There’s been a lot of talk going around about how Cadillac is “reinventing itself” as a brand. And with the move to New York City, hatching plans for unique powertrains, its own financial team, and new product entries never before seen by Cadillac, it certainly seems the case. A bit too hard to swallow, for some.
Meanwhile, there’s the new “Dare Greatly” campaign, which states: “how dare a 112-year old automaker reinvent itself?” And then comes a blurred teaser of Cadillac’s highly anticipated big car, the 2016 CT6.
All the smoke and mirrors aside, all the new marketing and all the new business plans aside, it comes down to product. And there’s nothing “reinventing” about a big Cadillac sedan. But that’s just fine, because Cadillac has been historically known and recognized for its big cars, and even seems to be measured by them. One could even argue that Cadillac has lost the way because its full-size vehicles slipped from relevance. In other words, the Cadillac brand has been completely parched for a world-class large luxury sedan, and as a correlation, brand equity has slipped. Finally, with the CT6, the 112-year old brand seems to have its tall glass of significance in the full-size sedan market. And it feels so natural.
The 2016 Cadillac CT6 is important because it calls the brand home. It calls Cadillac home because without a meaningful large car, Cadillac has been a ship with no hull. It has a sail with the V-Series cars, a captain’s chamber with the Escalade, a lower deck with the ATS, a mast with the CTS, and even a poop deck with the SRX. But nothing to really piece all of them together — no centerpiece, no nucleus — because each of those models lacked foundation relevant to the heritage of Cadillac. These days, with so much exposure, media, lack of privacy and records-keeping, it’s next to impossible for anything — brands, companies and people alike — to forget where they came from. Cadillac has no deep roots in crossovers. It has no deep roots in compact sedans. Or even mind-blowing performance cars, as seen with the outstanding V-Series line. But big luxury cars? You bet your bottom paper dollar.
To wit, Mercedes-Benz, a world-class luxury brand with a vehicle depth chart that makes even mainstream automakers blush, isn’t measured by the kind of crossover it can build, or the random AMG Black model offering with 5,000 lb-ft of torque (or somewhere in that ballpark). Rather, people seem to measure Mercedes by the S-Class it can build — the apparent everlasting standard for large luxury sedans. Meanwhile, BMW isn’t measured in the same light. It’s measured by how good its 3 Series and M vehicles are with each rollout. Not so much its large cars, like Benz. Audi, however, celebrates its Quattro technology across the board, and is measured by how good it can apply all-wheel-drive in relation to the competition. Then there’s Porsche, which is constantly graded by the 911 and nothing else. It’s nearly impossible to imagine any of these automakers without their signature products.
It’s easy to see that every successful brand has that one thing that makes it special. For Cadillac, it’s always been the big ones. And it shows with the anticipation of the CT6. Hopefully, it’s just the beginning of the 112-year-old brand’s rediscovery, and, for its own sake, there are many more large Cadillacs to come.
Comments
The ct6 will probably be my next car 4 years from now ( unless I get some major income jump) so I can’t wait for reveal
When you consider the largest GM car today is built by Holden and used by US law enforcement as a PPV, Cadillac should be embarrassed for not having gm’s biggest most comfortable car.
I agree with the list of how each maker is judged on their respective flagship, all the other models are extras.
The Caprice/SS is bigger than the Impala?
The caprice is bigger then the SS, longer at the rear doors. & trunk.
Well Cadillac was on the mark with most luxury brands till the 50’s where most of the American makers started to lose their way.
Before it was world class cars and engineering with custom bodies just as Rolls and Many other makes then after the war they became more main stream. It was not just Cadillac but Packard and Lincoln. Packard really took the hit as they had nothing else to fall back on. Ford and GM took their luxury models and tried to make them all in house with technology but the spirit of the original cars of the 30’s were lost.
The Germans were just struggling to climb out of the post war and had nothing to lose so they hit restart and went to cars that could offer luxury but also performance. They offset this with other diversions like trucks, basic cars and even Isetta’s,
As time moved on into the 60’s and 70’s The American brands lost touch and got lazy by just making more mainstream cars that in time started to fall out of favor with the gas crunch. This is where the Germans kept mostly with some large but mostly mid sized cars with a new kind of luxury and image. they were the Anti Cadillac and Lincoln as they resisted floaty rides and chrome.
Then the 80’s hit and GM and Lincoln really started to get lazy and just rebody standard GM platforms with old Cadillac appointments. GM was hurting for money greatly at this point and it would get not much better. Some saw the wisdom of more Euro like cars in the 90’s with the STS but it was not fully embraced or fully funded properly.
As we go on Lutz arrives and helps empower many at GM to do the right things but he lacked the money also to do it fully right. They gave us much better cars but no money and still no full GM corporate commitment.
To day Cadillac is on the brink of being what they can and should be today. They are not reinventing but they are just now catching up to the market and hopefully will in time lead the segment with new ideas and product of their own. GM finally has committed the money and the independents to Cadillac to do what they needed to do years ago.
Today Cadillac is not about so much what they have done but what they will do. These new products of their own making will be about what the market wants not what a few snow tops at GM think they need. The arrogance is gone and Cadillac is note reinventing but working to get back in touch with the segment and make an image and profit that they lost years ago.
You will find that even the Germans will have to adapt of die in this market we have coming. Just look at the SUV and CUV models they have out and coming. Just look at Benz who said RWD is the only way to build a car now pushing a FWD sedan as well as BMW now involved with FWD and will have some of their own.
We also have to consider too that the US market and Europe are much different for each company. In Europe the Germans are a everything car and all are not loaded up AMG models and 3M series cars. They are most often average to basic cars there many even used for fleet use. Cadillac on the other hand is mostly just a low volume brand here in NA as are the Germans. Cadillac can get away with it because of all the other products GM has.
Finally the Germans have made their name on the main products they are selling today here in NA. The fact is these are models they have sold for decades and really have not changed the formula. Tweak the styling a little and the content but generally they have just sold us the same car for 40 years and refined it.
GM has the resources to push this segment with new ideas and technology but this time funded properly to market it and engineer it. The Germans have taken notice. While they know Cadillac will not surpass them in the near term they also know GM is the one company now awakened and funded well enough to start making cuts into their profitable segment here. It is no secret that Benz has stated they have been carefully watching the CTSV that is coming because they know GM is getting closer to their mark and they know it can take enough sales away to make a difference in the bottom line as before Cadillac was never an issue.
This segment is a competition and GM is the dangerous one as they have the technology, the funding and nothing to lose here. They also understand the American market better than anyone else as Lexus and Infinity still really have never come to grips with the American market as they should. This accounts for their hits and misses.
What Cadillac has to do will not be done in one year with one model. This will take a number of years and a series of models to build up trust and to earn back their image. It will not be easy or cheap but GM has finally stopped pissing around and decided to do it right just 40 years late.
Let me add that all these brands are not judged anymore just on one car. They all have a prime car but anymore it is the types and styles of cars they sell collectively anymore that really makes their image. BMW was built on the 3 but anymore it is all their cars collectively that up hold their image. We saw this in play with the last 3 series that was such a disappointment.
A large Cadillac will be part of the package but it will neither make or break Cadillac as a whole as it is just one piece of the puzzle. Excitement and image of a brand and all of it’s products will be what controls the image.
Just look at Bentley. They once were really only known for their sedan versions of a Rolls. Today the Coupe is their most important player but yet the sedan does well and we will see a SUV soon.
Life anymore is more than just living in the past.
This is not news as everyone knows Cadillac always stood for big luxurious cars. The DTS was the last car that actually felt like a big car. Sure i know it was outdated and lacked technology and the workmanship of other makes, but dammit it was big and wide and you felt like you were driving a Cadillac. Then came the XTS which felt more like a mid sized sedan and a warmed over Lacrosse. As far as Cadillac losing its way i would say the last great Cadillac was the very rare 74 Fleetwood Talisman. It did NOT get more luxurious then that car.
I do hope GMs new Omega platform and the E2XX FWd platform address the size issues. GMs current full size cars just dont feel that full size IMO. I do think this new CT6 and even the new Buick flagship that we will see will be actual big cars. Can’t wait.
I will remind again the CT6 will be a very good car and may be the best Cadillac to date but yet it is not yet the one that will propel them to the top of the segment. Only time and more investment of more models will take us there.
I just hope all keep this in mind as they see this car this coming week.
Even GM has tempered their statements that this is the next step up but not the destination. Too many things have changed since this car was originally approved for this car to be judged as Cadillac’s full future.
Right! The CT8 will be the top car iin terms of size, price and luxury and we already know this car was approved, its just a matter of a few years down the road. I do remember GM wanting two flagships back in 2012 but the rumor was that the flagship was too close to the ultra flagship and that would not justify the investment. So obviously somewhere down the road(long before Johann) it was decided to make Cadillac its own entity and give them thier own engines and increase the lineup and going back to the original plan of a flagship and a ultra flagship.
CT6 looks nice enough but is fat to conservative. Conservative generally Carries the day in mass market but in this case Caddy needed a controversial,head turning model like CIEL to turn heads and get the conversation moving. It will be neatly impossible to out German the Germans thus design will be a deciding factor going forward. As will the targeting of new segments. This its something that had worked out well for Buick–the other lux division that its quickly surpassing Cadillac in quality and originality. Buick is not a performance brand but is catching up to the Japanese and carving out a hearty niche AZ
“Can Cadillac Come Back? GM’s once-platinum luxury brand has been stuck in the mud for decades. Now Caddy is launching a bold new campaign to rev up its cars, its image–and its sales.”
This is the headline taken from an article in the September 18, 2000 edition of Fortune magazine that I just came across. Sound familiar? More of the same. I won’t post the whole article here, but it makes mention of “Art and Science”. Fifteen years later they’re still harping the same old theme. I’m getting tired of this “turn around”. When is it supposed to happen?
Your argument doesn’t make sense. The CT6 isn’t just a big boaty car like the old Cadillacs. It’s going to be a big car, yes, but the car is going to be light and nimble on its feet. just because Cadillac is going to make a “big” car doesn’t mean that it is going to be anything like the big cars that Cadillac has made in the past.
Reinventing Cadillac isn’t about moving away from big cars, it is about moving away from big boaty cars that won’t handle. Just because Cadillac is going to make a big car doesn’t mean that the brand is not also reinvented.
Nobody ever said it was going to ride and act like the past. The same way the new Porsche 911 doesn’t drive like the old ones. Or… any other old vehicle in relation to a modern one. And your last sentence goes exactly with the point of this post.
Savor the glow from the CT6 but see what awaits from Ford with the new Lincoln Continental , the concept was shown today .
For me , this is simply a gorgeous understated design , one that Cadillac just can’t understand , in my opinion . The grill reminds me of a Bentley , in your face a bit , but blends into the front end so well . The greenhouse is big , no high beltline , which will pamper the front and rear passengers and I think that components will be time tested and work right from day one . Man , how I love competition , brings out the best and I hope Chrysler brings out a 300 luxury upgrade….perhaps they will call it the 400 series . Buick has the superb LaCrosse , as well , so bring on the heat . I can’t recall this many high end North American manufactured products getting so much attention , which will give customers some really fine choices !!
I think if Cadillac had just made (or makes) the car at the top of this post (El Miraj) then that will shut a lot of people up.
That car is freakin’ gorgeous!
I’m blown away by the Lincoln Concept. It’s gorgeous. Let’s see Wednesday with the introduction of the CT6. I own an ATS, a close friend a new CTS and my best friend an early XTS. The XTS? Just a mess I’m sorry to say. The point that Cadillac big sedans must be the “statement” models? Well taken. And spot on correct about Mercedes S series being the aspirational model. And the absolute gold standard for ultra luxury sedans.
Cadillac is my favorite luxury carmaker, but Lincoln gave its new car a name, and it looks stunning.
Welcome back Continental!!!
Now, where’s the Ciel? Elmiraj? SeVille? DeVille?!!!!!
C’mon Cadillac, there’s something special missing from the CT6…
I hope you realize the the continental is only a concept.
A concept that will go into production next year. This is going to happen and we’ll see an age old rivalry be reborn. Cadillac Versus Lincoln. We’ll also see some formidable competition coming out of the U.S. automakers which is a refreshing sight.
I don’t think the CT6 and the continental will be going against each other as it is being said that continental will be on the front drive platform
Production cars seldom ever look like their conceptual counterparts.
If the Continental is named as such, makes it to production, and gets priced $20,000 below the segment average price as Lincoln habitually does, then you can guarantee that the interiour won’t look anything like the concept.
On the contrary anymore most show cars are around 85% production anymore. Accept for some small features, Chrome and a little smaller wheels most are pretty much ready anymore.
Companies learned you can not put show cars into production so easy or you have issues. The SSR you can not adjust the seats with the door shut. The Camaro blind spots and a steering wheel no one likes Etc. But they have learned they can not bait and switch the public as they have in the past anymore either.
Note the Malibu, CT6 and Camaro are all production cars that we will see. GM learned their lessons and their production cars are now the show cars.
What some of you need to understand is this with the Lincoln. It is targeted more at a Buick, Lexus and Acura crowd and not the German cars. Ford has stated this car is targeted to these and they are looking for sales in China.
Once Cadillac fully transform they will not be competing in the same segment.
The new Lincoln by their own admission is not a S series or M series competitor.
Odds are they will build it but it will be more toned down in several areas like wheel size and chrome.
The reality is this car has much more in common with the 300 than any other American car.
As for the Cadillac turnaround you need to do your home work and understand that they have raised the bar 3 times on the company and the folks in power now are all in to fully fund Cadillac the way it needs to be vs. just good enough.
The CT6 was origianlly all the better they were willing to go and now they have changed that so the cars that will better this will be 4-5 years out.
The real question is will thos at Ford who understand Lincoln beat out those who do not understand them. There is a major faction within Ford that has tried to kill the division and a segment that knows the profit potential if they do it right that are trying to save it. How this car does may be a life of death term for Lincoln. I hope they do well. I is realistic to compete with Buick and this may get the new RWD Buick approved if it has not already.
There is a lot more to all this than some of you realize and you need to get caught up as things have been changing fast.
Chevrolet, or Buick should have gotten the ATS. The CT6 is what Cadillac needs. 4 sets of golf clubs in the trunk… no problem.
I TOTALLY agree withe the article . Cadillac has always been known for its big cars . Sure the ATS and CTS are fine automobiles but there are still people out there that dont really consider those as being a Cadillac . Just look at the sales recently . Cadillac may want to compete with the ultra luxury manufacturers but thats going to take 4 or 5 model years to maybe get there . it was always the case that producing a large car with all the toys was first and then some of the toys would trickle down to the others , not the other way around . I would be willing to bet that even though trucks and SUV’s are the vehicle of choice right now but maybe because the domestic companies have stopped producing big cars . Not everyone needs a 4 wheel drive thats loaded to the bear . And look at how trucks are built now , they are luxury throughout . The wisdom goes that these trucks are yesterdays big cars . GM and Lincoln hopefully see that there is still a huge market out there for their big cars . The quality will be better than ever and not all people need Nav. systems or seats that vibrate to give you information or hand sewn leather or even back seat entertainment systems that alot of people don’t even use . . I have even heard people say that they wish they could get a “bench” seat in front instead of a console and shifter and bucket seats . Bucket seats were for sports cars not luxury vehicles . And with the airbag technology these days there wouldn’t be a problem with 3 people seated up front . All of Gm’s divisions should have a big car and let Cadillac be the one that you yern for . JMO
“GM and Lincoln hopefully see that there is still a huge market out there for their big cars . The quality will be better than ever and not all people need Nav. systems or seats that vibrate to give you information or hand sewn leather or even back seat entertainment systems that alot of people don’t even use . . I have even heard people say that they wish they could get a “bench” seat in front instead of a console and shifter and bucket seats . Bucket seats were for sports cars not luxury vehicles . And with the airbag technology these days there wouldn’t be a problem with 3 people seated up front”
The year is 2015, not 1975. America cannot risk sell another disgustingly unappealing land barge masquerading as a luxury car that is lacking KEY segment features of navigation, hand-fabricated leather, and infotainment. The consumers in this segment DEMAND it, and you can’t fool them into buying the car offering little or nothing comparable to the Germans.
Truthfully, the Germans lead the luxury car world, and you can’t compare or challenge them by offering substandard cars that are missing content.
If the Germans can such features and more in their cars, why is it acceptable for Cadillac and Lincoln to low-ball their cars and omit certain key features and content? That kind of a approach is underserving and unbecoming of a luxury automaker, especially one that is promoting itself as ‘The Standard of the World’.
Bench seats aren’t ever coming back, regardless of the current state of airbags. They’re unappealing, waste console space, ruin resale values, and offer less occupant comfort for the sake of adding an extra seating position that is less comfortable than a standard bucket seat. Besides, airbags are supplemental safety systems and are not a substitute for seat belts.
I think once you find out more on the CT6 you will see that Cadillac is not trying to be on car fits all and the full size is only part of the deal.
The CT6 will be a larger car but it will hide its size will with the styling. It will have a 10.2 inch screen that fits the interior because of the width.
The car also will have 5.5 more inches in the rear because it has to appeal in China. Now you know why we did not get the CTL stretched.
But this cars focus is on less weight coming in at 44 pounds under the CTS. It will come with fixes for Cue with a pad on the console so you can control the functions with out the need to touch the dash. It will have many tech features that will pave the way for even more in the future.
The engines will provide much power with the 3.6 at around 350 HO and the Turbo V6 at 400 Plus by intro. The Turbo V8 is coming with at least 500-600 HP. Not sure why the 2.0 is coming at 272 but what ever.
While this will be a bigger car it is not going to be a modern Fleetwood. It will be a comfortable car without feeling like Grandma’s couch and it will be competent on the road with out feeling like a Chriscraft.
This is really taking the XTS slot will the end all be all cars are finished. While 4-5 years sounds far off we will be seeing Mules under the skin of this car soon and cammo mules in about 3 years.
I have read the detail on the CT6 and just to pass along it is AWD with three modes and an 8 speed. RWD is available if you like. The system looks well sorted from what I see.
Again the Lincoln by Fords own admission is not going after the Germans. It will remain a car for Buick and Chrysler here to challenge and in China to make what ever money they can on an exploding segment in that country that is growing by 17% last year alone. You can’t play if you do not have a player and while it may be difficult Ford at least will have a player there.
I forgot check out the new advanced rear suspension. Cadillac is incorporating a rear steer set up in this car for better maneuvering at low speed and better lane changes at high speed.
Believe it or not I do know what year it is ! And the last time I checked this is still America where a person can speak his opinion without someone who knows no more than anyone else on a subject matter that hasn’t even been shown to the public yet . I also never said anything about Cadillac building substandard vehicles again . My point was that there is still a market in the US for big cars . And “JMO” means just that . Your opinion is no more correct than any others .
“My point was that there is still a market in the US for big cars .”
No, your point was that just want a big car and that you don’t want Cadillac to succeed with a competent full-size car. You want a big, trashy, dumpy car like daddy had back in the 70’s. You don’t want Cadillac to make the CT6 out of your price range because then you couldn’t live out that dream of owning a piece of 1970-esque Detroit iron. You just want a big car with cloth bench seats, a column shifter, and a landau roof. There’s no need for the CT6 to have adaptive cruise or autonomous abilities, or to even to have CarPlay. It just needs to be priced at under $50K, and that alone will make the S-class and the Germans go away for good. Cadillac will be back on top of the world in no time.
That’s the problem I have with your shallow opinion. It’s lacking depth and is grossly idealistic. Making the CT6 into some kind of XTS replacement (or Fleetwood reincarnate) would be detrimental to Cadillac public image as a luxury automaker. Cadillac doesn’t need the CT6 to become the new airport taxi that the Town Car is. It needs to be, and remain, exclusive to few and seen by many. This may be Cadillac’s last shot at relevance, and blowing it all by making and de-contented CT6 will further bolster the global impression that the American’s can’t make a proper luxury car without cutting corners and offering “luxo-barges” on the cheap.
Furthermore, GMA is a PRIVATELY-OWNED website. The fact that you are an American and are in America says nothing in the face of GMA’s ownership. That ownership grants the owners the ability to allow or disallow anything you or I post on this website; they can be as accommodating or as despotic as they like towards any user comments be they unsupported opinions or factual. Your and my opinions on this website are not guaranteed under any US or international law to be free from criticism, ridicule, scrutiny, study, dismissal, or even removal by the owners.
You make it public, you get it back publicly. If you can’t stand criticism of your unpopular opinions, you shouldn’t present publicly and them and not expect criticism of them. Your opinions are always uninsulated. You posted an unpopular opinion, you get the criticism for them. None of precious American civil rights were challenged, and you have just as many rights as your did when you woke up this morning. One post on GMA won’t change that.
At most, it’s mild jimmie rustling…and if that sets you off, then I can’t help you.
The fact is in this segment with low volume of each model it take a variety of different models in different sizes and segments to make up a division. Because of the pricing all are very profitable.
This is why BMW is making smaller cars. Benz is making a FWD. Bentley is making a SUV, Porsche is making a sedan and Ferrari is going hybrid.
This segment the canvases is large and the profits permit many different things.
There is a segment for a larger car but not a monster of old. It is limited but can be profitable in this price range.
If there was a one car fits all here like years past there would only be one car but that is not the case. There is something for anyone with the money here. GM will take money from anyone interested. Look for some kind of sports car and even may be two along with a complement of CUV and SUV models added to the new Sedan and Coupe products now under development.
Cadillac is not just a big car company as Checker was one too. They are a luxury division that offers premium vehicles of sizes and types.
The work horse cars will remain the smaller sedans and the coming SUV/CUV models as that is the core of this segment. The larger cars are just frosting on the cake.