During the same week, General Motors killed the Cadillac CT6 in North America and launched an updated version in China.
Cadillac introduced the facelifted 2019 Cadillac CT6 in China late last week, complete with updated design language with design traits cherry-picked from the gorgeous Cadillac Escala concept. The new CT6 also inherits Cadillac’s new “Y” trim strategy which was recently introduced with the 2018 XT4 crossover. CT6 Premium Luxury variants are billed as exquisite and luxurious feeling, with bright details. On the side of the split, Sport variants get dark-painted details and exclusive design elements such as a V-shape mesh grille as well as sporty skirts, black trim on windows and a small rear deck spoiler.
The CT6’s light signature has also been updated, with 202 LED light sources giving the exterior a distinct sparkle. The new “Eagle-eye” dual-lens LED headlamps have a slimmer design than the outgoing model, and the taillights are newly formed wing-shaped LED units which give a multi-dimensional illumination effect. North Americans were already shown this look at the 2018 New York International Auto Show earlier this year.
Moving inside, the interior isn’t terribly different from the outgoing model, but Cadillac still boasts of carefully selected leather materials, French double-stitching, and chevron-shaped perforations. Amenities include a hands-free power liftgate, seats integrated with a five-mode, and three-power intensity massage function, there’s four-zone automatic climate control, a full-color head-up display, and a 34-speaker Bose Panaray sound system, coupled with Bose ANC technology. It also gets Cadillac’s latest version of CUE which now integrates cloud connectivity and supports OTA updates. Lastly, there’s 4G LTE Wi-Fi, Apple CarPlay, and Baidu CarLife.
Under its skin, the CT6 gains an all-new powertrain. The 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder is the same unit already making hay under the hood of the XT4. It’s based on an optimized single-cylinder design and offers high efficiency, low emissions, and low fuel consumption to meet China’s National VI-B emissions standard. The Tripower valve system adopts a three-step sliding camshaft which lets timing shift between three distinct operating modes. Power is moved through a 10-speed automatic transmission with a wide 7.39:1 overall ratio, and Cadillac has also applied its new electronically boosted brake system called E-boost.
Lastly, on the safety front, the China-spec CT6 gets Enhanced Security Strategy (ESS) II which incorporates forward/rear-end collision warning systems and a preventive braking system, Lane Keep Assist (LKA), panoramic radar surveillance system, lane change assist, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), and the APA 360-degree full-mode intelligent automatic parking system. Plus, there’s the second-generation HD streaming rearview mirror, an intelligent infrared night vision system, 360-degree parking monitoring safety protection, and a security recorder.
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Comments
Perhaps they’ll wise up and import it from China. Hopefully bean counting GM will realize that its so called luxury marque needs a full size sedan in order to be taken seriously.
Now I strongly suspect why JDN was let go; he had a vision that GM didn’t see viable to execute. Save for the XT4 engineered under his tenure, he had minimal impact on the marque. The move to New York wasn’t his idea; his predecessor had already laid the ground work- he just executed the process. Then going forward GM probably new way ahead of time that it was going to kill the CT6 and he wasn’t onboard with it.
My suspicion is that this was GM’s plan all along – to import sedans from China – which I suppose makes business sense since that is where the sedan market is big. But what is to stop them from building all of their vehicles in China?
Absolutely nothing. That would be efficient.
Ford has already moved the Focus to China and many of their 7 plants are running at near 30% capacity. So where do you think Ford will be increasing production in their brand new plants?
All was revealed the day JDN left GM. With the rapidly shifting winds in crossovers and China with their electrification goals, add the fact of shareholder concerns with the stagnant stock price at the stockholders meeting in June and it was just a matter of time before #$%^ hit the fan. They’ve been telling us for the last year of the demise of Impala, Lacrosse, Cruze and XTS, we just failed to accept it.
GM the global company will survive to see another day. The American GM not so much. China is their number one market which they choose to compete.
If the Chinese side continues to grow and the American side stagnate, world corporate headquarters could eventually move to Shanghai and be recognized as a Chinese corporation.
Muricans who really want one can always move to China, if they allow you to immigrate. lol
What about the other markets (Mid. East, Russia & S. Korea) they vurrey sell the CT6 in? Will they get the Chinese CT6 like the SLS? Or that’s it for them?
Numbers are insignificant leading to unprofitable sales due to the cost to support.