It was November 2018, and the sky seemed to have fallen on Cadillac enthusiasts and owners the world over when the brand announced plans to discontinue the CT6. As it turns out, this will not be the case. That’s right, the Cadillac CT6 is not being discontinued.
That sound you hear is a general feeling of elation from the Cadillac faithful.
The Backstory
On November 26th, 2018, Cadillac parent company – General Motors – announced a not-insignificant restructuring that would entails the closure of various plants. Among these is the Detroit-Hamtramck facility, which is home to various GM products, including the Cadillac CT6.
A day later, a Cadillac spokesperson confirmed that the CT6 would end production in June 2019 and be discontinued thereafter in North America, while continuing to be made and sold and China. The timeframe would allow enough time for Cadillac’s all-new 4.2L Twin-Turbo V8 Black Wing engine to be offered in the refreshed, 2019 CT6. The spokesperson said that the Detroit-Hamtramck plant would build plenty of CT6 units to keep in stock and sell during all of 2019. Disheartened, we cried ourselves to sleep that week. But apparently, we shouldn’t have.
According to Cadillac president, Steve Carlisle, and GM President, Mark Reuss, the CT6 was never supposed to have been a part of the restructuring. The execs stated that company officials did not communicate Cadillac’s plans for the CT6 correctly at the time. In fact, Carlisle added that the company “never said” the CT6 would be discontinued, and that the luxury brand was always planning to keep the large sedan as its showcase for technologies like Super Cruise and the Blackwing V8.
We should note that both executives are rather new to their positions. Carlisle took over for Johan de Nysschen as president of Cadillac in April 2018, at which point Reuss – who at the time served as GM’s product development chief – assumed responsibility of Cadillac within the GM corporate structure. Prior to the change, GM president Dan Ammann held the president role. In December 2018, Ammann changed jobs to head GM’s Cruise self-driving department, and Reuss was promoted to the role of GM President, an inconveniently-named role that is typically known at other firms as Chief Operating Office (COO).
Where To Now?
Both Reuss and Carlisle said that the automaker is evaluating options to continue selling the CT6 in North America. The execs stated that production could move to another plant, without going into too much detail.
Another option is to import the Cadillac CT6 from China, something that Carlisle described as being the least desirable. He added that the company has some time to sort out a new plan before the final Cadillac CT6 rolls off of the assembly line at Detroit-Hamtramck on June 1st.
Notably, the production discussion will be part of negotiations with the UAW, since the current labor contract expires in September 2019.
The 2019 Cadillac CT6
The CT6 receives a refresh for the 2019 model year consisting of an updated exterior, new, tactile controls for the infotainment system on the interior, two new engines and an all-new transmission. The first new engine is an all-new, turbo-charged 2.0L four-cylinder assigned production code LSY, while the second is the all-new, hand-built, Twin-Turbo 4.2L V8 assigned production code LTA and branded as Blackwing.
The Blackwing is offered in two versions: a regular-output variant making 500 horsepower slated for the CT6 Platinum, as well as a high-output version making 550 horses in the nearly-$90,000 CT6-V, which was initially announced as the CT6 V-Sport.
All 2019 Cadillac CT6 engines will be mated to a brand-new, state-of-the-art 10-speed automatic transmission.
Michael
This may be the switcheroo that I predicted. Now made in America, oh wait, maybe made in China. Disgusting if it does come to fruition. If GM didn’t get the loans guaranteed by the US taxpayer they wouldn’t be here. Disloyalty knows no bounds. Now troll time.
A Elsabbagh
Good news regardless. I ordered a 2019 CT6 in August and it just got built last week. Hopefully changes for 2019 spark sales to a higher level than they have been since CT6 was introduced.
John
It seems like this reversal might bode well for DHAM in the upcoming union negotiations. It doesn’t seem like they’d really go through with closing a flexible plant that can already produce BEVs when that’s their stated focus for Cadillac going forward. Guess we’ll see.
So far, I think the UAW has only sullied the reputation of GM vehicles and caused customers to second-guess buying them. How that helps the UAW workers in the long run is beyond me. They don’t want to give people any extra reason to go out and buy a Toyota or a Kia instead of a GM product.
daryl
fantastic news, now we need Buick to keep the 2020 refreshed lacrosse. Just when we get some fabulous refreshed designs, GM takes them away.
Catbert
They mis-spoke about discontinueing their last remaining sedan? I’m calling BS. If it will now be a Chinese import, they might as well discontinue it now.
Michael
I have said that in response to several articles on CT6. So, you are brilliant. I agree.
Pongphon
I disappoint in interior design.
Frank Ricciardi
This is good news!! I love the CT6 and hope that the 2019 updates help increase sales. I also suggest upgrading the advertising campaign. Cadillac TV Ads are uninteresting and frankly boring. Please review the BMW and Mercedes campaigns. Both are exciting and make the cars seem exciting. All that spinning and sliding make me want one even though I would never drive one like that. Advertising needs to get the juices flowing. Cadillac’s current campaign just doesn’t do it and the sales are the proof.
Paul
THey’re making fools of themselves with all of this indecisiveness.
xjug1987
Completely agree… they ARE fools. GM leadership is really failing in so many ways. I rejoice the CT6 is not dead, it has so much potential and I think its a great product. Its not fully competitive IMO. The interior needs to be fabulous not GM parts bin but “nicer”. GM needs Cadillac to be better than the competition but at a solid value. It needs to offer all the electronic driving gizmos Standard. Sell Caddy as American Luxury and Safety. But no the charge extra for everything… yet the total package isn’t fully competitive. Why was the CTS-V engine not offered out the gate in 2016? I imagine they’d have sold more than the 4 cyl… who ever heard of a 4cyl Cadillac flagship? Thats not even wishful thinking, its not thinking…
Patrick Parker
A Cadillac from China would be there demise…
BlogSnap
Probably, but most USA people are too absent minded to remember or know that their tax dollars funded this manufacturing treason
James
Our tax dollars funded plenty of other treasonous activities.
Diana
I was going to buy a 2019 CT6 but everytime I inquired about it I was told they weren’t available yet. I decided on a 2019 Mercedes AMG GLE 43 coupe and I am happy with this choice.
Art
The CT6 should have been built on the Alpha platform, then you could have built it at the Lansing plant with little or no additional investment. BMW builds all of its cars on one platform. Thank God that the XTS is still going away. It cheapens the brand. Cadillac has done great things with exterior design, performance, technology, and now powertrain. The one lingering issue is interior quality. Stop the bean counters!
Joseph
I am so happy that they changed their mind. Now they have to manufacture the CT6 PLUG IN here in the USA. One other thing, as we are retired we would like to have the options for the computers be optional, as all we use is On Star, XM Radio and the option we would really like is ALL WHEEL DRIVE. All the best to President Steve Carlisle and GM President, COO, Mark Reviss. God Bless both of you.