Safety

The CTS sedan performed well in crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It received the IIHS' 2012 Top Safety Pick designation, which is awarded to cars that receive Good scores in each of its four tests, as well NHTSA's five-star rating, the highest possible.

Standard safety features include antilock brakes and an electronic stability system, which are required on cars beginning with 2012 models. Also standard are side-impact airbags for the front seats, side curtain airbags for both rows and active front head restraints. GM's emergency communications system, OnStar, includes one year of complimentary service that has features like automatic crash notification, stolen car assistance and the ability to remotely unlock the doors.

A backup camera and rear parking sensors are optional. For a list of safety features, check out the Features & Specs page, or see how well child-safety seats fit in the CTS Car Seat Check.

    See also:

    Hydroplaning
    Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water can build up under the vehicle's tires so they actually ride on the water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and you are going fast enough. When the ve ...

    Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL)
    For vehicles with uplevel headlamps, the Adaptive Forward Lighting System (AFL) adjusts the headlamps to provide greater road illumination in various driving conditions. To enable AFL, set the ex ...

    Navigation System
    The navigation system provides detailed maps of most major freeways and roads throughout the United States and Canada. After a destination has been set, the system provides turn-by-turn instructio ...