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

By Stephen Edelstein Published October 9, 2014

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.

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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.

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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Electric Muscle Misfire? Dodge Pulls Charger Daytona R/T from 2026 Lineup

electric muscle misfire dodge pulls charger daytona r t from 2026 lineup all new

The Dodge Charger Daytona R/T, once hailed as the vanguard of Dodge’s electric muscle car future, is being dropped for the 2026 model year.
According to a report from MoparInsiders, the Scat Pack variant will now lead the Daytona lineup, marking a significant pivot in Stellantis’ EV strategy.
Originally introduced with bold ambitions, the Charger Daytona R/T was designed to offer an accessible gateway into electric performance. With its 456-horsepower dual-motor setup and optional 509-horsepower Direct Connection stage kit, it seemed poised to excite both muscle car fans and EV newcomers. However, market realities have painted a different picture.
Industry and media reports highlight the core issue: buyers just weren’t biting. Despite its impressive specs and nostalgic design cues, the R/T struggled to justify its price tag, starting near $60,000. At that level, buyers expected either more performance or more premium features. Without strong sales traction, Dodge made the tough call to shelve the R/T variant for 2026, opting instead to focus on trims that resonate better with customers.
As we reported in December, the Charger EV was launched with an off-beat marketing message to “save the planet from self-driving sleep pods.” The goal was to retain Dodge’s brand identity—muscle, aggression, and driver engagement—even in the electric era. The Charger Daytona R/T was supposed to be the perfect balance of price and performance, but it seems the target audience wasn’t ready to make that leap at that price.
Importantly, this doesn’t spell the end of the Charger Daytona altogether. Higher-performance models like the Scat Pack and Banshee are still in the pipeline and, interestingly, are being adjusted for price competitiveness. Several trims are reportedly seeing price cuts, suggesting Stellantis is serious about making these vehicles more appealing and accessible.
For enthusiasts, the takeaway is clear: the electric muscle car isn’t going anywhere, but automakers are still figuring out how to sell it. The demise of the R/T is less a failure and more a recalibration—proof that even the boldest plans need to stay flexible in the face of consumer demand.

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2026 Cadillac Vistiq front-quarter view.

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For a modern luxury brand, a midsize three-row crossover is key. Customers for whom a Toyota Highlander is too déclassé need something to take their kids to lacrosse practice, but may not want something as big as an Escalade. This isn’t the most exciting design brief, and that’s reflected in the gasoline Cadillac XT6, which has always felt like nothing more than a placeholder. Its new electric counterpart, the 2026 Cadillac Vistiq, is anything but.

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2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 front quarter view.

Hyundai has used the clean-sheet nature of electric powertrains to make new vehicles radically different from its internal-combustion models, but what happens when the best thing a new car can be is ordinary? The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 is a three-row SUV that, to succeed, needs to prioritize space and an effortless ownership experience over radical styling or sports-car driving dynamics. That doesn’t leave much room for creativity, but Hyundai has done its best by giving the Ioniq 9 futuristic styling combined with the proven E-GMP dedicated EV platform from its other Ioniq models and the Kia EV9. The enthusiastic response to the EV9, from Hyundai’s sibling brand, shows why, despite having two gasoline three-row SUVs in its lineup already, Hyundai needed an all-electric one as well.

Another daring design from Hyundai