It’s clear that the designers of Cadillac’s new CUE infotainment system paid a lot of attention to the negative feedback surrounding the much-maligned MyFord Touch. After getting a run-through of CUE in Los Angeles, my initial impressions are that the system is more intuitive and user friendly, although questions remain about the potential for driver distraction.

CUE, which stands for Cadillac User Experience, will debut next spring on the 2013 Cadillac XTS. Like MyFord Touch, CUE relies on a touch-sensitive display and touch-sensitive buttons on the dash. To give you some physical feedback, however, it provides a haptic response—a slight vibration—when you press a button, which helps give it the reassuring familiarity of using hard keys.

The system can also sense the proximity of your hand. So, simply moving your hand to within about four to six inches of the screen can automatically prepare it for a command. When using the navigation system, for example, the display will show a full-screen map while you’re driving. But moving your hand toward the screen will cause nav-function buttons to appear along the top and bottom of the display.

The CUE screen is uncluttered and has relatively large buttons and customizable settings. It’s also multi-touch sensitive, so you can scroll, swipe, and interact with it as you would a smart phone or tablet computer. Since even dead areas of the screen are active, you don’t need to be pinpoint precise when pressing a button, according to a spokesperson. A function will often activate even if you press in the vicinity of the related button.

The digital gauge cluster in front of the driver is also customizable. When using the navigation system, for example, a second route map can be displayed there so the driver doesn’t have to take his or her eyes as far off of the road.

According to Cadillac, CUE’s voice-command system has a conversational interface, so you don’t need to remember specific commands. This is becoming more common with other voice-command systems, as well.

As with many of today’s infotainment systems, driver distraction remains a concern, however. According to Cadillac, CUE will allow a driver to search for such things as gas prices, restaurants, and parking spots. But how much of that functionality will be active while the car is moving remains to be seen.

CUE will read text messages and display the sender’s info on the screen. A full on-screen keyboard will be available for sending texts while the car is parked, but when in motion, the driver will only be able to send one of several automated responses.

Finally, the center control cluster lifts up to allow access to an in-dash storage compartment.

Overall, it’s clear that a lot of thought has gone into the CUE system. At first blush, it looks promising, but we’ll get a better feel for how easy it is to use and what distraction risks it may present when we get the XTS or other CUE-equipped Cadillac in for a full test.

Related:
2011 LA Auto Show coverage
Special report: The connected car
Ford updates MyFord Touch - Customers speak, automaker listens
Out of Sync? Ford broadens in-car access to texting
Infotainment vs distraction: Automakers send mixed messages

—Rik Paul