The Cadillac Expressive Coupe concept never made it beyond the design study stage, but it did serve as design inspiration for several Cadillacs currently in production, including the pre-refresh Cadillac CT5 and the second-generation Cadillac CT6.
For those who prefer to watch (rather than read), we discuss the whole thing in our podcast just below; but if you’re actually into reading, then read on.
As a reminder, the second-generation Cadillac CT6 is exclusive to China, as there are currently no plans to bring the luxury sedan to markets outside the Asian country. The first-generation CT6, meanwhile, departed the North American market after the 2020 model year was built out. In any event, looking at the second-gen CT6 and the Expressive Coupe concept, it’s impossible to ignore the design similarities between the two.
At the front, the similarities between the Expressive Coupe and the second-gen CT6 are staggering. The horizontally-oriented lamps from the concept vehicle are present on the real-life CT6. The Expressive Coupe also wears a set of vertical lamps, just like the ones on the Cadillac CT6, and the lower front fascia treatment on the CT6, particularly the “X-wing”-shaped treatment, is derived from that of the Expressive Coupe.
From the side, the Cadillac Expressive Coupe concept features a much longer hood than the CT6 as a result of a longer dash to axle ratio, thereby resulting in cab-rearward proportions. Expectedly for a coupe, its cabin is much smaller than that of the CT6. That said, both vehicles sport a sweeping rear window terminating in a sharp, angled spoiler. Here, we can also see that the Expressive Coupe’s pronounced shoulder line has made its way to the CT6. However, the Expressive Coupe features a unique C-pillar “kink” that’s present, albeit in a different form, on the CT5, while the CT6 didn’t get the “kink” as a result of a rear vanity window aft of the rear door.
Cadillac didn’t share any images of the Express Coupe concept’s rear end, but it did provide a close-up of the L-shaped taillights, which are very similar to those used on the CT6. In fact, the resemblance between the two is uncanny.
In all, the Cadillac Expressive Coupe clearly served as a guide for the design language of current Cadillac models, while paying homage to the luxury marque’s past of large, long-hooded, luxurious coupes.
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A curious sighting from a video of the Cadillac design studio.
