Daily News Briefs: May 25, 2012

Cadillac is rolling out its touch-sensitive CUE system, Cadillac User Experience, as standard in the new XTS sedan and refreshed SRX crossover, and optional in the smaller ATS sedan. What about the rest of the lineup? Thursday, Cadillac marketing director Jim Vurpillat told reporters at a Wisconsin track event that the brand would introduce CUE in the 2014 Escalade and CTS. That increases the odds that both cars will be redesigned, or at least heavily refreshed, for 2014. The current CTS has been around since August 2007. The current Escalade has been around since early 2006. The latter hails from GM's light-duty truck platform and should be redesigned for 2014. We'll let you know as we learn more. In other news: As Mazda moves Mazda6 production to Japan from a plant in Flat Rock, Mich., it will retain 50% ownership in the plant, which it shares with Ford, The Detroit News reports. Rental-car companies Avis Budget Group and Enterprise — which includes Alamo and National — have joined Hertz in pledging not to rent or sell cars with unaddressed recalls, according to Automotive News. It comes in response to pressure from Congress earlier this month, but one major renter, Dollar Thrifty, has yet to follow suit. Analysts expect May new-car sales to jump 30% this month over an inventory-scarce May 2011, The Detroit News reports. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration widened its probe of the Chevrolet Cruze to include 2012 models, Automotive News reports. The probe, which NHTSA launched in March to address two reports of fires, originally concerned 2011 models. Related More Automotive Industry News See Cadillac's CUE System in Action More Automotive News on Cars.com from KickingTires http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/

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