Something needs to carry Cadillac’s performance banner into the future, and, with three of its four sedans slated for execution within the next year, GM’s luxury brand has decided the sole remaining car should be it. Tough decision, that one.
At least it’s not the XT5.
Late Wednesday, Cadillac announced the flagship CT6 V-Sport, bowing for the 2019 model year, will henceforth be known as the CT6-V. In the Cadillac stable, V-Sport models see a significant uptick in power, with the real scorching stuff carrying a -V signifier. Luckily, the CT6 V-Sport stands to gain an engine of considerable output when it arrives in the spring.
Automotive News reports that GM product chief Mark Reuss announced the name change at a dealer conference in Las Vegas yesterday. The move comes after the brand received an “overwhelming response” to the CT6 V-Sport that appeared at the New York Auto Show in April, Reuss said.
For this variant, the full-size sedan makes use of a new, in-house designed twin-turbocharged 4.2-liter V8, adding a new power level above the CT6’s current top-flight TT3.0 V6. A 10-speed automatic and all-wheel drive helps put the power to the road. With 550 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque on tap, the CT6-V’s DOHC V8 tops the turbo six by 150 hp and 127 lb-ft. Still, it’s a notch below the CTS-V’s supercharged 6.2-liter V8 and its 640 hp and 630 lb-ft.
Luckily for the CT6-V, the CTS line won’t exist much longer. The model disappears after 2019, as does its ATS-V baby brother, now relegated to coupe form only. This should help boost the CT6-V’s panache and credentials.
As the CT6 prepares to carry the V series designation into the future, it won’t have to go it alone. Cadillac President Steve Carlisle claims there’s more V models are on the way, but the identity of these vehicles isn’t known. Next year, Cadillac plans to launch a sedan model splitting the difference between the ATS and CTS, with a smaller sedan to follow. There’s also a larger crossover coming to bridge the midsize XT5 and full-size Escalade.
Looking eastward, a quick glance at the product offerings at BMW and Mercedes-Benz tells us the V designation probably won’t remain a car-only phenomenon for too much longer.
[Image: General Motors]
Hehehe thats not a name. Now, Deez Nuts? That’s a name.
“Cadillac President Steve Carlisle claims there’s more V models are on the way”
Cimmaron-V incoming!
Seriously though I do wonder if Mr. Carlisle ever wonders why all Cadillac products become ghetto fab’d so quickly while say, Lincoln’s do not. Erratic behavior from the marque is a big part of it.
I don’t know why they are bothering with a CT5 and CT3. Is anyone excited about an ATS-L wearing an Escala mask or a Cruzillac?
This should be Cadillac’s car lineup:
0. CT6 (with the PHEV and the Northstar II as the engine options)
1. XTS (rename it the CT5 if you want)
The lower end of the Cadillac market can be served by the CUVs and people with under $40K to spend that need a sedan can buy a Buick.
If they really have to do an Alpha sedan then make it a Chevrolet and price it in line with the Camaro.
ajla
The Germans have a whole fleet of small cars in their U.S. lineup. (Audi A3, A4, A5; BMW 2,3,4,Z4 series; Mercedes A-class, C-class, CLA, Porsche Cayman, Carrera)
Cadillac just wants to build 1. Why do you trolls have such a big problem with that?
Also Cadillac has sold 140,000 ATSes in its 6 years on the U.S. market and theyare on track to sell 15,000 this year. The CTS didn’t do so well. Probably because its priced too close to the XTS. Still Cadillac has sold 80,000 in 5 years. On track for 9,500 this year.
“Why do you trolls have such a big problem with that?”
Because I expect they’ll be cynically-engineered sales failures. If you haven’t noticed sedans are majorly contracting in volume and Cadillac has not shown historical success in these size classes in the first place. The CT6 and XTS are within their core competency and brand image so that’s where I think their non SUV/CUV efforts should go.
How many units of the CT5 and CT3 do you think Cadillac will sell in the US? If you believe in them you must have some positive expectations for them.
Don’t ever compare Lincoln to Cadillac. Lincoln is close to last place in both engineering and sales. Even Acura outsells Lincoln.
Ford – what a digrace!!!!!
Will the Cimmaron-V be competing with the Mercedes A-class-AMG, CLA-AMG or BMW-Supra/Z4?
Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah
Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah
Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah
There are maybe 3 people who give a flying sh!t about this.
This announcement is as momentous as Gatorade announcing some new flavor, bizarrely colored.
*And for those who keep telling me/us that the FIRST EVER, ALL NEW $55,000 Compact CADILLAC XT4 is NOT an Equinox:
“The all-new XT4 rides on what Cadillac calls “an all-new compact SUV architecture,” though that’s likely a lengthened version of the D2XX platform used by the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. The additional wheelbase length will give the XT4 “segment-leading rear-seat spaciousness,” Cadillac claims.”
AND
“It seems Cadillac’s upcoming compact crossover has a platform. As we’ve long suspected, the XT4 is probably not riding on the D2XX or C1XX platforms, the former used by the Chevrolet Equinox, and the latter used by the Cadillac XT5.
Nope, Cadillac has reportedly tapped the E2XX platform for its crossover. That is the same platform which underpins the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu and 2018 Buick Regal. Why engineers would choose a midsize platform for a C-segment crossover is a bit peculiar, but it seems to check out thus far.”
So it’s a Malinox platform, which is essentially a Malibu, but with less cargo room than a Chevry Equinox.
Oh, and the chock-full-of-Chinese parts 2.0 liter turbo mill in it manages to be less powerful by some measure than the 2.0t that Guangzhou-Guadalajara-Gangwon Motors (GM) uses in lower priced Chevys, Bruicks, GMCs, etc.
So, the XT4 is less powerful AND has less cargo room than the Chevy Equinox.
XT4 Horsepower 237 @ 5000 (SAE cert.)
vs
2018 Equinox (that starts at $24,575) 2.0t = The 2.0’s output reaches 252 horsepower at 5500 rpm and 260 lb-ft of torque at 2500 rpm.
BRILLIANT!
XT4 Horsepower 237 @ 5000 (SAE cert.)
That number is truly pathetic BTW. A 2.0T should be making hp/torque numbers similar to a “3 plus-ish” ltr V6 or there is no freaking point in its existence.
Exactly.
Exceedingly few of these turbocharged 4 bangers get as good fuel economy or power as even halfway-decent inline 6s or V6s, they are more trouble-prone, less likely to last nearly as long, and sound like sh!t.
But then the braniacs at Cadillac come along and develop a 2.0T that makes less horsepower than the other GM 2.0Ts used in lesser priced Chevys, Buicks, etc.
But don’t tell John1993Taurus…his next vehicle is going to be either a loaded Cadillac XT4, or a 2003 Kia Amanti…he’s still looking.
2003 Kia Amanti….ROTFL!!
I’ll actually admit that I found my father-in-laws 2.0T AWD Terrain SLE entertaining.
I recently drove it on a 300 plus mile round trip. There’s nothing there below 2000 rpm and then from 2000 rpm to 5000 rpm was a riot. Like the accelerator was an on/off switch. I honestly found the 9 speed transparent in its operation. Highway fuel economy was great, city fuel economy was terrible. I noticed the cruise never let the engine get above 3000 rpm when engaged. The sound insulation was to a point where I had to look at the tach to see what the engine was doing.
However I live at altitude (6500 ft) and most naturally aspirated engines feel out of breath around here.
I don’t understand Cadillac not offering a performance crossover. All other “premium” crossovers do, even the Lincoln MKC 2.3T is rated @285HP and is a $1000 cheaper. Cadillac just refuses to understand it’s competition
The caddy gets 24 mpg city – never seen a 6 do that.
DeadWeight
Yea, I’m guessing Cadillac will only sell about 45,000 XT4s in its first 12 months on the U.S. market. But it is a good looking crossover, and its been getting very positive reviews. So sales should grow as time goes on.
I had the small Mercedes GLA CUV in Orlando back in Jan of 2018.
I did not care for it. It had a tiny cargo area, cheapish interior (makes sense b/c it’s based on abomination that is CLA), and a too-brittle suspension (even on Orlando’s relatively silken – compared to Michigan’s – roads).
Fit and finish (interior and exterior) was two cuts above anything from Guangzhou-Guadalajara Motors (GM), though, the motor made strong, linear power (just like the CLA – one of its few redeeming qualities – even if it sounds clattery at idle and low revs), and it got great mileage over 4 1/2 days and MANY miles.
Also, the automatic braking whatever system worked really well, as did the full suite of other passive and active safety systems.
I will now list the apparent pros of the XT4 as I see it in photos: 1) The interior, at least in this ridiculously priced upper trim version, including dash materials and gauge cluster appear to be better than in the ATS or XT5 (but let us wait and see what the 34k to 40k MSRP interior looks like on this truly COMPACT, MALIBU-DONOR CHASSIS CUV.
I’m going to say I have low expectations for the XT4 as to whether it’s a good or poor vehicle unto itself, because 1) GM – and its inevitable trash reliability/durability, 2) diminutive cargo area, 3) melty & incongruent exterior design, 4) poor engine power specs (and at a wound-out 5500’rpm, at that), and 5) ridiculous price tag for a compact CUV even by Audi, BMW or Lexus standards.
However, all that said, sure it will sell in some respectable volume because the USA has gone apesh!t crazy for anything CUV, and in terms of $269/month to $289/month leases.
Well, it looks like what GM has done by putting the XT4 on a midsize platform is give it the occupant space of a mid-size, with a vastly-shortened cargo area. By length, it’s compact. By width, it’s mid-size. I’m not sure what the differences between E2XX and C1XX are. I feel like they’re variants of the same thing, which would basically make the XT4 a sawn-off XT5.
2019 Cadillac XT4
6.2/10·The Car Connection
MSRP: From $34,795
Dimensions: 181″ L x 77″ W x 64″ H
MPG: Up to 24 city / 30 highway
Cargo volume: 22.3 ft³, 48.9 ft³ with seat area
Horsepower: 237 HP
2019 BMW X3
MSRP: From $41,000
MPG: Up to 23 city / 30 highway
Dimensions: 186″ L x 74-75″ W x 66″ H
Cargo volume: 28.7 ft³, 62.7 ft³ with seat area
Horsepower: 248 to 355 HP
2019 Acura RDX
MSRP: From $37,300
Dimensions: 187″ L x 75″ W x 66″ H
MPG: Up to 22 city / 28 highway
Cargo volume: 29.5 ft³, 58.9 ft³ with seat area
Horsepower: 272 HP
2019 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class
MSRP: From $33,950
MPG: Up to 24 city / 33 highway
Dimensions: 174-175″ L x 71″ W x 58-60″ H
Cargo volume: 43.6 ft³ with seat area
Horsepower: 208 to 375 HP
2019 Lincoln MKC
MSRP: From $33,995
Dimensions: 179″ L x 73″ W x 65″ H
MPG: Up to 20 city / 27 highway
Cargo volume: 25.2 ft³, 53.1 ft³ with seat area
The XT4 is a literal midget (a very highly priced one) in terms of cargo space (forgot about skis – good luck with luggage or other stuff).
The X3, RDX, GLA, AND MKC blow it away in terms of cargo area –
– the XT4 is nearly SUBCOMPACT by comparison to these, *AND* to the $24,000 MSRP Chevrolet Equinox, interestingly –
“The redesigned 2018 Chevrolet Equinox has rear cargo dimensions and wheelbase specs similar to the 2017, with its 29.9 cubic feet behind the backseat and 63.5 cu ft of cargo space with the rear seat folded.”
FULL-ON IMBECILES AT CADIHACK – LOOK AT THE POWER FIGURES OF THE X3, RDX, MKC, GLA, AND EVEN THE EQUINOX, TOO.
Cadillac is run by the most incompetent morons in existence.
Just for sh!ts and gigles ; the following are likely to be far better in terms of reliability, durability, driving dynamics, overall quality, fit/finish, than the Clackilack XT4 at 50% to 65% of the price, and also have WAY more cargo and passenger room:
2018 Mazda CX-5
Compact sport utility vehicle
MSRP: From $24,150
MPG: Up to 25 city / 31 highway
Dimensions: 179″ L x 73″ W x 65″ H
Cargo volume: 30.9 ft³, 59.6 ft³ with seat area
Horsepower: 187 HP
2018 Honda CR-V
Compact sport utility vehicle
Dimensions: 181″ L x 73″ W x 66-67″ H
MPG: Up to 28 city / 34 highway
MSRP: From $24,250
Cargo volume: 39.2 ft³, 75.8 ft³ with seat area
184-hp 2.4-liter four, 190-hp 1.5-liter turbo four
A VW GTI has more cargo room with seat area than the XT4, GLA, and MKC, LOL! And the Golf wagon beats all of them except the CR-V by a pretty healthy margin. I know it doesn’t matter but I just wanted to point that out.
Hail to the “V”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1RzxLHfn5U
(An old Summers Eve commercial)
Mom, does your cadillac ever feel, you know, not so fresh..
I picked up a new CTS-V last week to replace my SS. It’s the business. Glad I got mine before they’re extinct.
Sweet. I’m still hoping for a manual Vagon to replace my V1 but it’s looking more and more like a V2 or V3 sedan will be my next CarVette.
They should have made it a 4.1L V8 just for old time’s sake.
Cadillac names give me a headache.
So then when are we going to get a new Lt1 sedan? The CTS-V has been the only continuous performance sedan in GMs lineup for a long time. Without the CTS-V GMs lineup has a huge hole in it. DOHC small displacement 8 is okay I guess but it’s clearly not a fire breather if it’s a downgrade from the old car. Also why turbos Cadillac? Why not just put a solid rear axle in it if your already going to screw it up with turbos. Supercharge it like the LT1.
I feel like Cadillacs going even further down this road of copying Euros. They had two half way respectable vehicles the CTS-V and the Escy, which isn’t exactly unique to Cadillac. So we’re down to one half way respectable vehicle.
Lame.
“So then when are we going to get a new Lt1 sedan?”
I got bad news for you man.
So let me get this straight: Cadillac went through all the trouble of finally evolving from the “tweener” CTS and STS to the right-sized ATS, CTS, and CT6. And now they’re going back to the Tweener game?
I’m not going to knock the strategy, the (properly priced) tweener game seemed to work just fine for them whereas playing the Teutonic 3-5-7 / C-E-S / 4-6-8 game was falling flat. But I wonder why they bothered in the first place, in hind sight.
The tweener strategy worked much better, based on the sales figures.
Over on Jalopnik, Michael Ballaban has a good theory about how the Cadillac CT6 V-Sport became the CT6-V. Oh, what might have been.
Cadillac just doesn’t seem to know what it’s market is. Or it keeps changing who it thinks it is. Or something.
My mom bought a new Cadillac about a year or so ago. She’s about a year out from retirement; my dad retired a couple of years ago. She bought a Cadillac sedan- whatever the biggest Cad sedan they make is. She did not want a CUV. She did get AWD (because winter where they live). It has a V6.
Mom drove Oldsmobiles and Buicks her whole life. Dad was a Chevy and Dodge man (He’s got a new Silverado pickup now).
They are Cadillac’s market. And the rest of GM had better be paying attention, because in order for Cadillac to sell Cadillacs, they need to sell Chevrolets, Buicks, Oldsmobiles….oh, wait….
Well, they need to sell Chevrolets and Buicks to younger people, who will then develop a positive opinion of the brand (Hey, that Impala was pretty good, I’m making some more money now, maybe I could step up to something nicer…) and maybe keep GM on the radar when they get older. No, they see everything in a vacuum.
The demographic for people willing and able to spend 50K+ on a car is also people 50+, for the most part. Marketing to those people is not fun, so no one wants to do it. But that’s where the money is. My grandfather used to walk into the Mercury dealer every 3 years and drive out with a brand new Grand Marquis, trading in his old one with 20,000 miles on it. _That’s_ who you want to sell cars to.
This is it. Couldn’t have said it better myself. Cadillac has a demographic, unfortunately, they are too naive to market to it. Sure it’s not sexy, young, fast, whatever you want to call it, but their best vehicles are the ones without sporting intentions. I think the XTS and Escalade are Caddy’s bread and butter and they need to focus on those better.
People who want German performance are going to..*shocker*..buy German brands! Sure some bought the Cadillac’s but most wouldn’t even give that brand a second thought. Cadillac is America’s luxury brand. Sell that. Look at the success Lincoln is having with their new Navigator. It can be done.
The XTS is damn fine facsimile of a Oldsmobile 98.
(Which I mean as a compliment.)
This is what it will look like when the aftermarket gets to it and at the SEMA show:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/newyorkdailyhoto/412340652
Oh mercy…..