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Cadillac CT6 Sales Decrease 33 Percent To 777 Units In November 2017

Cadillac CT6 sales decreased in the United States and in Canada in November 2017.

Cadillac CT6 Sales - November 2017 - United States

In the United States, Cadillac CT6 deliveries totaled 777 units in November 2017, a decrease of about 34 percent compared to 1,169 units sold in November 2016.

In the first eleven months of the year, CT6 sales increased about 23 percent to 9,701 units.
MODEL NOV 2017 / NOV 2016 NOVEMBER 2017 NOVEMBER 2016YTD 2017 / YTD 2016 YTD 2017 YTD 2016
CT6 -33.53% 777 1,169 +23.17% 9,701 7,876

Cadillac CT6 Sales - November 2017 - Canada

In Canada, Cadillac CT6 deliveries totaled 34 units in November 2017, a decrease of about 45 percent compared to 62 units sold in November 2016.

In the first eleven months of the year, CT6 sales increased about 54 percent to 328 units.
MODEL NOV 2017 / NOV 2016 NOVEMBER 2017 NOVEMBER 2016YTD 2017 / YTD 2016 YTD 2017 YTD 2016
CT6 -45.16% 34 62 +53.99% 328 213

The GM Authority Take

The 33 percent drop in November CT6 deliveries is greater than the segment average of 22 percent. The performance places the full-size Cadillac sedan in third place in its competitive set in terms of overall sales volume – behind the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which outsold the CT6 two-fold, as well as the BMW 7 Series, which outsold the CT6 by a mere 11 units.

Even so, the CT6 outsold the Lexus LS, Audi A8 (see Audi A8 sales) and Genesis G90. Notably, the BMW and Audi entrants posted higher year-over-year sales drops than the CT6.

We attribute the decrease in CT6 sales performance to the following factors:

  • A strong holiday season push for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class at the retail level, and
  • The ongoing shift in consumer buying dynamics that favors crossover utility vehicles at the expense of other vehicle types like sedans and hatchbacks

In addition, it’s worth noting that the CT6 and the Genesis G90 were the only two segment contenders to record sales growth in the first 11 months of the year.

Sales Numbers - Full-Size Luxury Cars - November 2017 - United States

MODEL NOV 17 / NOV 16 NOVEMBER 17 NOVEMBER 16 YTD 17 / YTD 16 YTD 17 YTD 16
S-CLASS +22.24% 1,803 1,475 -20.83% 13,704 17,309
7 SERIES -36.09% 788 1,233 -29.61% 8,169 11,605
CT6 -33.53% 777 1,169 +23.17% 9,701 7,876
LS -18.64% 358 440 -22.77% 3,788 4,905
A8 -36.73% 217 343 -21.57% 2,861 3,648
G90 +22.26% 368 301 +890.57% 3,992 403
XTS -26.95% 1,938 2,653 -20.96% 15,051 19,042
CONTINENTAL -34.95% 923 1,419 +216.04% 10,796 3,416
TOTAL -20.60% 7,172 9,033 -0.21% 68,062 68,204

The full-size luxury sedan segment contracted 20 percent in November and was relatively flat (down 0.21 percent) in the first 11 months of 2017.

About Cadillac CT6

2016 Cadillac CT6 Exterior 020

The Cadillac CT6 is a full-size prestige luxury sedan. It slots above the mid-size Cadillac CTS and compact Cadillac ATS as the largest Cadillac sedan.

The current model was introduced for the 2016 model year and represents the first generation of the CT6 nameplate. The 2018 CT6 represents the third model year of the first-generation CT6 and introduces such features as Super Cruise, Rear Camera Mirror Washer and an updated CUE infotainment system (to version 2.6). The vehicle rides on the advanced, high-tech and lightweight GM Omega platform that is currently not shared with any other vehicles, though a full-size crossover on the architecture has been rumored.

For North American markets, the CT6 is built by GM USA at the GM Detroit-Hamtramck factory. For China, the model is built at the Cadillac China factory, aka SGM Jinqiao. The CT6 Plug-In model is built at this plant for global markets, including the United States.

About The Numbers

  • All percent change figures compared to Cadillac CT6 November 2016 sales
  • Cadillac CT6 sales include all CT6 variants, including CT6 and CT6 PHEV
  • Mercedes-Benz S-Class sales include S-Class Sedan, S-Class Coupe and Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
  • Audi A8 sales include Audi A8 and all variants, including A8L and S8
  • Sales figures for the Jaguar XJ and Maserati Quattroporte, which compete in the fullsize luxury sedan class, are not included since Jaguar does not disclose sales by vehicle line
  • In the United States, there were 25 selling days in November 2017 and 25 selling days in November 2016
  • In Canada, there were 26 selling days in November 2017 and 26 selling days in November 2016

Related Sales Reporting

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Comments

  1. What sad times. It seems like such a short time ago when full sized Cadillacs were top sellers and were everywhere.

    Reply
    1. You can thank the brilliant Roger Smith for a 1975 for making Cadillac a brand within GM and taking away its autonomy, resulting in sub par vehicles that sold in sub par ways.

      It took 45 years to make Cadillac a division within GM again, giving it the opportunity to make real luxury cars again but no one knows how long it will take to undo the damage done in the span of 1975-2010.

      Reply
  2. People move to CUV’s and SUV’s. They have been for years.
    Too bad cadillac management is fast asleep despite their dumb coffee house.
    The only thing they have done is rebadge an opel CUV into the xt5 and open a dumb coffee house in new york.
    Everything else is next year, always next year.
    Even the Escalade won’t be updated for the next 2 years!
    In 2018 i’m in the market to replace my 2 year old Escalade. (i drive a lot of miles)
    Will i buy the exact same car as i have?
    Nope. No updates -> No sale.
    It looks like for the first time in many many years i will leave Cadillac and buy a Range Rover instead.
    MAYBE i will come back in 2020…….

    Reply
    1. Homie. You gots it backwards. The XT5 has nothing to do with any Opel model.

      The Escalade has received various updates through the years, like the rear camera mirror. Pretty major update that no Land Rover will have for at least 5 years because they are still in the Stone Age from a technology standpoint. That’s just one example.

      Oh and hey, the last time the Range Rover model was redesigned was 2015 – the same as the Escalade. Every model like lasts for 5-7 years from any automaker. The fact that Cadillac doesn’t have one for you at the exact moment your least ends = you being a little capricious.

      Reply
    2. That Range Rover will be the biggest and costliest mistake you ever make. Ask a guy who owns one.

      Reply
  3. If you don’t advertise it…you can’t expect it to sell…Its not Rocket Science…Its Marketing.
    The Camry is the perfect example, its not a great car, its ugly and yet its the best selling car in America. Why? Because you can’t turn on the TV without seeing a commercial. Advertising works !!!! Advertise the CT6 and it will sell. Tell people its a GREAT car enough times (which it is) and they will believe it.

    Reply
    1. That’s true but in it’s segment it is selling pretty good. People are shifting to SUVs. I don’t see the appeal of all these trucks and suvs because I’m a car man. A car like this will never be the bread and butter but you are correct, outside of print ads I have never seen a commercial for this car

      Reply
    2. The Toyota Camry sells well in part because it’s prized for reliability, and has the most comfortable ride vs. the competition. It’s long been derided by the professional auto press as “boring” because it doesn’t have the hard, tight-turning, feel-the-road “sport ride” that the auto press wants every vehicle to have. Toyota has made money by giving the public what the public wants, not what the auto press wants. It’s not just about advertising.

      Ironically, reliability and comfortable ride were once hallmarks of Cadillac, but they got away from those values when they started imitating the Germans in the early 1980’s, instead of remaining true to their own successful values. Today a “sports riding” Cadillac like the ATS gets lots of love from the auto press, a lot more than Camry gets. But that doesn’t translate into sales.

      Unfortunately Johan DeNysschen has the same “sport riding” mindset as the professional auto press. So Cadillac will go even further into “sport ride” territory, and will fall even further as a luxury brand in terms of sales. But the auto press will love every one of JDN’s “sporty” Cadillacs, regardless of the dismal sales. Just like the ATS.

      Reply
  4. No big deal. Sales are always soft in November, Lease support is weak.
    You guys, you live and die month to month.
    It is like the old saying, A man can drown walking across a lake that is an average of Three Feet Deep.
    Great car, weak support, advertising is awful.

    Reply
  5. Funny how this article acts as if the Cadillac XTS does not exist. If the Lincoln Continental can show up in the sales numbers here, then why not include the XTS and the 1.938 units they sold in November? That number blows away the 777 from the CT6, the 831 from the ATS, and the 656 from the CTS.

    And yes the CT6 slots above the ATS and CTS (which similarly sell poorly), but why not also mention the XTS – which sells very well, and is also slotted above the ATS and CTS? The XTS is arguably the sedan that is closest to a classic Cadillac, it sells quite well, and yet the sports-car-only-loving press has wanted to kill it off, now they act like it doesn’t exist. Yes they have succeeded in killing it off after next year, but the ATS and CTS are also slated for extinction, yet they are mentioned here.

    By the way, pretty much every article here blames Cadillac’s weak sedan sales (except the XTS) on competition from SUV/CUVs. Could it be though that potential sedan buyers simply don’t like the choices of sedans, when virtually every luxury maker has gone to German-style luxury rather than American-style luxury? German-style luxury puts “handling performance” above all else, including ride comfort, reliability, roominess, etc. It’s quite possible that a large segment of the public is put off by this, and decides that they might as well go to an SUV. It’s too bad Cadillac no longer embraces “the Cadillac ride” and actually tries to sell it to the public as a unique benefit, rather than acting embarrassed by it because it isn’t the way the Germans do it.

    Reply
    1. XTS wins again.

      Reply
      1. XTS wins at airports

        Reply
    2. because the XTS only sells to rental fleets

      Reply
      1. Not true Ian. Take away the fleet sales, and the XTS still outsold the CT6, CTS, and ATS. And a fleet sale is still a sale, why is it that the fleets want the XTS over the others? They can’t give the others away, even with massive rebates. Yet the same “Let’s turn Cadillac into a German-style sports brand” crowd keeps expecting a different outcome, despite decades of failure. Cadillac needs to be Cadillac, not a German-wannabe. The results are very clear. Unfortunately, JDN and company refuse to acknowledge the obvious.

        Reply
        1. I have to agree, a fleet sale is still a sale, however Cadillac should not strive for fleet sale. I personally like it because when I die, I want my last ride to be in the best car 😉 .

          Business insider, the same organization that praised the CT6 over the Continental, praised the XTS as “big, comfy, large trunk but still has performance cred.” http://www.businessinsider.com/cadillac-xts-v-sport-review-pictures-2017-12

          I think even if some do not like the XTS, Cadillac should not get rid of it. Why get rid of a car that 1) sells well. 2) fits into a category that is almost nonexistent when it comes to other vehicles. 3) keeps certain customers coming back. Did MB quit selling work vans, or any of the C-class because they were “too affordable”? Heck no! Do people walk out of a BMW dealership because they also sell Mini? I don’t think so. Why should Cadillac be an exception?

          Also, I bet (which is all I can do, I’m only guessing here) Cadillac/GM makes more profit off of an XTS than they do a CT6, mainly because the tech was paid for over 3 models, and the CT6 is much newer. In addition the XTS seems, to me like it would be more reliable due to the fact that it still uses old tech where it counts. Tried and true almost always outlast the new stuff, why do you think Toyota almost never updates a car all at once?

          Like i’ve said in the past, I’ve ridden in high performance cars, I think they are really fun and I love the way they feel (power wise), but I would never want to own one for multiple reasons.

          Reply
  6. The fact is Cadillac can’t really do much to bolster sales right now . It’s a division that has lost it’s way and needs a completely different portfolio . I wonder what kind of budget GM doles out to it’s divisions for advertising , in print and on video or commercial television . I can only think of two commercials I’ve seen on cable and the same on the WWW . You will have a difficult time selling a product if you don’t advertise it especially when that product is your flagship car . I’m starting to question the consistant explanation that the low sales volunm is due to SUV sales , it surely isn’t helping but look at the new Genesis for example . It’s a new spin off for Hyundai as their luxury division and it sold nearly as well as the CT6 .
    There is a market for luxury cars still and even on this site you see that some customers are tiring of Crossovers because they basically all look alike and miss the driving of an automobile . Look at Buick coming out with their new wagon , even their designers see that an offering like this can sell for just that type of buyer that want’s the car again but with room for stuff you can haul in it .
    The market shift to SUV’s and crossovers started along time ago and Cadillac got caught not reading the new market trend butt that still is no excuse for only selling 777 cars for the month and their oldest car that was close to the chopping block continues to outsell it . That has to drive Cadillac CEO and COO and Mary nuts .
    Again i must say that there are not many journalists anymore that continue to compare the CT6 to sales of the S-Class etc….. It’s true The CT6 is Cadillacs premium car offering but it in no way competes in the same tier as the BMW or Audi . The Lexus and Genesis and Lincoln are more of a competitor . Even Cadillac doesn’t believe that anymore per JDN’s own words .

    Reply
  7. Before there is a ton of thumbs down , i like the CT6 it’s an awesome looking car , I’ve driven one and it was one of the nicest cars I have ever had a chance to drive for a weekend . Cadillac didn’t make the mistake of copying designs from any other luxury car , it s a Cadillac and you know it when you see it in the daytime and especially at night .
    It outshine the Continental and Genesis G90 and the Lexus ( although the interior of the Lexus is dang nice ) .
    Cadillac needs something to bring customers back and it will take more tha 2020 to do it .

    Reply
    1. That is one of my favorite things about current Cadillacs, the head/tail lights. When you see a modern Cadillac at night (especially an Escalade or CT6), you know right away what it is. Dodge does the same thing with its tail lights.

      Reply
  8. Um. GM could start by fixing the transmission.

    Reply
    1. Exactly!
      The transmission in the CT6 is horrible!
      I had one for a weekend and was very glad i could just bring it back.
      It’s very very bad in slow traffic, which is the only kind of traffic we have in LA.
      A 20 year old budget car drives a lot better.
      If this is the best Cadillac can build, the Germans will be very happy.

      Reply
      1. But .. but… the CT6 has an 8 speed transmission! In today’s “We must do what the Germans do” market, sheer number of gears trumps reliability. Now does the average consumer notice a difference between a 4 speed and 8 speed transmission? Yes, when the 4 speed is much more reliable. No if they both operate smoothly. You can laugh all day at my DTS, until you drive it, and notice how smoothly it shifts and how gracefully it rides. Yes it has a 4 speed, a smooth, ultra-reliable one – the standard of the world.

        Cadillac used to focus on reliability and refinement, and would not have offered a rushed, unproven 8 speed transmission just for marketing bragging rights. Now they’ve been told that they MUST do whatever the Germans do, regardless of what their customers want. This has led to disastrous results for over 36 years now (the V8-6-4, the Cimarron, the Catera, etc).

        Reply
      2. I disagree.
        The CT6 is quite a nice car.
        Just turn off the AutoStop and you will not have any issues.
        Mercedes drivers found the same thing.
        Use Autostop and the car is crap.

        Reply
        1. @Steve
          It has nothing to do with the autostop!
          It shifts up and down while driving at a constant slow speed.
          And jerking the whole car while doing that.
          That is a horrible transmission, and an issue reported by many reviews!

          Reply
    2. The transmission jerks and lunges as designed. 😉 Don’t forget the evaporator that freezes shutting down the AC, another coveted luxury feature.

      Reply
    3. The CT6 transmission jerks and lunges as designed. Don’t forget the evaporator that freezes shutting down the AC, another coveted luxury feature.

      Reply
  9. What do you mean Susan?
    If you turn off that Auto Stop it is smooth as silk.
    My guess is that they did not include enough RAM in the computer to handle all the processes it is required to do.
    RAM is cheap but so are the bean counters.
    As far as the AC is concerned, After they decided to switch from Freon to that other junk, The AC’s have all been junk.
    Blame the administration’s DOT and EPA for that I think this all goes back to Carter, that is where all the nonsense began…
    They will fix all the problems after they discontinue the car.

    Reply
    1. Reply
  10. I am sorry you are having an issue.
    On my wife’s car we put it in Sport Mode and that solves the problem with the transmission shifting all the time.
    You could try that.
    Probably a programming error.
    We had a similar thing in the early 90’s with the locking torque converter. Locking and unlocking at the wrong speed.
    Reprogramming to a higher lock speed solved that issue.

    Reply

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