Breaking down Cadillac’s New Headlamp Design

[Bruce Nunnally]

DETROIT – A deep look into the next generation of Cadillac models reveals new approaches to how designers are streamlining the form and function of headlamps, what designers call the “eyes” of a car.

The upcoming all-new 2014 Cadillac CTS luxury sport sedan combines light-emitting diode and high intensity discharge lights to create a sleeker new “face” for Cadillac, befitting the new sedan’s distinction of being the lightest car in its class.

The CTS sedan features 16 indirect fire LED lights on each headlamp with eight LEDs beginning on the fender of the car and an additional eight LEDs continuing down the front bumper. The eight LED lights on the front bumper also double as a turn indicator, helping eliminate additional lights and keeping a clean aesthetic.

Together these LEDs function as day-time running lights, enabling a safety feature to add an element of drama to the front of the car.

The main headlights, called projectors, are also multi-purpose. A single HID element acts as both low and high beams. Active Forward Lighting helps drivers see more clearly through corners by turning with steering direction.

“The CTS is the first Cadillac to combine DRL and turn signal under the same lens,” said Brian Smith, CTS exterior design manager. “Giving the HID projectors a dual purpose allowed us to shorten the front headlamps and give the CTS the most dramatic signature lighting of any Cadillac to date.”