North America will bid farewell to the short-lived Cadillac CT6 and the Buick LaCrosse next year, but both sedans will remain on sale in China.
Business Insider confirmed what was already believed; the automaker will still produce and sell both sedans in China. The LaCrosse and CT6 are assembled at a plant in Shanghai. The GM spokesperson said, “China production is not affected by these actions,” in reference to GM’s decision to idle three North American production plants and two transmission facilities.
The Cadillac XTS will also continue on in China, though the sedan was already scheduled to end production for North American markets.
In the U.S., GM will halt production of the Chevrolet Impala, Volt, Cruze, Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CT6 and XTS for a total of six dead nameplates. The Chevrolet Malibu is not part of the cuts, which is built in Fairfax, Kansas, alongside the 2019 Cadillac XT4.
China remains GM’s largest market for new-car sales, and both Buick and Cadillac are more widely popular there. According to the report, GM sold 2.68 million cars in China through the first three quarters of 2018. In North America (Canada, the U.S. and Mexico), GM sold 2.57 million cars.
While we assume the worst for the Lordstown and Detroit-Hamtramck plants, there may be a sliver of hope. GM could use the idled plants as a bargaining chip in labor contract negotiations with the United Auto Workers union next year. The automaker has 20 new electric cars planned for production, and both plants could see new product allocated.
This is mere speculation as of now, however. GM said neither the Ohio or Michigan-based productions plants are up for product allocations in 2019. But, the automaker will need to successfully negotiate their closures as part of the UAW labor contract next year.
Comments
For some time, Buick has been more of a Chinese brand that focuses on that market rather than the US. There’s really nothing left of Buick in America. Only the Enclave is a true Buick; everything else is an import based on an Opel or some other corporate GM product. Modern Buicks get shipped over to the US from China, Poland, Korea, and Germany. The reveals of new products no longer happen in Detroit but rather in China. Therefore it isn’t surprising that the Buick will have a more extensive product lineup, to include LaCrosse, in the communist nation across the ocean. It’s really Buick’s home market now although I’ve never heard GM acknowledge that.
Now it seems, GM is focusing Cadillac more on China too and giving up on the US market where they’ve been unable to compete for some time due to a poor reputation, years of product neglect, and bad customer experiences with the brand. It’s really sad but GM apparently is apparently aiming to only be a truck brand in the US with Chevy trucks and GMC trucks being the products they invest in and promote heavily in the United States.
With the Chevy and GMC trucks already getting attention form GM’s department of mediocrity headed by VP of North American Operations, Alan Batey, (who was only paid $6,000,000 last year) expect product quality and reliability to fall to levels reached only by Cadillac, next to last of all makes, yes, even below Fiat.
At least with future Buicks and Cadillacs being imported from China, we can expect quality to rise to at least average.
They might as well kill Buick North America and replace it with a higher ATP reborn Hummer. Buick even with Avenir is a still damaged brand too similar to GMC.
GM is trying to cut costs, boost share price but I still think an alliance with sedan-centric Honda is coming soon. This would be a coup for Barra and make GM a global sales and quality giant again.
Chevy and GMC as light truck brands is too similiar. Chevy will loose a lot of market share as a SUV brand. GM could use a US winner like Honda and Honda needs help to compete with Toyota, Nissan and VW on new technology.
Buick should only be sold in China. There’s nothing exciting coming out from Buick and the worst part is that Chevrolet can’t even offer better cars because of them (think of Malibu, Impala, Traverse…).
I hope FCA updates the 300/Charger. They can get some sales from Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac (XTS) and Ford.
Crazy times we live in..
I’m sure you realize that Buick is a storied brand in China because it’s American. If you kill Buick in US, you’re killing “the goose that laid the golden egg.”
It’s pretty sad they are buying our stuff but we aren’t. Very messed up times we live in
All GM cars sold in China are produced in China
GM’s largest R&D center is also in Shanghai, so chances are designed in China too.
Exactly. All cars sold in China are made in China.
I hate to bring politics into this, and bait Mr. Old Trombone but…..why are people upset that trump is trying to do the exact same thing here at home?
I also very much agree that Buick should be a China only brand and only bring vehicles over here as needed (i.e. sedans when gas increases and CUVs when gas is cheap).
I really hate to see Cadillac go. I love the XTS. and the new CT6 isn’t a bad car; especially with the V8 option. GM makes over $10k profit per SUV sold (Escalade).Whats the excuse for Axing the CT6 and XTS? Is Mercedes Axing the S class just because sales for the GLS are increasing? No. They are actually introducing MORE sedans.
great idea. i bet someone in china wants boeing to build all the planes they buy in china. that includes the engines, avionics, etc … if it flies here, build it here!!!!
the American people are sheep period.
I dont understand why a ct6 cosrs so much more than a xt5 equiped exactly the same. I own a xt5 and 2014 cts. I would like to trade the cts for a ct6 but the price tunrs me off.
Could see the CT6 live on VIA import from China.
That is the plan when the American public starts demanding these trucks again. Another betrayal of the American taxpayer who bailed them out.
Spend tons of money to refresh and upgrade the CT6 to make it into the vehicle it should have been from the the start then you kill after a year. That’s GM’s way of saving money?
GM is getting out of these sedans simply because they dont make money on them,there are others not on the chopping block which are questionable as to why they’ll stay but hey it’s the world we live in now.
I would say they do make money on them,but the make more on SUV’s. Ther are still people out there that don’t a pickup or an SUV. GM’s thinking is if I can’t make a ton of money from your purchase we don’t want you. To me that’s a slap in the face to the ones who did stand by you and brought your sedans. If they had did what Mary said they were going to do and not build anymore crappy cars or what mark said under promise and over deliver the perhap their sedans would have been better sellers. Instead they did just the opposite, their vehicle proved to be less reliable than the competition and less appealing in many ways compared to the competition. Common sense should tell you in this competitive market if you don’t offer the best product for the money you are not going to have the best sales. That along with the lack of customer care before during after the sale is what doomed GM sedans.
I was planning on buying a Buick LaCrosse when the new model comes out next year. I guess I’ll have to find another brand.
If you’re really firm on the Buick LaCrosse, I bet you can find a nice 2019 model that you will like (the ’20 MCE that will only be available in China isn’t that different). Or please consider buying a loaded Buick Regal, perhaps the Regal Avenir. Or wait for one of the yet-to-be-released new Buick SUVs / BEVs.
Your life will probably work out better if you just move to China rather than risk another GM product stateside.
I have a CT6 Platinum and it is a great car. When my lease expires there will be no Cadillac sedan for me to buy. I’m not not an SUV or Crossover fan and the other Cadillac sedans are too small and not as nice as as CT6. I have only owned Cadillacs until now. So I guess I’ll have to switch.Sad that GM is ruining an American icon.
Agree 100%. Although I once owned large coupes, those went by the wayside years ago, so I was forced to switch to sedans. But trucks are not my cup of tea. Too bad that we’ve been a GM family for over 60 years, but time to move on.
I agree with kevin, i also lease a ct6 great car was looking 4 another aftet this, can just hope a big sedan is under wraps…
I have the 2017 Buick lacrosse and it’s a very nice car to have i enjoy driving the lacrosse and this is the second lacrosse i owned. I also had a 2010 lacrosse and it was maintenance free and that is why i upgraded to the 2017 with the new body style
Cadillac’s CT6 is a perfect example of what happens when General Motors hired Europeans to design a modern American luxury sedan as the resulting product experienced a lost in translation moment almost as soon as the CT6 was introduced and there were no buyers for the CT6 as well as the fact that despite being a BIG car, Cadillac’s CT6 still didn’t have adequate rear passenger legroom for individuals over 6-feet which borders on insanity; hopefully, the engineering techniques learned from the CT6 program will be integrated in future GM vehicles.
Totally blows me away, been driving the largest Cadillac sedans for over 27 years. Getting a new one every two years. My 2018 CTS Platinum is an awesome car and I was looking forward to Cadillac coming out with a larger sedan to complete with the large S model Mercedes! What a get disappointing situation after being so loyal to Cadillac for so many years. I also have a 2018 Escalade, a 2017 xts and 1969 DeVille Convertible.. I’m at a loss for words. Hope Caddy will pull their heads out of their asses and at least continue to make and sell the CT 6 here in the US.
Yes, it is a sad day to read that a traditional Cadillac sedan of reasonable size and Chevrolet Impala sedan will no longer be available from General Motors.
American roads and the rest of the world are now full of dead ugly box styled pickups. SUVs and 4 – wheel drives. Not one of these can ever provide the ride comfort and style of a traditional 3 box style passenger sedan.
Looks like I will not buy another GM product as nothing they now offer appeals to me, and I absoloutely refuse to drive truck based SUVs and 4 wheel drives.
I love my Lacrosse. Just bought mine in Aug. and live driving it. Sad they will no longer sell them here.
For those leasing, why not buy your CT6 at lease end? I’m afraid the Lincoln Continental may also die. The only domestic big car will be the Tesla Model S.
I was thinking of picking up a CT6 with super cruise. Is it dumb to get an orphan? Will Super Cruise be supported?
The frustration is understandable.
Someone a couple of replies back mentioned they hoped Cadillac would get their heads out of their…. and continue to make the CT6 here in the US…… I concur, but it’s done. Announcing these decisions this week means they were made months ago. They’re irreversible now. Maybe not at another company, but it’s definitely that way at General Motors. After the bailout and recovery, Cadillac came out of the gate charging. Their edgy new models were popular and seen everywhere, LED Zeppelin ads… The younger generation was buying them. They pulled people into the showrooms with the V-models and the XLR and the ELR. What happened? The same thing that always happens at GM. CEO’s and CIO’s and all the other alphabet soup managers get hired and paid their 2-4-6-8-10 million dollar a year salaries accompanied by their $2 decisions and lose their minds. When you make that kind of money, who cares if you make bad business decisions? If they fire you, just collect your $XX million golden parachute and sell your stock! If/when China gets aggravated over some perceived or real military or political move we make, it will be all over for them in China too. …and what is GM gonna do if they get kicked out of there?? Sue them?
I would be interested what GM will offer the hearse and livery industry now that the XTS is all but gone.
Why for Gods’ sake are we not building the Lacrosse and exporting it to China???
Because of two very tangible reasons:
1. China buys three times as many LaCrosses as the US
2. China charges a 25% import tax on cars not built locally
If GM were your business, would that be a decision you make for the financial health and future well-being of your business? Absolutely not.
Alex you must be employed by GM. Boring excuses as usual.
GM took away Oldsmobile from me , then it was Pontiac , now I’m driving a Lacrosse and now that’s gone. Mary sure pissed me off and manty others . your ‘re FIRED