch systems that came out last year, Ford rolled out a very visually attractive interface good for such things. However, a number of users have called the system too complex and unintuitive in some respects. Now General Motors is unveiling its own system, called CUE. Short for Cadillac User Experience, it will be formally announced at the CTIA Enterprise & Applications Conference in San Diego this week—and shown, in the Cadillac XTS, at the LA Auto Show.

The Cadillac Escalade is perhaps a little too successful in its mission of flaunting wealth.

Cadillac’s big SUV is a magnet for thieves; it has ten times the overall theft losses of the typical 2008 to 2010 model-year vehicle, and it’s more than six times as likely to be targeted by thieves.

General Motors has just confirmed what this site reported last week: The Cadillac Converj concept car from 2009, based on the running gear of the Chevrolet Volt electric car, will go into production.

Cadillac’s electric sports coupe will be called the ELR, joining the current CTS mid-size sports sedan and the upcoming ATS compact sedan and XTS full-size sedan. The name, Cadillac says, indicates the car’s electric propulsion technology.

GM had very few details other than that the ELR is under development, noting that “details on performance, price, and timing will be announced later.”

It may be the most star-crossed program in recent automotive history, and now it’s apparently dead.

According to Reuters, General Motors has canceled work on the planned plug-in hybrid version of its Cadillac SRX crossover sport utility.

The canceled SRX plug-in would have been the second GM car, after the 2011 Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car, to plug into grid electricity to recharge a lithium-ion battery pack that provides all-electric running.

General Motors NYSE: GM has announced a recall of more than 10,000 vehicles for a potential issue with the vehicle defroster.

In affected vehicles—certain 2011 Buick LaCrosse and Cadillac SRX models—the climate-control module might completely disable the ability to adjust climate settings. In the event of a failure, the defogging and defrosting functions might not be available when they’re needed, and could potentially contribute to an accident.

You thought the Cadillac CTS-V was bad-ass? You’re right, but the CTS-V Black Diamond is bad-asser. Or, as Cadillac puts it, it’s a “finely crafted, tailored tuxedo.” We like our description better.

No, you don’t get any performance enhancements in the Black Diamond, but then, you don’t really need any. The 556-horsepower supercharged LSA V-8 under the hood is more than up to any task. But now its sheetmetal looks like a professional assassin’s car. And it’s from the factory.