With a new year comes new cars, and 2015 will see General Motors add multiple exciting products to its Cadillac and Chevrolet product portfolios. It will all start at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week, but we thought we’d give you a preview of the product onslaught so you know exactly what to expect from The General throughout the year.
This list is in no particular order, but well start it off with what we believe is the most highly anticipated GM product of 2015. We first caught wind of Cadillac’s full-size sedan in 2012 when GM filed a trademark application for the ‘LTS’ name. A Chevrolet Caprice-based test mule was spotted shortly after, followed by sightings of pre-production versions of the big luxury sedan. Cadillac has now confirmed the car will be called CT6, as per its new naming convention, and released crucial details on its new Omega chassis and powertrain.
The CT6 will make use of a “mixed material body structure” and some aluminum body panels to keep its weight down. The car is eight inches longer than the current mid-size CTS, but is said to be 24 kg lighter. GM has said the car will have the most powerful six-cylinder gasoline engine in the segment, an all-new 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6, and will also have a plug-in hybrid drivetrain on offer capable of returning up to 70 MPGe. Inside, expect new technologies like GM’s camera-based rear view mirror, massage chairs and other amenities helping to put it on par with competing luxury sedans.
The CT6 will be Cadillac’s first large, luxury flagship sedan in a long while, and is the automaker’s chance to prove itself in the luxury auto marketplace. GM product chief Mark Reuss has said the car will be the “most advanced vehicle technologically in the world,” so naturally, we’re expecting a lot out of it. It’s set to debut at the New York Auto Show in April, which also happens to be the location of Cadillac’s new offices.
Cadillac’s third-generation CTS-V is the largest iteration of the performance sedan yet. The old CTS was meant to bridge the gap between compact and mid-size cars, however the CTS grew up in moving to the third-generation model and is now a true mid-size.
Cadillac spilled the beans on the 2016 CTS-V last month, however its first public appearance is slated for Detroit. Powered by a 640 horsepower version of the Corvette Z06’s supercharged 6.2-liter LT4 V8, the new CTS-V will be the fastest, most powerful car Cadillac has ever made. There’s other goodies too, like an eight-speed automatic transmission, a carbon fiber aerodynamics package, Recaro seats and Brembo brakes.
Cadillac has amassed a solid following with its V-Series performance models, so the fastest and most luxurious model yet is probably on many of their customers’ wish lists. Pricing and on-sale dates have yet to be announced, but you can bet there will be a lineup at your local Cadillac dealer once orders are open.
The CTS-V may get more attention, with its 6.2-liter V8 and 200 mph top speed, but the ATS-V is arguably a more important product for Cadillac. The automaker has never before made a true performance compact car capable of doing battle with the BMW M3, Mercedes-Benz C63 and other performance cars, so the ATS-V is unchartered territory for GM’s luxury arm.
Despite their lack of experience in the compact performance segment, the ATS-V seems to be quite the first attempt. Its 455 horsepower, twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter LF4 V6 is more powerful than the M3’s twin-turbo inline-six, and its unmistakably American styling helps set it apart from its German rivals. Like the CTS-V, the ATS-V also offers Brembo brakes, available carbon fiber aerodynamics package, and other performance necessities.
The ATS-V is said to start at around $63,000 when it goes on sale this Spring. Excited yet? We are.
4. 2016 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon 2.8-liter Duramax
Chevrolet and GMC’s 2015 Colorado and Canyon are already on sale, available with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and a range-topping 3.6-liter V6. For the 2016 model year, GM will add a 2.8-liter XLD28 four-cylinder turbo diesel to the engine portfolio, making it the only mid-size pickup on sale in North America with a turbo diesel engine.
GM has yet to say how much power and torque its 2.8-liter Duramax will produce under the hood of the Colorado and Canyon. In other global applications, the 2.8-liter engine produces 200 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, however its unclear if these figures are subject to change when it goes on sale in North America.
The 2.8-liter diesel Canyon and Colorado is important as it will offer a good mix of towing capability and fuel economy, without a doubt two of the more important aspects of a contemporary pickup. It will also be North American customer’s only choice if they want a diesel mid-size, which ought to win GM more than a few new customers.
The 2016 Chevrolet Volt has already been heavily previewed and detailed, however its official unveiling won’t come until next week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The current iteration of the Volt didn’t live up to GM’s sales expectations, but with improvements to its powertrain and overall refinement, the all-new model should up the nameplate’s appeal.
A new, more powerful 1.5-liter four-cylinder generator will help with the Volt’s overall range, while larger batteries should improve its all-electric range by 5-12 percent. The new car is also expected to be cheaper, despite having a more upscale-feeling interior and more refined powertrain, which may set it up to be a hot-seller. If GM can get the price right, the arrival of the new Volt will be exciting for everyone, not just environemtalists and other electric vehicle enthusaists willing to pay the premiuim for an EV.
Comments
Were the 2016
camaro
It will be unveiled in 2015. But that doesn’t mean it will be available in 2015.
I say replace the truck diesels for the Camaro. The Camaro will be something special.
The new Chevy Volt front facada has too much in common with Cadillac.
I’m hoping that this its not a return to the parts bin sharing of the past. Certainly some of this pertains to airflow & aerodynamics (Toyota and Lexus share a lot up front).
I worry, though, that much of this centers around tooling and stamping costs.
I wait impatiently to what they can do in Cadillac with CT6
Regards and best wishes from Spain
Buick (Opel) Cascada?
It’s not a new car by any stretch – Opel has been selling it for quite awhile now. There doesn’t appear to be any plans for Buick to get any new bits.
Envision?
Buick Regal GNX ??? Hopefully
That would be friggen awesome!
What about a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze? or a 2016 GMC Canyon Denali? or the 2016 Cadillac SRX or the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro or the 2016 Buick Envision
If current sales are any indication, the new Cadillacs are hardly the “most anticipated” products that GM will offer in 2015. What are real buyers waiting for? A better Cruze, Malibu, Impala, and Silverado. Sales don’t lie – that’s where the real money is. The fact that none of these models are outselling the competition leads me to anticipate GM finally getting serious about being best in class. As for the diesel Colorado — watch as 90% + buyers opt for the V6. This is America, and gas is cheaper than bottled water. Diesel is not.
Sure, you may be excited about the new wave of Cadillacs hitting the roads, but with the polarizing busy styling and overcomplicated electronic crap hurting reliability, they sell at less than 1/3 the rate of any other brand from GM. That’s not where GM needs to focus its attention right now. It needs to become more relevant to the middle class buyer. GM’s potential new customers are waiting for Buick to get into the game with aspirational, classy, cutting edge cars. Sadly, Buick has regressed from being a full brand with a Gran National, wagons, coupes, and convertibles with GM’s absolute best V6 engines into a shadow of its former self, hawking rebadged Opel sedans that weren’t even competitive in Europe.
Anticipation of a vehicle isnt about sales. Why do you think high end cars that people drool over and kids put up poster of, sell in low numbers. No ones going to drool over a malibu or the next cruze being spotted on a highway. This list is for cars people are wanting to see. Its passion and excitement. If you realize that, i feel sorry for you.
Bluntly, Cadillac is not for the middle class. It may have appealed to them 25 years ago, but the Cadillac of 25 years ago was embarrassment and isn’t worth remembering.
Cadillac’s unit sales are expected to be lower than that of the volume brands. Cadillac makes up for that with significantly higher transactions prices than the common Chevrolet. The same approach (ATP over units) applies to EVERY luxury good; from cars to drink to clothing and so forth.
The “overcomplicated electronic crap hurting reliability” is unproven and a weak excuse from non-luxury buyers to demand car from luxury automakers to be meet their lowered expectations. Luxury is about getting what you want, it’s about getting what you expect. You want the best luxury car made; you don’t expect it to have a manual choke control and non-programmable heating controls.
Furthermore, it would behoove GM to engineer electronic feature in Cadillac to be as robust and as reliable as possible; the luxury segment demands the best. The negate electronic features in a luxury car simply because they “could go wrong” or “make things too complicated” shows a lack of trust in the efforts automotive engineer.
Your understanding of what Cadillac should be is incorrect and out of date.
Cadillac was NEVER aimed at the middle class, and nowhere did I write that. I have stated that once again GM is putting a lot of resources into Cadillac despite the fact that the return on investment will be small. That’s undeniable business reality. GM needs to put more resources in its mainstream products which largely are not ranking anywhere near the head for the pack in their respective segments.
Drop in vehicle reliability due to poor electronic design and development is absolutely well documented amongst practically all automotive brands. Part of the blame DOES go to the engineers, but a lot of it is driven by beancounters and product managers who want the longest possible feature list without bothering to consider lifetime value to the consumer.
The #1 complaint from new auto customers is the overcomplication of formerly simple functions. One shouldn’t have to wade through menus to adjust simple controls. The #1 complaint about drivers on the road from LEOs and traffic planners is distracted driving. But what has GM done? Instead of making its flagship Cadillacs simpler, it piles more electronics and insanely overpowered engines into them as Mercedes has done. Sorry, but that’s not where the growth is. GM is in the business of selling cars, not posters.
Grawdaddy, I’m afraid that the ignition switch debacle proves Anon’s point. It would be far better for GM to get its mainstream products bulletproof instead of spending all its resources chasing Mercedes.
I am in S. FL and GM is NOT shipping enough Silverados or Colorados to even provide test drives of the Colorado. Don’t push it if you can build enough to sell. I am really fed up waiting for the Colorado to see if I want it. The Silverado is nice and I probably will wind up with it but would like to at least see an Extended Cab Colorado
They ran overtime on the holiday trying to keep up with demand of the Colorado. Add to that that this is an all new vehicle they will take some time to improve their build rates.
Folks what they are talking about are cars that will be on the covers of all the magazines when they arrive.
While the other cars will be important and exciting few of them will be cover material. The new Cruze will be important but unlikely on a cover in the media.
As for the Camaro I have been expecting it to make an appearance at Detroit. But as of yet no word. While it is not in full production trim in testing I thought it was far enough along for a show appearance.
If GM should announce it I am sure it will appear this year. If the car is delayed till late 2016 it may not show till NY or Detroit next year. This could be a mid year intro for 2016.
Either way the cars posted are only the cats so far announced.
Note too we have a 2016 Malibu coming too.
No wagon huh? Pretty impressive piece of equipment. Watched it whip a Ferrari on Top Gear, really cool. Probably become a collectors item, very few made.