GM fails to see the obvious way to fix the CT6
The Cadillac CT6 was a surprising tour de force: boasting Cadillac’s Blackwing V8, rear wheel drive, and a Tesla-“Autopilot”-beating “Super Cruise” autonomous driving system, the sedan was supposed to be a reputation-remaker. The top sales year, though, was 2017, when it hit 10,542 in the United States. No other year hit five-figure sales, and 2019 was almost dismal, at 7,951 sales.
GM couldn’t figure out what to do with the car, clearly a Cadillac from the front but somewhat 300-ish from the side, and simply dropped it as of last week. Executives said they could not find a way to save it in a market that loves crossovers.
Here’s one: pretend it’s a crossover. Turn the sedan into a wagon, and call it the CT6X. If possible, add all wheel drive (optional). Ta-da, a crossover ready for the (wealthy) masses.
Could GM have done it cheaply enough to actually make a profit? No, but at least their image leader would have lasted more than four years.
As it is, the car ended up being a demonstrator for journalists and dealers more than anything else. As for Super Cruise, it’s supposed to show up on the 2021 CT4, CT5, and Escalade SUV. The Blackwing V8 may or may not live on.
Clark Westfield grew up fixing up and driving past-their-prime American cars, including various GM and Mopar V8s. He has ghostwritten auto news for the last few years, and lives in Farmingdale, New York.
