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GM CEO to meet with U.S. lawmakers over job cuts

WASHINGTON — General Motors Co Chief Executive Mary Barra plans to visit Capitol Hill next week to discuss the company's plans to halt production at five plants in North America next year and cut up to 15,000 jobs, two congressional aides said on Friday. GM has come under harsh criticism from lawmakers from both major political parties, and from President Donald Trump, since Monday when it announced the biggest restructuring for the U.S. No. 1 carmaker since its bankruptcy a decade ago. Barra is expected to meet with lawmakers from Michigan and Ohio, where GM plans to shutter three plants, as well as senior leaders in Congress. GM did not immediately comment. Barra has been calling lawmakers this week to explain the decision to end production. Trump has threatened to revoke subsidies for GM. The Detroit automaker plans to halt production next year at three assembly plants: the Lordstown small-car factory near Youngstown, Ohio; the Detroit-Hamtramck complex in Detroit; and the Oshawa, Ontario, assembly complex near Toronto. It will also stop building several models now assembled at those plants, including the Chevrolet Cruze, the Chevrolet Volt hybrid, the Cadillac CT6 and the Buick LaCrosse. Additionally, GM plans to shutter the Warren transmission plant outside Detroit and a plant that makes electric motors and drivetrains outside Baltimore, Maryland. The Cruze compact car will be discontinued in the U.S. market in 2019, although GM may continue building it in Mexico for other markets, Barra said. Reporting by David Shepardson. Related Video:

Cadillac CT6 refresh has hints of Escala

Almost a year after Cadillac showed its stunning Escala concept at Pebble Beach, we're finally seeing some of that car's influence on production cars. These spy shots reveal that the CT6 will undergo a mild refresh, and despite the camouflage, we can make out details that show it will have looks more in line with the concept. One of the defining characteristics of the Escala were narrow, horizontal headlights, while the current CT6 has long, vertical lamps that go up the tops of the fenders. This prototype seems to split the difference. The bases of the lights terminate higher up on the fascia, emulating the Escala, but still travel up the fenders. It also appears that the LED accent lights remain, but it's possible they've been separated from the main lamps to become more like the concept. The grille has also been revised. It's hard to make out the exact shape, but the insert is the same type of mesh as the Escala's, with little highlights that look like miniature Cadillac crests. The full-size, full-color crest also appears to sit higher in the grille, which is another nod toward the concept. The lower grille in the front bumper also looks larger and more angular. That doesn't really lean toward either model, but should give the car an edgier look. The rest of the car looks generally the same as the current model. Even the tail shows little indication of changes. It's possible that the rear taillights could have an Escala-like horizontal section at the top of the trunk lid, but there's nothing visible on this prototype that would confirm that change either way. Since this is a relatively mild refresh, we would expect to see it fully revealed early next year. Related Video:

Cadillac CT5 vs. BMW 3 Series | How they compare on paper

Cadillac just introduced the CT5 sedan at the 2019 New York Auto Show, and it's set to replace both the larger CTS and smaller ATS in the brand's lineup. We have all the details and features for you, in addition to a deep dive with the car's chief engineer, but now it's time to see how it stacks up to the long-time standard bearer in this class: the BMW 3 Series. Now, the car is a bit larger than the completely new 2019 3 Series, but Cadillac says the 3 and the rest of the compact luxury sedan class is its target for this car. We'll dive further into this little conundrum later. This comparison will look at how these vehicles measure up on paper, as we haven't driven the CT5 yet. That will come later, but we're expecting it to be a proper sport sedan competitor with the 3 Series, since Cadillac is building it off GM's dynamically superb Alpha platform. Now let's get on with the comparison. Powertrains and performance Both of these sedans come standard with 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines. The BMW four-pot is a bit more potent, coming in with 18 more horsepower and 37 pound-feet of torque more than the Cadillac. Here's our driving review of the BMW. The only upgrade engine for both available initially are turbocharged six-cylinders. BMW offers up its revised inline-six, while Cadillac offers a V6. These six-cylinders are both 3.0 liters. Cadillac bests the BMW in brute torque by 31 pound-feet, but BMW takes the horsepower prize, making 47 more ponies. It's hard to say which car will actually be faster to 60 mph — they'll probably end up being about the same once official numbers are out. This segment used to be one guaranteed to offer a manual transmission, but that's not the case anymore. Neither Cadillac nor BMW will offer a manual to start, but expect to see the stick shift return to higher performance models of each car. For now, they both get torque-converter-style automatic transmissions. One dimension that isn't going away from either anytime soon is rear-wheel drive. Both cars offer rear-wheel and all-wheel drive in every spec available. Fuel economy for the 3 Series is impressive at 30 mpg combined with the four-cylinder. We'll have to wait and see if Cadillac can challenge that figure with its less powerful engine. Size and practicality Here's where a lot of the confusion about the Cadillac CT5 sets in. The CT5 is a tad larger than the 3 Series in its exterior dimensions, but the interior specs are nearly identical.