Although we’ve seen the capless fuel filler idea before from Ford, Cadillac claims the system has been improved for the XTS. “Some capless systems on the market have just a single door, making them vulnerable to leaks,” said John Hamilton, Cadillac fuel fill systems design engineer, in a release. The XTS’ capless system has a set of two doors which are pushed open once a fuel nozzle is inserted, and both doors wear an air-tight rubber seal around the edges to help prevent any fuel leakage. Hamilton also said that “unlike competitors, Cadillac’s system also has no internal drain, something that can also lead to inadvertent dripping.”
Cadillac also announced details on the Chinese-market XTS, which will start landing in showrooms in late 2012, will be made on its home turf by Shanghai GM. The XTS’ local production demonstrates the luxury brand’s growth in China, the brand’s second-largest market. Cadillac sold almost double the amount of cars in just one year, selling 30,000 vehicles in 2011 versus 17,000 in 2010. With the average age of Cadillac buyers in China pegged at 35, things can only continue looking up, as the XTS, along with the ELR electric coupe, enter the Chinese market.
