‘Cadillac CUE’ app Lets You Test Drive a Cadillac From an iPad
There’s a reason that Cadillac is known as a luxury brand; it’s not the powerful engine under the hood, the cushy interior, or the giant trunk (although these features are certainly desirable). It’s not the senior-friendly sedans or the SUVs that rappers seem to go nuts for. What takes Cadillac to the top of the heap when it comes to domestic vehicles is their attention to detail; it’s all the little bells and whistles that they throw in to stay current with technology and keep their customers happy. And along those lines, anyone who purchases the 2013 model of the Cadillac XTS (launching later this year) will walk away as the proud owner of not only a new car, but also an iPad chock full of useful apps.
Since all GM-owned vehicles come equipped with OnStar, most consumers won’t be surprised to find the OnStar RemoteLink app on their iPad. What may surprise you is that it can be used to unlock, start, and monitor your car remotely. It can even honk your horn and flash your lights to help you find your car in a crowded parking lot. And it gives you vehicle information pertaining to fuel, tire pressure, oil changes, and so on. Of course, you’ll also get the My Cadillac app, which comes complete with the owner’s manual for your vehicle and all kinds of services like a dealership finder, a service scheduler, roadside assistance, and even alerts that will remind you where you parked and when the meter is set to run out.
But perhaps the best app included with your Caddy-centric iPad is CUE, an intuitive and comprehensive tool that replicates your car’s in-dash navigation. Have you ever hopped in a car, hit the road, and then realized that you have no idea how work the stereo? You’d really like to listen to some tunes on your 6-hour road trip, but you don’t want to risk an accident while you try to figure out how to toggle through stations on your touchscreen. So you resign yourself to waiting until you hit the next rest stop. Or perhaps you forgot to punch in the address of your destination. In-dash systems can be tricky to use in some cases, especially when you’re driving.
But CUE gives you a virtual test drive of your Cadillac’s system, allowing you to find your way around the controls before you ever get behind the wheel, so that you never find yourself flustered and taking your eyes off the road while driving. Of course, CUE does more than just get you familiar with the controls in your car; there is also a voice element that allows you to access functionality through audible commands (to keep your experience hands-free). And if you have any questions you can quickly get in contact with Cadillac’s geek squad via the app; they should be able to talk you through any questions or concerns throughout your tutorial (rather than on the road).
Dodge motors may be beefier and Audi handling might be snappier, but the Cadillac brand has a long and storied history of providing the luxury amenities that consumers crave. And with the advent of two new automobiles in their lineup this year (in addition to the XTS sedan they’ll also launch the ATS sport sedan), as well as an iPad and a few good apps, they’re clearly looking for ways to continue delivering the excellence for which they are known.
Editor’s Note
Thanks to Evan Fischer for this quest post. He is a freelance writer and part-time student at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California.
Cadillac CUEDeveloper: General Motors
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