The Cadillac CT6 (short for Cadillac Touring 6)[3] is a full-sizeluxury car manufactured by Cadillac between 2016 and 2020 over two generations. The first generation CT6 was introduced at the 2015 New York International Auto Show[4][5] and went on sale in the U.S. in March 2016. It is the first car to adopt the brand's revised naming strategy,[6] as well as the first rear-wheel drive full-size Cadillac sedan since the Fleetwood was discontinued in 1996.
In 2020, the CT6 was discontinued in the United States, to be replaced by the forthcoming Cadillac Celestiqliftback sedan.
The first-generation CT6 is built on a different platform than the smaller CTS and is engineered as a rear-wheel drive vehicle with optional all-wheel drive. In addition to its primary markets of North America and China, the CT6 was also offered in Europe, South Korea, Japan, and the Middle East.[10]
General Motors discontinued the assembly of the Cadillac CT6 in the US in February 2020 due to poor sales and retooling of the Detroit/Hamtramck facility for electric vehicle production, beginning with the new GMC Hummer EV.[11]
History
Rear view
The CT6 is longer and wider than the XTS and offers more interior volume. It uses a mix of steel and aluminum making it lighter than other cars in its size class. It was brought to market as an addition to, not a replacement for, the now-discontinued XTS.
Cadillac projected the CT6 would be the temporary flagship until it would bring a larger, more luxurious CT8 sedan to market.[12] However, the CT8 did not come to fruition, and the CT6 remained the brand's flagship sedan.[13]
For the American market, the CT6 was manufactured at GM's Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly plant.[1] On March 11, 2016, the first CT6 delivery took place, having been delivered to the winner of a 2015 auction for the first CT6 sold. The vehicle sold for $200,000 at the auction. The car was "Platinum" trim level and painted Stellar Black Metallic.[14]
Installed within the CT6 is the second generation CUE system, 4G LTE connectivity, and an 8 speaker Bose audio system, a Bose Centerpoint 10 speaker system included with the "Luxury" and "Premium Luxury" package, with a 34-speaker Bose Panaray audio system included with the top level "Platinum" package. Cadillac once again offers the Enhanced Night Vision which was discontinued as of 2004 on the DeVille. Available equipment includes Adaptive Cruise Control, as well as Magnetic Ride Control coupled with accident avoidance technologies. New with the CT6 is the Rear Camera Mirror, which uses streaming video from a camera that displays within the rear view mirror, which provides an enhanced view without obstructions from the "C-pillar" and passengers sitting in the rear area.[15][16][17] The front seats can be adjusted 14 different ways, with an optional 16- or 20-way adjustment package that includes heated and cooled seat with a massage feature for both front and rear passengers. Rear seat passengers are also offered, retractable 10" LCD screens that extract up from the back of the front seat seatbacks, behind the front seat headrests that can play Blu-ray content for brought-in devices, that were introduced on the Cadillac Escala concept car.[18]
2019 facelift
Front view
Rear view
The styling was refreshed in the 2019 model year, with the most visible changes made to the front and rear lamps.[19] In November 2018, GM announced the Hamtramck plant would be retooled for electric vehicle assembly, and production in the United States was discontinued in February 2020, although the model continued to be produced by the SAIC-GM joint venture near Shanghai.[20]
Cadillac has said that a new flagship, to be marketed as the Celestiq, is in development and will be a battery-powered liftback sedan to replace the CT6, as the second generation will not be sold in North America.[21][22]
The CT6 was initially available with a choice of three engines, a 4-cylinder 2.0-liter turbo (a first for a full-size Cadillac) and two V6 engines, a 3.6-liter and a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged offering 404 hp (301 kW; 410 PS) and 400 lb⋅ft (542 N⋅m; 55 kg⋅m) together with cylinder deactivation.[29] The CT6 will be available in both rear-wheel drive (standard on four-cylinder models) and all-wheel drive (standard on all six-cylinder models).[30] The version sold in China has RWD with the four-cylinder turbo engine.[31]
A 4.2-liter twin-turbo V8 engine was made available for the 2019 and 2020 models making 550 hp (410 kW; 558 PS) for the CT6-V model and 500 hp (373 kW; 507 PS) for other models with the Platinum trim. Torque for both engines is 640 and 574 lb⋅ft (868 and 778 N⋅m; 88 and 79 kg⋅m) respectively.[32][33] This is the most sophisticated V8 engine ever made by General Motors. It reportedly cost GM about $20,000 each to produce this engine. Production of the CT6-V was limited, and only 875 cars were made for 2019 and 2020 while the Platinum model production numbers were only 625 for 2019 and 2020. Badging for the 2019 and 2020 CT6-V is the stylized Cadillac "V" on the trunk while the Platinum badging is 4.2tt for 2019 models and 800t for 2020 models.
Technology
The CT6 uses the Bose Panaray Surround-Sound System, using DolbyDTSSurround Sound Technology. The system consists of 34 speakers, including ones mounted in the front seat headrests, as well as a motorized center-channel speaker that retracts from the center of the instrument panel. The system uses Bose's automotive sound system technologies, as well as technologies from its Panaray line of professional speakers. The CT6 line comes standard with one of three Bose premium audio systems: an 8-speaker Bose Premium Sound System, a 10-speaker Bose Centerpoint Surround-Sound System,[34] or the top-of-the-line 34-speaker Bose Panaray Surround-Sound System.
The CT6 uses a rear view mirror camera, which allows the driver to easily see what is behind them via a digital image projected onto the rearview mirror. This is the first vehicle to offer a rearview camera mounted in the rearview mirror.
Starting in 2017, Cadillac Super Cruise became available for semi-autonomous highway driving. It is part of a $5,000 option package on CT6's Premium Luxury model and is standard on the top-of-the-line Platinum.
Models
CT6 PHEV
A plug-in hybrid variant, the CT6 PHEV, debuted at the 2015 Shanghai Auto Show.[35] The plug-in hybrid uses a similar powertrain as the current Chevrolet Volt (second generation). The powertrain combines a 266 hp (198 kW; 270 PS), 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder direct injected gasoline engine with a two motor, hybrid transmission and a liquid cooled 18.4 kWhlithium-ion battery pack, which is integrated into the car floor as well as an e-CVT. Total combined power is 250 kW (335 hp; 340 PS).[36] The powertrain is manufactured in the United States and the vehicle's final assembled point is in Jinqiao, China (by Shanghai GM).[37][38] The CT6 plug-in hybrid was released in the Chinese market in December 2016.[39] Pricing in China started at CN¥558,800 (~US$80,408), with a higher trim at CN¥658,800 (~ US$94,683) before any applicable government incentives.[39] The CT6 PHEV went on sale in the U.S. in March 2017 in Premium Luxury trim level with a base price of US$75,095, also before applicable government incentives.
The CT6 PHEV has an EPAfuel economy rating of 62 MPGe (54 kWh per 100 miles) combined while running on full electric power, or 25 MPG combined in hybrid mode.[40] The EPA-certified electric range is 31 miles (50 km), while the total range of both the gasoline engine and hybrid electric motor combined is over 440 miles (710 km). The CT6 PHEV is the first Cadillac product for the U.S. market to have its final assembly point in China.
CT6-V
Cadillac CT6-V frontCadillac CT6-V rear
Introduced as a high-performance version of the CT6, the CT6-V (formerly known as the V-Sport)[41] was first revealed at the 2018 New York Auto Show. Powertrain improvements over the regular CT6 include a newly developed DOHC twin-turbocharged, hot vee V8, code-named Blackwing, which produces 550 hp (410 kW; 558 PS) at 5,700 rpm and 640 lb⋅ft (868 N⋅m; 88 kg⋅m) of torque between 3,200 rpm and 4,000 rpm. This engine has an 86.0 mm (3.4 in) bore and 90.2 mm (3.6 in) stroke with a compression ratio of 9.8:1. In order to withstand the stress of a high-performance engine and reduce internal friction, Cadillac has used forged steel connecting rods and a special coating for piston pins. To improve efficiency, Cadillac employed cylinder deactivation on cylinders 2, 3, 5, and 8 while variable timing was used on all four camshafts (which can adjust 55 degrees on the exhaust and 70 degrees on the intake). When the engine is off, the intake cams are parked in the middle of their travel, preventing exhaust/intake valve overlap to allow for easier starting and smoother initial idle. Fuel is injected directly into the cylinder at over 5,000 psi (34,000 kPa) of pressure. Cast stainless steel exhaust manifolds incorporate the housing within the engine bank for the twin-scroll Mitsubishi Heavy Industries turbochargers, mounted between cylinder banks in a hot vee configuration,[42] to allow for better response. Titanium aluminide turbine wheels spin up to 190,000 rpm, producing peak boost of 20 psi (140 kPa) which is relieved by electric wastegates. The intercooler is mounted just above each cylinder head, which reduces the charge air temperature by approximately 130 °F (54 °C) before reaching the engine intake.
The engines were hand-assembled and personally signed at the Bowling Green plant in Kentucky where each Chevrolet Corvette is also assembled. The engines are mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission, which uses Performance Algorithm Shift programming to achieve the ideal shifting patterns. The CT6-V also features an AWD system with optimized transfer case, rear steering, and mechanical Limited Slip Differential (LSD).[43] The AWD system will adjust according to the 3 different driving modes available. The standard torque bias remains 40:60 front to rear, but will adjust to a torque split of 10:90 for optimized track performance with minimum understeer. Furthermore, the front end and rear end are redesigned; the front features a new hood, headlamps, and grille while the rear features a new deck lid and tail lamps. The chassis is recalibrated with specific stabilizer bars, springs, and Magnetic Ride dampers.[44]
Photographs and details of an updated second-generation CT6 were leaked in November 2022; it has similar dimensions and the same wheelbase as the first-generation CT6.[31] The second generation CT6 made its public debut on May 28, 2023, and is now exclusively sold in China, and went on sale at the end of Q2 2023.[46][47]
Rear view
Interior
Despite being a new generation, the second iteration of the CT6 takes design cues from the previous model. With a new interior, adding new technology, it is an improvement in technology, and has been modernized significantly.
The second-generation CT6 multiple compartments from the previous generation such as, gearbox, size, design cues and platform.[47]
With the technology upgrade, the CT6 receives a 33-inch infotainment screen along with Super Cruise, Magnetic Ride Control 4.0, and a digital rear view mirror.[48]
Reception
The car was chosen as one of the Top 10 Tech Cars by the IEEE in 2018.[49]
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