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Cadillac Diesel Program Remains On Track Following Opel Sale

The sale of Opel and Vauxhall to PSA Groupe has left many questions to be answered, but we have the answer to one today.

Car and Driver reports Cadillac’s diesel engine program is on track and has not been derailed by the sale of Opel. Initially, the new Cadillac diesels were to be developed in conjunction with Opel and serve as the German brand’s next generation oil burners. The engines have been in development for a couple of years in both 6- and 4-cylinder variations.

Developing the engines solely for Cadillac would be too costly. However, the supply agreements are already in place, and Opel is set to receive the engines despite its transfer of ownership towards the end of 2017.

“The diesel program has been affected, but not catastrophically,” and an unnamed source told Car and Driver.

The upcoming diesel engines are part of Cadillac’s overall growth strategy as it eyes up the European market next decade. Diesel is a must to be considered a key player. So are right-hand drive vehicles, something the brand is also working on.

2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe - Exterior - Europe 009

Cadillac hasn’t revealed if the diesel engines will be offered in the United States, but considering General Motors has had a thing for the fuel as of recent, it’s not unlikely. The 2018 GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Equinox and 2017 Chevrolet Cruze all offer a diesel engine option.

Former GM Authority staff writer.

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Comments

  1. why not including Chevrolet and Buick???

    Reply
  2. All those news are not very concrete… But those news suggest that after PSA taking control of and integrating technically and commercially Opel, PSA and GM will still be cooperating in production and development.

    Because of the GM interest in Diesel engines, GM decided to keep the Torino based engine development center as the only establishment not sold to PSA.

    While Diesel power represents a very high percentage in European car sales, especially France and Germany, Diesel is under attack in Europe for alleged enviromental nuisance. In France there are political forces who want to raise the taxes on Diesel to the same level as for regular petrol, thus eliminating the big price advantage of Diesel engines.

    Reply
  3. It seems as if Opel earned it’s keep via r&d. Got to wonder how Opel sale will effect Latin America?
    Outside the US and China the fuel efficiency of gas powered engines will matter for decades in markets like Brazil and India.
    GM and PSA need an alliance like Nissan Renault. Opel could have served as the financial link up.

    Reply
  4. I have driven the new 2017 Chevy Cruze diesel and it is a real gem. With the nine speed automatic tranny the combination is fast with virtually no turbo lag and smooth shifts with the option of manual control. Today I drove a 2015 VW Jetta diesel and it took much longer to start and was much noisier. The VW had a six speed dual clutch tranny which was nice but I prefer the Chevy Cruze nine speed instead. Also, the Cruze can come with almost all the latest safety equipment which is unavailable on the 2015 VW Jetta. I still want to test drive the 2018 Chevy Equinox with the turbo diesel and selectable awd. Now being on my fifth Prius I am ready for something with some great torque.

    Reply

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