2014 Cadillac Ats Luxury Rwd on 2040-cars

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GM won't really kill off the Chevy Volt and Cadillac CT6, will it?

General Motors is apparently considering killing off six slow-selling models by 2020, according to Reuters. But is that really likely? The news is mentioned in a story where UAW president Dennis Williams notes that slumping US car sales could threaten jobs at low-volume factories. Still, we're skeptical that GM is really serious about killing those cars. Reuters specifically calls out the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CT6, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Sonic, and the Chevrolet Volt. Most of these have been redesigned or refreshed within the past few model years. Four - the LaCrosse, Impala, CT6, and Volt - are built in the Hamtramck factory in Detroit. That plant has made only 35,000 cars this year - down 32 percent from 2016. A typical GM plant builds 200,000-300,000 vehicles a year. Of all the cars Williams listed, killing the XTS, Impala, and Sonic make the most sense. They're older and don't sell particularly well. On the other hand, axing the other three seems like an odd move. It would leave Buick and Cadillac without flagship sedans, at least until the rumored Cadillac CT8 arrives. The CT6 was a big investment for GM and backing out after just a few years would be a huge loss. It also uses GM's latest and best materials and technology, making us even more skeptical. The Volt is a hugely important car for Chevrolet, and supplementing it with a crossover makes more sense than replacing it with one. Offering one model with a range of powertrain variants like the Hyundai Ioniq and Toyota Prius might be another route GM could take. All six of these vehicles are sedans, Yes, crossover sales are booming, but there's still a huge market for cars. Backing away from these would be essentially giving up sales to competitors from around the globe. The UAW might simply be publicly pushing GM to move crossover production to Hamtramck to avoid closing the plant and laying off workers. Sales of passenger cars are down across both GM and the industry. Consolidating production in other plants and closing Hamtramck rather than having a single facility focus on sedans might make more sense from a business perspective. GM is also trying to reduce its unsold inventory, meaning current production may be slowed or halted while current cars move into customer hands. There's a lot of politics that goes into building a car. GM wants to do what makes the most sense from a business perspective, while the UAW doesn't workers to lose their jobs when a factory closes.

Cadillac recalls ELR coupe over stability control problems

Cadillac is recalling about 656 2014 ELR models made between September 26, 2013 and February 14, 2014, because of a fault with the electronic stability control system. On cars without adaptive cruise control, it's possible that diagnostics could prevent the system from telling the driver if ESC is on or off.
Cadillac has a software fix ready and repairs begin on April 17. Alan Adler, General Motors' recall and legal spokesperson, tells Autoblog that only about 55 of the affected cars are in the hands of owners. The rest are either on dealer lots or still at the factory. There have been no reported injuries or crashes caused by the fault.
The correction for the stability control system involves a software recalibration of the electronic brake control module that takes around 20 minutes to perform. While they use the same platform, the Chevrolet Volt isn't involved in this recall because it "uses a different a brake control module," said Adler.

2020 Cadillac XT5 makes its official debut, adding a new engine and improved tech

The 2020 Cadillac XT5 is here, and it’s new in some significant ways. To start, it gets a slightly revised look. We got a preview of it a month ago when Cadillac revealed the car in China, but these are official U.S.-specific photos now.  YouÂ’re looking at pictures of the XT5 Sport and Premium Luxury here. We mention this because Cadillac is continuing in its “Y” trim strategy of offering a Luxury, Premium Luxury and Sport version of their cars with noticeable design differentiation between each one. The Sport gets a darker appearance package with the XT4-like grille, as opposed to the Premium Luxury that is set to emphasize bright trim (i.e. chrome).  WeÂ’re expecting a noticeable change in the driving experience for the 2020 XT5, as the new base engine is the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that debuted in the XT4. ItÂ’ll be making 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque in this application, just as it does in every vehicle GM is spreading it to. The 3.6-liter V6 is standard on the Sport (optional on Premium Luxury), and continues to make 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque. Both engines are paired with nine-speed automatic transmissions now — the V6 was paired with an eight-speed previously.  Cadillac has also spent some time with the suspension, giving the non-Sport trims “revised front struts and driveline enhancements to improve ride comfort and road isolation.” We like the sound of that. Then, the Sport trim is legitimately sportier than the Luxury trims. Cadillac has fitted its continuous damping control adaptive suspension, given it quicker steering, standard all-wheel drive and standard 20-inch wheels. All that should make it slightly more lively through the twisties. A smattering of tech updates are coming onboard for 2020. Cadillac added its rotary controller that lets you control the updated infotainment system via that device or through the touchscreen. Available wireless phone charging, revised USB ports and USB Type-C ports come on the 2020 XT5. Then youÂ’ll notice new interior color and trim gracing the interior surfaces, as well. Cadillac says there are more “authentic materials” than before, so hopefully that means less plastic. What Cadillac made no mention of in its release, is Super Cruise. ItÂ’s going to be coming to the recently revealed CT5 and CT4-V sedans, but Cadillac doesnÂ’t seem particularly keen to get it on the crossovers yet.