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Why Cadillac needs a real truck in its lineup

Premium brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and Cadillac sell vehicles that cover the spectrum from car to crossover to SUV. But trucks? They remain the last frontier when it comes to luxury brands. These days Chevy, GMC, Ford, and Ram sell cheap, bare-bones work trucks alongside loaded models that top $75,000. There is a reverse elitism that comes with this sales tactic. A brand gets to reflect a rugged working class lifestyle with the emblem up front, while what's behind it costs as much as a small house in middle America. But Americans who spend big money on cars and SUVs have always gradually tailed towards luxury nameplates over time. Everyone knows what an Escalade is, and thanks in large part to that image the Escalade is now the best-selling fullsize luxury SUV in the USA. Cadillac's flagship model, along with its midsize luxury crossover, the SRX, routinely outsell the competition from Audi, Mercedes, and BMW, not to mention Ford's Lincoln brand and most of the Japanese rivals. With trucks already dominating overall sales and headed into the pricing stratosphere, I believe it's time for Cadillac to consider a fullsize truck. And no, not a lipstick version that merely takes a Chevrolet Silverado pickup and throws in a few leather seats and some slight interior touches. That experiment already failed both for Cadillac (the Escalade EXT) and for Ford's Lincoln brand (Blackwood, Mark LT). Cadillac is an American brand that currently focuses a ridiculous amount of energy and resources trying to compete with European car offerings. The brand needs to create the Cadillac of trucks. Head honcho Johan de Nysschen has been blunt in his desire to "restore Cadillac to the pinnacle of global premium brands, not in sales but in aspirational brand character." This sounds well and wonderful. But the present problem in achieving this goal is that, on a global basis, Cadillac is a failed brand. Look at Europe, where Cadillac has sold so poorly in recent years that former Soviet manufacturer Lada managed more new registrations in 2014 by a factor of more than four to one. Cadillac is an American brand that currently focuses a ridiculous amount of energy and resources trying to compete with European car offerings. After more than 20 years of Cadillac models selling themselves as import killers, the only one with sustained success has been the CTS, and even that has been a marketplace loser for the last several years. The CTS-V?

2020 Cadillac CT5-V First Drive | The lowercase v series

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — This isnÂ’t the Cadillac CT5-V we were expecting. After years of successively higher horsepower and world-beating performance statistics, Cadillac flipped the script with the CTS-replacing CT5 by making the reborn carÂ’s first V-badged sedan a middle performance tier that will slot below a new model that hasnÂ’t yet been released. The outgoing CTS-V pounded the pavement with 640 horsepower; the CT5-V weÂ’re discussing here offers up a seemingly paltry 360 ponies. The CT5Â’s styling aligns with recent models like the XT4, XT5, XT6 and CT6, but is another major departure from the CTS it replaces. The automakerÂ’s abandoned Art and Science design philosophy culminated in a CTS that looked modern and distinctive. Crisp lines, clean edges and sharp features have given way to the CT5Â’s more flowing sense of style, and with the exception of its gracefully curved pseudo-fastback greenhouse that results in an unfortunately awkward C-pillar transition, itÂ’s right on the border of blending in instead of standing out. As you would expect, the CT5-V has a more aggressive look than other CT5 models. Bits that are bright on the standard car are blacked out on the V, and the sportier car has a more chiseled front face with a mesh grille that flows more air than if it were just wide open. Similar changes are seen in the cabin, where the V replaces wood trim with carbon fiber. WeÂ’d prefer some other trim options in the V, like maybe brushed aluminum, since the monochromatic dark leather with dark trim leads to — you guessed it — a starkly dark interior. Cadillac has a brand-new infotainment system that will be launching soon in the upcoming Escalade SUV, but the CT5 sticks with the brandÂ’s oft-maligned CUE. As much as customers and journalists like us have complained about CUE, the latest (and likely last) version found in the CT5 works pretty well. All the necessary functions are easy to find, and the touchscreen is quick and responsive. And if you really donÂ’t like the interface, there are physical buttons for the climate control and a pair of dials for audio. An available rear camera mirror offers a wider field of view, or can be used as a regular mirror. Forward collision alert, automatic braking and pedestrian detection are standard. A 360-degree camera system, adaptive cruise control, automatic parking assist and rear auto braking are available.

2016 Cadillac ATS-V brandishes 450 horses and 6-speed manual

Details about the hotly anticipated 2016 Cadillac ATS-V are tumbling out, and they look to be everything we could ask for in a high-performance Caddy coupe.
According to Road & Track, the ATS-V will use a version of the twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 from the CTS Vsport, but the wick will be turned up to 450 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque. In glorious news for driving enthusiasts everywhere, that potent mill will be available with either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic.
According to R&T, the engine has a heap of high-performance tech to let it make the extra ponies, including titanium connecting rods, two water-to-air intercoolers, titanium turbines for the turbos and an additional radiator dedicated to cooling the gearbox and electronically locking differential. Keeping it all planted are a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, and a suspension with 50 percent more roll stiffness.