Will be launched late next year

We've heard plenty about Cadillac's upcoming flagship but new details are starting to emerge about the car's luxurious interior.

According to GM Authority, the model will be offered in three different trim levels: Premium, Luxury and Platinum. Each trim level is expected to have a unique rear seat and the entry-level Premium is slated to have a traditional three person bench. Luxury variants will reportedly feature two individual rear seats which are separated by center console which has controls to activate the heated / ventilated seats - among other things. The range-topping Premium will go one step further as it is rumored to have reclining rear seats with a massage function.

As we have previously reported, the flagship sedan will be launched late next year and is expected to be offered with a twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6 engine and an optional V8.

Could be called 'LTS'

General Motors has announced today the Cadillac flagship model is programmed to enter production phase in the fourth quarter of 2015 at the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant.

GM is describing their new product as a "top-end, high-technology" Cadillac positioned above the CTS and XTS which will take the shape of a large sedan with a standard rear-wheel drive layout. The LTS is bound to ride "on a unique architecture" and will make use of "completely new, custom-designed materials" according to Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen.

The model will reportedly ride on GM's new Omega platform and will be offered with an optional all-wheel drive system. Power is expected to come from a V6 3.6-liter twin-turbo engine sourced from the CTS Vsport where it develops 321 bhp (239 kW) at 6,800 rpm and 275 lb-ft (373 Nm) of torque at 4,900 rpm.

To get ready for the model's arrival, General Motors will be making a $384 million investment and already they have installed new tools and equipment. The name of the car has not been revealed but according to some reports Cadillac will sell its range-topping model with the "LTS" moniker. We do know an announcement regarding the model's designation will be made soon and the vehicle will be revealed in full in the first half of 2015.

The model will reportedly ride on GM's new Omega platform and will be offered with an optional all-wheel drive system. Power is expected to come from a V6 3.6-liter twin-turbo engine sourced from the CTS Vsport where it develops 321 bhp (239 kW) at 6,800 rpm and 275 lb-ft (373 Nm) of torque at 4,900 rpm.

GM has just confirmed the name of its upcoming Mercedes-Benz S-Class challenger from Cadillac as the new CT6.

According to GM, the model name originates from "Cadillac’s "use of CTS for its centerpiece carline" and it signals the shift to a new nomenclature under which all future cars will use familiar lettering like “CT” followed by a number indicating the size and position in the range.

In other words, the ATS could be renamed to CT4 and the CTS to CT5, for example, but Cadillac says the change won't happen overnight.

"As we expand the portfolio, we can assist consumers in placing the cars within a structure, as they compare cars both within our showroom and across the market generally," explained Cadillac chief marketing officer, Uwe Ellinghaus. "However, this will be an evolutionary process – we will only change a product’s name when the product itself is redesigned or an all-new model is created, as in this instance."

The new CT6, which Cadillac says will "join the elite group of top-class large luxury cars", will be officially presented next year, possibly at the Detroit Auto Show in January or the New York Auto Show in April, with production to start towards the end of 2015 and sales in early 2016.

"The Cadillac CT6 continues our brand’s elevation and global growth," said Ellinghaus. "CT6 will constitute an entirely new approach to the prestige sedan, emphasizing a dynamic driving experience and advanced technology."

Cadillac also confirmed that the new RWD-oriented sedan will use a mix of materials and new body construction techniques to reduce weight.

"This Cadillac will be the lightest and most agile car in the class of top-level large luxury sedans," said Travis Hester, executive chief engineer, Cadillac CT6. “Using the lessons learned from our dynamic ATS and CTS product lines, we have developed an entirely new vehicle architecture for the CT6. It will employ a mixed material philosophy that combines the best and most efficient components optimized for each area of this new top-of-the-range car."

It is expected that the CT6 will borrow heavily on the styling of last year's Elmiraj coupe study. Speaking of the Elmiraj, doesn't that name sound so much better than the Germanic CT6?

Goes on sale next year

General Motors has revealed new information about the highly anticipated CT6 flagship.

During a briefing last week, executives confirmed the model will be a technological showcase and feature the Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system which can control the car's steering, braking and acceleration under certain conditions. In order to do this, the system uses radar, ultrasonic sensors, cameras and GPS data to determine the car's position and the location of other vehicles and obstacles.

The CT6 will also be equipped with a digital rearview mirror that provides a live video of what is behind the vehicle.

Executives were coy on powertrain details but confirmed there will be a plug-in hybrid variant. There's no word on specifics but it will reportedly enable the sedan to accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than six seconds and travel up to 75 mph (120 km/h) in pure electric mode.

General Motors Co.’s new Cadillac CT6 will have a plug-in electric option that offers “industry-leading fuel economy upwards of 70 mpg equivalent,” plus tons of new technology, GM’s top product chief said Wednesday.

Cadillac and GM have said the top-of-the-range CT6 will be built at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant beginning late next year.

“We will create with the CT6, the world’s most advanced body structure,” Mark Reuss, GM’s, executive vice president of global product development, purchasing and supply chain, told more than 200 investors and analysts gathered at GM’s Proving Ground for the company’s Global Business Conference. “And it’s not aluminum. It’s a stronger, smarter, safer premium luxury vehicle.”

“So rather than try to copy someone, or do something that has already been done, we have created, we think the vehicle, in this timeframe, that will stand apart and make Cadillac again the standard of the world.”

The automaker said it has developed a mixed material body structure that combines use of the company’s patented welding technology with high-strength steel, aluminum and steel stampings and castings to help create a lightweight vehicle that uses 20 percent fewer parts.

For example, Reuss said GM has taken 20 different parts used on a front body pillar and created one single casting. He said the technology helps improve safety, ride and handling and the quietness of the car.

“We have eliminated a lot of opportunities for failures or quality spills,” he said, with technology for the CT6.

He said the new CT6, which is expected to compete with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series, will have stop-start technology and offer a 3-liter twin turbo engine combined with an eight-seed transmission to offer the most “powerful six-cylinder gas engine in the segment.”

The new CT6 is 53 pounds lighter than the CTS on the road today, but is eight inches longer, Reuss said.

The CT6 also will include a thru-view mirror that displays more of the outside of the back of the car in the rearview mirror. “We’ve taken that rear backup camera and steamed it into the front mirror,” Reuss said.

We hope the new CT6 signals the return of Cadillac at the top of the luxury sedan pile, a spot it hasn’t occupied in many decades.

This rendering hints at what it could possibly look like, though it’s claimed to be pretty accurate, as it’s based on (what we understand are) leaked images of CAD files, spyshots and Cadillac’s current styling language to fill in the remaining blanks.

The result is fairly believable, though obviously not of the best visual quality. It does get the message across, and taking several glances at it, then at spyshots and then back repeatedly, the proportions and general outline of the body do look accurate.

As for the finer details, well, it was rendered with two distinct styles of headlights. One is similar to what current production Caddys look like, while the other sports more of a concept look (the one with the slimmer lights).

Cadillac Adds Streaming Video to Enhance Driver Vision and Safety
Display eliminates visual obstructions, increases rearward vision by 300 percent
2014-12-18

DETROIT – Cadillac late next year will add high-resolution streaming video to the function of a traditional rearview mirror, removing obstructions of passengers, headrests and the vehicle's roof and rear pillars.

The streaming video mirror improves field of vision by an estimated 300 percent, or roughly four times greater than a standard rearview mirror.

"The closest comparison to this kind of rear vision would be driving a convertible with the top down," said Travis Hester, Cadillac CT6 executive chief engineer.

"In addition to the increased field of view, the technology eliminates any rear seat, rear pillar or passenger obstructions, allowing the driver an unimpeded view of the lanes behind and traditional blind-spots," Hester said.

Thanks to a high dynamic range, the camera's video feed reduces glare and allows a crisper image in low-light situations, versus a traditional glass electrochromatic, or auto-dimming, rearview mirror. The in-mirror display is an industry-leading 1280 by 240-pixel TFT-LCD display with 171 pixels per inch, combined with a HD camera designed specifically to enhance rear view lane width and maximize low-light situations.

A water-shedding hydrophobic coating is applied to the camera to keep it clean to maintain visibility regardless of the driving conditions.

Researchers and engineers working on this Cadillac innovation have been awarded 10 patents – one for the streaming video mirror and nine for video processing. The patents cover innovations in the wide field of view camera image calibration, de-warping, glare reduction and camera hardware design.

Drivers can disable the mirror's video streaming function; flipping the toggle on the underside of the mirror will revert it to a traditional electrochromatic rearview mirror.

"The streaming video is a significant enhancement for the luxury customer interested in purposeful technology," Hester said.

The technology will debut on the 2016 Cadillac CT6.

Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. Today, Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio featuring dramatic design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com. Cadillac's media website with information, images and video can be found at media.cadillac.com.