Cadillac CTS

The finalists for the North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year awards have been announced, with the list whittled down to three competitors in each category. Half of the finalists are General Motors products, while Chrysler, Acura and Mazda also managed to crack the list.

The debut of the all-new Cadillac CTS at next week's New York auto show will also mark the joint debuts of the US marque's first twin-turbo powerplant and first eight-speed automatic transmission. The new twin-turbocharged 3.6-litre V6 produces 313kW of power and 583Nm of torque - making it the most powerful General Motors V6 ever, and also claiming to be the most power-dense six-cylinder engine in the mid-size luxury segment at 88kW/litre.

General Motors is recalling around 1.5 million passenger cars, trucks and SUVs around the world to remove a windshield-wiper fluid heating system that can overheat and cause a fire. Many of the affected vehicles were recalled in 2008 to fix a similar problem with the same component, but the latest reports of fires in some previously repaired vehicles has prompted GM to remove the system altogether.

We have already reported earlier on spy shots of the new Cadillac CTS Coupe, however this time around our photographers managed to catch a glimpse of its interior. The coupe version is speculated to carry the CTC namesake when it eventually hits production in May next year alongside the CTS sedan at the Lansing Grand River Plant in the U.S. To counter the inherent poor rear visibility, the Coupe version will feature a reversing camera which is not currently found on the sedan.

Cadillac is coming down under. Holden offshoot GM Premium Brands Australia, which handles Saab and Hummer, has announced the American luxury legend will go on sale here from the fourth quarter (September-December) of next year. Cadillac is taking the unusual step of launching its brand with just one model, the CTS sports sedan. It will be powered by GM's global 3.6-litre V6 (shared with Commodore) but the US car will feature direct petrol injection helping it to 227kW and 370Nm.