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Customer LoginsSame-Day Analysis: IHS previews Cadillac CT6 sedan, sales begin in March
Cadillac's CT6 is the next step in the brand's product revival, sitting at the top of its sedan range, and will reach US showrooms in March. IHS reports on the CT6 after test driving the new sedan.
IHS Automotive perspective
- Significance: Cadillac's newest sedan, the CT6, will go on sale in US showrooms in March. The new sedan sits above the current CTS, and in size is between the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and S-Class, though its pricing is nearer that of the smaller E-Class.
- Implications: The CT6 offers credible driving dynamics and interior features, but its size positioning makes it a 'tweener' car. Traditionally, these have been somewhat more difficult to explain to US consumers.
- Outlook: Cadillac is working its way through a product revival and elevation of the brand's image, which it looks to do with the CT6, as well as more customer acceptance, though large US sales volumes are not forecasted for the model. Cadillac's higher-volume play comes later in 2016 with the XT5 SUV. IHS Automotive forecasts the CT6 will see volumes similar to those of the flagship vehicles of the brand's competitors, the larger S-Class and the BMW 7-Series, rather than the smaller E-Class and 5-Series, and will provide strong competition for the larger products.
Cadillac's CT6 range-topping sedan comes to the market in March. Ahead of the sedan's sales launch, IHS has had the opportunity to drive the vehicle and speak with Cadillac executives during a recent media launch event. At the event introducing the Cadillac Touring 6, or CT6, brand president Johan de Nysschen said the vehicle is "nothing less than an entirely new approach to premium luxury − and an approach only Cadillac can offer. It is a bold endeavour with unmatched dynamism that reignites a passion for driving in large luxury vehicles. In short, it is prestige luxury reimagined." Hyperbole aside, this vehicle is another step in Cadillac's product-led reinvention and one of eight new vehicles slated to arrive by 2020, as part of a USD12-billion investment programme.
During the media launch in January, Cadillac said that the four "pillars" in the CT6's development were appearance, size − it is a larger vehicle than the CTS − driving dynamics, and quiet driving environment. In addition, development involved significant body engineering, including choosing materials and weld processes that enabled reduction in mass and increased stiffness. The new sedan's mixed material construction is 62% aluminum and 38% steel, with the use of steel centred on the passenger cabin, which, at the media event, CT6 chief engineer Travis Hester said helped meet the targets for mass reduction, the stiffness required to deliver the handling metric, as well as contributing to the quiet interior. During the CT6's development, the engineering and design teams worked together earlier in development of the all-new Omega architecture. During the technical presentation, Hester detailed several elements in solutions that contributed to a stiffer chassis and construction, and also delivered the architectural structure behind the elegant proportions of the vehicle.
The CT6 has a longer overall length than the BMW 5-Series or Mercedes-Benz E-Class or Audi A6, but is not as large as those brands' flagship entries. Cadillac says its research into the segment found that many buyers of the smaller products often said they would like more space in their vehicles, but were not willing to give up the driving dynamics of the smaller products to garage the larger option. Similarly, Cadillac says that drivers of the flagship sedans wished for improved dynamics, but were not willing to compromise on the interior space. The CT6 is positioned as a credible alternative to both the smaller and the larger products. To ensure an interior that rivals those of models such as the S-Class and the A8, the CT6 Platinum offers rear seats with recline, lumbar, and massage controls, an exceptional new 34-speaker Bose Panaray sound system, dual 10-inch HD screens in the rear (which nicely power out of sight when not in use), and four-zone climate control. The model's 2.0-litre engine is available only in rear-drive form, while the 3.6-litre and the 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 are coupled with all-wheel-drive. The pricing of the CT6 ranges from USD54,000 to USD84,000. The CT6 also has an active rear steer system, which adjusts the rear wheels for a more nimble experience at low speeds or more stability at high speeds.
2016 Cadillac CT6. |
The indications are that the CT6 will receive a V8 option during its lifecycle. To compete well against the target set of models, and maintain the performance ethos set by the first CTS-V and carried on through the second generation and the ATS-V, a CT6 V-Series is nearly mandatory. Automotive news website DetroitBureau.com cites de Nysschen as saying that the arrival of the V8 variant is a few years off, and it is being "developed more for refinement, sophistication and torque, rather than horsepower", noting that decisions on the transmission to mate it to and whether it will be offered with an all-wheel-drive system are to be determined.
Outlook and implications
Cadillac is working its way through a product revival and elevation of the brand. Cadillac is hoping for the CT6 to elevate the brand's image and customer acceptance, though large US sales volumes are not forecasted for the model. Cadillac's higher-volume play comes later in 2016 with the XT5 sport utility vehicle (SUV). IHS Automotive forecasts the CT6 will see volumes similar to those of the flagships of the brand's competitors, the larger S-Class and the 7-Series, rather than the smaller E-Class and 5-Series products, and provide strong competition for the larger products.
The CT6's 'tweener' size may cause consumers some confusion, and the CT6 may struggle to compete with the more exclusive luxury-brand contenders. Cadillac may find it difficult to convince Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and Lexus buyers to defect, though it has strengthened the brand's health significantly in 2015, with lower inventories pushing higher transaction prices, and enabling the brand to return to selling on its exclusivity rather than on offering the best deal.
In terms of dynamics, the car lives up to the hype. The tremendous effort put into vehicle's development and technology has resulted in a product delivering the combination of space and agility promised. The car is being launched with industry firsts, including video-driven full-view rear-view mirror and a system that triggers video recording of the area around the vehicle; the data is recorded on to an on-board SD card, which the driver can access from the car or remove and access via a computer. Also part of the package are 4G LTE Wi-Fi connectivity and smartphone integration, along with an enhanced night-vision system. In addition, in the CT6, Cadillac's CUE system is in its best form to date, highlighted with dynamic displays. In 2017, Cadillac parent General Motors will add the SuperCruise, which may bring GM ahead of the curve on semi-autonomous driving, based on company claims to date.
However, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have launched the 7-Series and the E-Class respectively with significant steps forward in terms of human-machine interface (HMI), with bigger displays and among the first applications of gesture control. Cadillac had its hands full in developing an extremely lightweight but dynamically invigorating all-new platform, but the CT6's HMI controls fall short of being cutting edge. With the CT6's pricing advantage, however, this may prove not to be a problem in the showroom. The CT6 does offer notable vehicle and chassis technology, and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle option is due in a few months. The trade-off, however, may imply that the brand is still, for now, playing catch-up in some areas.
About this article
The above article is from IHS Automotive Same-Day Analysis of automotive news, events and trends, and is a deliverable of the World Markets Automotive Service. The service averages thirty stories per day and also provides competitor and country intelligence. Get a free trial.