For a while now, we here at GM Authority have been excited about not only Cadillac’s new hierarchical naming convention, but also about the flagship CT6 sedan that’s set to introduce it.
Well, with one caveat. “How can the CT6 serve as a flagship while 6 is lesser than both 7 (as-in BMW 7-series) and 8 (as-in Audi A8/S8),” we asked ourselves.
Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen has come along to put our concerns to rest. While the boss had previously stated that the CT6 would serve as the “most agile car among in the class of top-level large luxury sedans,” he recently clarified to our friends at Motor Trend that the Cadillac CT6 is not to be the flagship we’d all thought, and that it will not be positioned against the likes of the BMW 7-series, Audi A8, or even Mercedes-Benz S-class. Wait, what?
Instead, the CT6 will reportedly offer comparable refinement and tech packed into a smaller, more agile sedan shell, making it more of an alternate approach than a direct competitor. Wait, what?
More or less, it goes against our gut instinct, as well as our intel. What we instead expect, is that the CT6 won’t be the ceiling, and that there will be perhaps something even more luxurious beyond the full-size German-luxury-sedan fighter. A Cadillac CT8, perhaps?
Comments
Ok now im confused…
CT6= Audi A6
CT8= Audi A8
It’s logical after all………….
Regards from Spain
The CTS/CT5 competes with the Audi A6
Sounds to me like the bean counters got ahold of this car . Typical GM ! For much of the year we have been hearing nothing but how the LTS ( or now CT6 ) , was going to go head to head withe the S-class . Well now they have their heads out of the clouds and realize that this vehicle won’t do it so they are now lowering our expectations , and now teasing us with more Bull $#!? to look for a ” possible ” CT8 that will do the job ! Don’t get me wrong I was so hopefull GM would build the American ultra luxury car that would compete . And I am sure the CT6 will be an awesome car ( one I will never be able to afford ) , but dream about . Maybe a 2 or 3 year old off lease GM Certified car is always a possibility . =) . Thanks for nothing GM !
I’m lost here a bit also. So will this be, perhaps, a 4-door coupe of some sorts, and will this be the sedan to bow at next year’s autoshows? If this is so, then I take it the camouflaged test mule we’ve seen running around as of late will be the CT7 or CT8? Because that doesn’t look like the vehicle Mr. de Nysschen’s describing…
I’m lost. At this point all I care about is the flagship Cadillac sedan being introduced within the next year.
Excuse me for saying this but this post is STUPID! GM authority is getting people upset for nothing. The CT6 I am sure will be a direct competitor to the S class, A8, 7 Series, Ls 460 and XJ.
Cadillac including Mark Ruess been saying it that this car is the direct competitor so why renounce it now it is not a direct competitor? This makes GM looks bad if what they said in Motor Trend is true. Also keep in mind, anything you read in Motor Trend’s “Rumor Has it Section” is to be taken as a grain of salt.
Ok so now what happens to the XTS? GM said originally that the XTS would stick around for another generation. I wonder if the CT6 takes over for the XTS. If GM does not bring out a huge S-class fighter they are done! Now it makes sense why Johan said a few weeks ago that he would like to see a halo car taking on Bentley. Another odd thing I noticed in all the spy pics of the supposed flagship, on some pics the car appears longer and wider then on others. Any one else notice this?
The pricing will determine everything, if they price this starting at 85-90,000 then it has to be competing against the Sclass and 7series, if it’s less then with pricing starting at 65-70 range then won’t it be in between 5 and 7 series? but wasn’t that 2nd gen CTS problem stuck in between 3 series and 5?
Actually it makes perfect sense. A few months back when the ATS-L was launched in China, Cadillac execs were asked about a CTS-L ? They said there would be no CTS-L, but wait for our “flagship”? Essentially, the CT6 is the CTS-L for that market? Yes, it’s on a new platform, etc.. but most importantly it will be a larger, more luxurious, and most expensive Cadillac car offered there. Remember, wealthy Chinese ride in the back and are driven around.
In a few short years, the Chinese market will far surpass the US market in sales of Cadillacs and realizing this GM has announced it will offer as many as nine new models in the next 5 years………for China. Some of these (like the CT6) will also be sold here, but there will be others that will be China only, like the ATS-L. I imagine the pattern will be similar to what we now see with Buick? New models are developed and launched in China first, then they come here with a few tweaks?
So confused now. By the sounds of it, this would make the CT6 a vehicle with the size of a full size sedan but the price of a midsize. Isn’t that what the XTS is? Will this be the successor to the XTS, a vehicle I find useless in the current portfolio? I hope this is just de Nyscchen being modest about the car and that it is a true 7 series/S class competitor and de Nyscchen’s view of a flagship is a bentley competitor.
Everyone take it easy
This is why I said the other day in the name thread that the CT6 may not be the end of the line. a CT7 and CT8 were very possible at some point.
He has made it clear two larger cars could come and one may be the Elmiraj. Also we have him speaking of the want of two sports cars. One would be a smaller Z4 like car and the other could share the Zora platform much like Audi and Lambo share the same platform with two very different cars.
the CT8 should be Caddys flagship and be byond the Auidi 8 and BMW 7…and Buick should have a RWD Omega flagship possibly named Roadmaster…. witch would be a true flagship for Buick….leave the CT6 to Buick.