Skip to main content

Cadillac’s CT6 flagship goes green with 70-mpg plug-in hybrid model

Cadillac Elmiraj
Image used with permission by copyright holder

It looks like Cadillac not only wants to make its upcoming CT6 flagship luxurious and stylish, but green as well.

Automotive News (sub. required) reports that Cadillac is developing a plug-in hybrid version, and aiming for at least 70 mpg.

General Motors could be talking about a best-case-scenario highway rating, but anything even close to that would be pretty impressive for a big, heavy luxury sedan.

Well, not that heavy, actually.

The CT6 will reportedly be 8 inches longer than a CTS, but 53 pounds lighter.  The weight savings will come from a body structure made from aluminum and high-strength steel. GM says the CT6 will also use 20 percent fewer parts than other cars its size.

Related: Cadillac moves its headquarters from Detroit to New York City

The plug-in powertrain wasn’t discussed in detail, but a turbocharged six-cylinder engine producing around 400 horsepower was mentioned. That probably means the CT6 will get the 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 currently available on the CTS and XTS Vsport models.

That engine will feature a start-stop system, and will be mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, perhaps the one that debuted recently on the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.

The V6 will presumably be teamed with an electric motor for added power as well as efficiency. Don’t rule out a traditional V8 powertrain either.

Cadillac’s plug-in hybrid will compete with the 2015 Mercedes-Benz S550 plug-in, which goes on sale next year. It may also give Tesla buyers  something to ponder.

The CT6 will also kick off Cadillac’s new naming scheme when it debuts at the 2015 New York Auto Show next April.

It will be built in Detroit, and is expected to go on sale in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Editors' Recommendations

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
The Lucid Gravity has more range than any other electric SUV
A Lucid Gravity electric SUV on the road.

The Lucid Air is a marvelous electric car. It offers more range than any EV currently on sale, plus impressive performance and tech. However, it’s also a sedan, and therefore will always have limited reach in a marketplace dominated by SUVs. Enter the Lucid Gravity, a seven-passenger, three-row SUV launching in 2024 that will allow Lucid to reach a wider audience.

The Gravity is a sensible follow-up to the Air. Having introduced itself to the world with that sedan, Lucid can now channel some of the buzz into a vehicle aimed at a larger patch of the market. But it also presents a challenge. In order to create a true SUV, Lucid had to make the Gravity heavier and less aerodynamic than the Air, cutting into the efficiency that was a hallmark of the sedan’s design.

Read more
Amazon and Hyundai partner on online car sales, in-car services
A 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe in front of a giant Amazon box.

At the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show, Amazon and Hyundai announced a partnership that will bring Amazon Alexa Built-in apps to future Hyundai vehicles and will make Hyundai the first brand in Amazon's planned foray into online car sales.

Starting in 2025, "next-generation" Hyundai vehicles will offer the same Alexa experience users get at home, the automaker's announcement said. Drivers will be able to ask Alexa to play music podcasts or audiobooks, set reminders, update to-do lists, and check calendars, as well as control smart-home functions. The built-in Alexa functionality will also include real-time traffic and weather information, as well as voice control for navigation systems. "Certain" features will be available even when internet access is limited.

Read more
Volvo EM90 electric minivan: price, release date, range, and more
Volvo EM90 Driving

If you want an electric SUV, crossover, or sedan, you're spoiled for choices right now. Kia EV6? Rivian R1S? Volvo EX30? All great picks.

But what if you want ... a minivan?

Read more