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GM Design Chief Confirms ‘Sedans Aren’t Dead’ At Cadillac

In the ever-growing crossover and SUV craze, it almost seems as though sedans of all sorts are fading into obscurity. Indeed, the Cadillac CT4‘s days are almost certainly numbered, and yet, it appears as though General Motors hasn’t completely kicked the bucket on sedans for its luxury marque just yet.

According to a report from Drive, The General is reportedly developing a new generation of Cadillac sedans that will likely feature all-electric powertrains, and could be introduced sometime in the coming years.

Cadillac CT4.

Cadillac CT4

“SUVs are a necessary evil,” GM Global Design Vice President Michael Simcoe remarked. “They’ve taken over the market. [SUVs are] a comfortable, rational purchase. For those who can afford it, though, there’s always a second car that isn’t an SUV. We will certainly have a sedan in the portfolio at some point in the future. Sedans aren’t dead.”

It’s worth noting that Simcoe could be referring to the prestigious Cadillac Celestiq, which may eventually debut for the  Australian market as rival to Bentley and Rolls-Royce offerings. That being said, he also acknowledged that there’s room for more affordable electric sedans in Caddy’s future lineup.

Cadillac Celestiq.

Cadillac Celestiq

Of course, GM Authority reported on this possibility nearly two years ago. Per previous GMA coverage, Cadillac will still produce “low hip-point” or low H-point vehicles in the future. For reference, the aforementioned Celestiq is considered a low H-point vehicle, and could serve as the basic framework for future sedans from the luxury marque moving forward.

More recently, GM Authority reported that there are currently two all-electric Cadillac sedans in the works. Expected to be similar in size to the Cadillac CT5 and Cadillac CT6, these upcoming low H-point sedans could likely ride on the GM BEV Prime platform, itself a more premium version of the GM BEV3 platform in use across several General Motors brands.

Be sure to subscribe to GM Authority for Cadillac Celestiq news, Cadillac CT4 news, Cadillac CT5 newsCadillac news, GM future products news, and more obsessive-compulsive GM news coverage.

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As a typical Florida Man, Trey is a certified GM nutjob who's obsessed with anything and everything Corvette-related.

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Comments

  1. That’s cool, not exactly unexpected though. How about sedans not being dead for the other brands excluding GMC? That would have been better news to me.

    Reply
  2. (…as long a China wants them.)

    Reply
  3. Cadillac needs an S Class/7 Series like competitor in the future. There never been one since the 70s.

    Reply
    1. CT6 was exactly that. I’m not saying it was neccasarily a fully competitive competitor, but it was most certainly designed to be “S Class / 7 Series Like”.

      Reply
      1. @Buick City
        Wasn’t the CT6 a 5 Series/E Class competitor?

        Reply
        1. Momolos,

          Cadillac use the CT6 as a tweener between the E and S Class. It was a big car with a wheelbase that was 3 to 5 inches shorter than the S Class with an asking price under $60K.

          Reply
      2. Buick City,

        But it wasn’t unfortunately, The technology and interior was lacking in that car. JDN back then stated that Cadillac could do a lot better when he was President back in ’14 when he saw the car which he felt was underwhelming at that time.

        Reply
    2. BMW sold 362k vehicles last year. The 7 series represented roughly 10k of of the 362k which would account for 2.7% of their total sales volume. You want Cadillac to go to the board and make the case that they should build a sedan to compete with the 7 series and S-Class?

      Do you think gm is going to make the large investment in a platform where the return is so little when they have other business opportunities to capitalize? Business is fundamentally a math problem and less of a product decision. Make your case for a large sedan.

      Reply
      1. @reality check
        BMW sold 2.2 Million vehicles and could not make the 7 and X7 series fast enough in 2023 per the actual CEO

        So why would Cadillac not want to compete in that segment?

        Reply
      2. Reality Check,

        People on here complaining that the CELESTIQ is too expensive and out of reach for most buyers the reason Cadillac should produce an S-Class like competitor which that car is more affordable and reachable for people making less than half a million a year. Just like the Escalade if done right, it can become one of the top sellers.

        Reply
        1. @ Momolos 2.2 million vehicle sales is worldwide. U.S sales is 362k. Cadillac does not have a worldwide sales footprint like BMW. Their primary market is the U.S. Why would they not want to compete in that segment you ask? Again, the tale is in the tape. Do the math. Mercedes sells roughly the same amount of S-Class cars as the 7 series. It costs on average 1 billion minimum to develop a new car model. You want to invest 1 billion to compete with 20 thousand units? That doesn’t make sense. The total profit margin for auto manufacturers is less than 10% mind you.

          @Johnls_39 Why would Cadillac want to produce an S-Class competitor at a discount, in market that is sub 25k in volume? I thought Cadillac is the equal of MB and MBW? If you’re a luxury goods manufacturer, you don’t discount your product. Lexus is Mercedes with lower price, everyone knows it, and will never be their equal. The Standard of the World doesn’t discount. You see how that compromises the brand?

          Reply
          1. Well, I don’t know if I say the Escalade IQ is being produced at a discount but it looks like a proper flagship and there is no reason Cadillac can’t produce a flagship sedan similar to the IQ equally on that level with panache and road presence.

            I do understand where you are coming from but if Cadillac sells roughly a volume lower than the Escalade, so what. Cadillac can afford to keep the car around as long as they can as the Escalade and CUVs produce profit for them while the cars help give Cadillac that much needed image and brand building as long they don’t give up on the sedan program.

            Also, the flagship program may be few and only certain automakers continue to build them and not giving up on them anytime soon like Lexus, Genesis, Audi, BMW and Mercedes. Cadillac could have an advantage and be lucky like they did with the Escalade as long they stick with that market and don’t give up to help up the brand. Also, Cadillac is making an effort to go global more so now due to their BEV push so there is no reason not to produce such a car like they did many years ago. If Cadillac is producing the V, Escalade and CELESTIQ which easily go beyond $100K, there is no reason to miss out.

            Reply
            1. They would have to spread the sedan across the lines. I think gm feels they probably have lost this battle. It’s not that they couldn’t do it technologically, but I think they know they have lost this game.

              Reply
  4. It is a real problem. My wife does not want to drive a SUV. I drive a Tahoe and she loves riding in it, but her daily, needs to be a sedan. She wants performance and styling. Not a Camary or Accord but a vehicle with a good look and drive. And she really wants an American made vehicle. I offered top line Audi, looked at MB, Lexus LS, but she has not decided. Currently she drives a CTS V-sport. This car is really nice except the ride is compromised by the low-profile tires. All wheel, no tire. The CTS has a ton of performance and gets good mileage. Interior and exterior styling is nice. Punch it down and the twin turbo blasts the vehicle down the road.

    Need a new within a year. EVs are not cutting it for us.

    Reply
    1. Mark, the problem you are describing is a real one but will require a compromise. You’re going to have to ditch the idea of your desire to by an American branded or assembled vehicle. I want an American made watch doesn’t mean I’m going to get one or one that I want. We have to face the reality that the market is stuck with what the market is being offered.

      There are plenty of very nice sedan offerings. If you’re stuck on the idea of a sedan then you have to take the best offering available or ditch the sedan. E-Class or Genesis is probably best bet for ride and comfort.

      Reply
    2. “the ride is compromised by the low-profile tires”

      That’s why I haven’t bought one, or an XT5 or CT6 Platinum. To avoid black-dominated interiors, you get a harsher ride.

      Reply
    3. I have the opposite issue, I like driving SUVs but if I’m a passenger I get motion sickness. I can’t even read my phone as a passenger in our Envision or CX-5 without feeling like I’m going to barf. When I’m in sedans, I don’t get this issue. Must be the higher center of gravity.

      Reply
  5. Like to hear this. Now add in Buick and Chevy and we will be good to go.

    Reply
  6. Cadillac can charge enough to cover the low volume they make.

    Reply
  7. Uh-huh…. Sure… Right…….. You betcha… sorry for my cynicism.. not dead until Mary says so and that’ll be any day now..

    Reply
  8. Sister didn’t want a SUV as her BMW had 200K miles. Bought a 2023 CT4 and after 4 trips to the dealer on warranty claims (fan motor, brakes, transmission) was ready to let it go. However, seems to have gremlins out now and loves it. Stay in southern college town with my son about half the time and streets are full of Toyota, Nissan, Kia, Honda, and Hyundai sedans. Looks like a lot of coeds don’t want SUV’s at this point in their lives. Another market niche given up by gm as their overall market share continues to fall.

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  9. Bring back the CT6!

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    1. Where is cim88? He should absolutely love this article! There your sedans are alive and well. Maybe the reason why Cadillac keeps sedans and Chevy doesn’t is because GM actually wants to make money on their sedans not lose money on every Malibu they sell. Anyway why am I explaining myself to you anyway you like a Cadillac cimarron now it’s not a bad car but I just want you to know that it’s been judged as a cavalier with a with a Cadillac badge on it so just saying I mean it’s your opinion you know you talked about my grammar so there you go.

      Reply
  10. Who cares? An EV sedan is going to drive like an SUV due to battery weight. It is just virtue signalling. Build more blackwings.

    Reply
  11. ICE/Hybrid sedans need to make a comeback, not just at Cadillac. Compact SUV/CUV pricing is out of control. GM is seeing how well a $25k vehicle sells (Chevy Trax and Buick Envista), imagine if they actually sold some smaller sedans like a retooled Malibu and a new version of the Chevy Cruze (not the Bolt). With interest rates out of control and most compact SUV’s starting in the mid-$30k range, a small car around $20k-$25k would be a great idea. Don’t even get me started on how impractical EV’s are, especially from a price perspective. With Biden continuing to fan the flames of inflation, driving gas prices up, watching interst rates soar, selling all of our interests to China, people need a break. Not everyone can fit a Yukon XL Denali Ultimate edition or a $100K Silverado RST EV in their budgets or driveways. As someone who comes from a GM family, I am rooting harder than ever for Mary to drive the company over a cliff.

    Reply
    1. I hope so, if trump wins, Mary barra will be fired.

      Reply
      1. If Trump wins A lot of things are going to change.

        Reply
        1. And we get to keep our Freedom with Pres Trump! But only if you vote out all the Mandates!

          Reply
          1. Gorge what’s that old saying freedom is not free… Well I think that’s a fact because we do pay for our freedom whether it’s people in the military, paying taxpaying taxes, raising a family and having to support them and more. There are a lot of ways that we pay for a freedom I don’t I’m not going to sit here and worry about a little mandate though… And also I really don’t want to talk about politics on a GM authority website That’s why I kept my comment about Trump short and sweet I don’t say whether I support him or not because this is not the post for that anyway this isn’t a political post this is about GM authority cars. Okay have a nice day God bless 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

            Reply
  12. Stellantis’ wimpy looking CEO just left a massive hole in the sedan market. Make something to court the Charger buyers. An aggressive looking, V8 sedan priced a bit under the Cadillacs.

    Reply
  13. If by not dead, they mean only EV options…then they are still dead to me. If they can bring on more ICE and Hybrid models then it is good news. Just as not all want a CUV/SUV, not all want an EV in any configuration.

    Reply
  14. What Cadillac needs to do is get away from the tweener sizes and go more head to head against the German/Japanese rivals. They are getting killed in reviews left and right.

    Reply
  15. He should be fired for designing the Celestiq or anyone else associated with that Albatross. Mr.Magoo could not have done a worse job – hell, Homer Simpson did a better job with his design. Edsel is a beauty compared to this eyesore.

    Reply
  16. We need sedans with gas engines not electric.
    For those who want an electric car go for it, but the majority do not. Build all electric vehicles and watch Cadillac slowly die off.

    Reply
  17. I hope they’re not dead. CT5 is going to be my next car just due to the fact that it’s the last one standing (CT4 is too small). I’d prefer a bigger car, or at least one with a bigger trunk, but at least it’s not another boring crossover. Just keep it or any future sedans ICE, or at least hybrid.

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  18. The flagship sedan for GM is the Cadillac Celestiq. Replaced the CT 6. Like it or not. Any car buyer could walk into GM design staff and pick a rendering of a sedan that could be manufactured at a fair cost but that won’t happen. DK

    Reply
    1. The Celestiq costs 4 times as much as the CT6. It is not a direct replacement

      Reply
  19. Oh funny, thinking a Cadillac Celestiq could even rival a Bently or Rolls. the guy who did the comparison for the Australia market probably never even sat in a Bently. It might compare to a Mercedes (but doubtful a Maybach). However, I’ll stick with my 22 Escalade Onyx.

    Reply
  20. Good to read this. Nor everybody like SUV´s or crossovers or is willing to buy one no matter what.

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  21. Would buy a new 3.6 Lacrosse or 3.8 LeSabre on the spot IF GM STILL MADE THEM.

    Not touching a 4 cyl crossover, sorry Mary.

    Reply
  22. Having 2-CT6’s in the garage, I hated it when Cadillac said that they were killing them in the US, but Mary-ville (China) gets the second generation. It’s a stupid move on GM/Cadillac not to give the US a full-sized luxury sedan. Not all of the buying public wants a CUV, SUV or a mall crawler pickup.

    We looked at a Tesla before ordering our 2020 Premium Luxury CT6 and saw that it was a real POS and not worth the investment to get an EV and keep it. We live in snow country and in the winter living with less than 200 miles on a full charge was out of the question.

    Our 202 has just over 30K miles and the 2017 has just over 50K on it. I have had a CT4 and a CT5 as a loaner when I’ve take the CT6’s in for service and they are just way too small and get worse gas mileage than the CT6’s do.

    Just bring us back an ICE CT6 and be done with it.

    Reply
  23. Good to hear sedans aren’t dead at Cadillac! At present, if you want / need a larger sedan from GM you have no alternative but to buy a full-size SUV. GM has totally disappeared from the S-Class, 7 Series, Panemera types of sedan offerings. Time to get back in the game – particularly with some of the great ICE engines on offer.

    Reply
  24. Cadillac is selling sedans HEY Bring back Chevy Impala and Buick Lacrosse

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  25. If Chevy is going to bring back sedans how about the Caprice or Lumina Euro Sport and if it’s Buick how about Park Avenue or LeSabre!?

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  26. Of course sedans are not dead at Cadillac, as long as Chevrolet continues to manufacture sedans. With the exception of the CELASTIQ Chevrolet essentially produces the Cadillac platform as well as many of the features that appear in the Cadillac’s.
    In other words, “if it wasn’t for Chevy there wouldn’t be any Cadillacs” and this has been the situation for many, many years.

    Reply

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