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Here is the Cadillac XT6 three-row SUV's interior

The Cadillac XT6 has once again been spotted by one of our spy photographers. Though the outside is still as buttoned-up as ever, our photographer managed to get close enough to see the completely uncovered interior. On the surface it looks more like the interior of the CT6 than the latest Cadillac model, the XT4, which is rather surprising. Specifically, the dashboard layout is nearly identical to the CT6's. It's a wide, sweeping dash, and the mid-section is dominated by a broad piece of trim that appears to be carbon fiber in this model. It likely can be replaced by wood, leather or a variety of other trims. The top part of the center stack is dominated by a large touchscreen with touch buttons surrounding it for driver's aids. Directly underneath are subdued air vents followed by the climate controls. These controls appear to have been lifted straight from the CT6 and feature touch buttons and a trio of toggle switches. The few places the dashboard deviates from the CT6 include how the XT6's fancy trim spans the full width of the dash, rather than giving way to some plain leather on the driver's side. This gives the whole dash a more upscale look. The dash also doesn't try to smash too many different materials and textures into one design. Overall, it all looks attractive enough, though we're a little disappointed to see a lack of physical buttons as we saw in the XT4. That being said, there are XT4-inspired elements in the XT6's interior. Most prominent is the scroll wheel down in the center console. We suspect the infotainment system will be effectively identical, so the wheel will similarly serve as a redundant means of controlling the infotainment system along with the touchscreen, voice commands and wheel controls. The shifter also seems to be the same as the XT4's. The XT6 exterior doesn't really reveal anything new. It still looks angular, and it still looks long enough to have a third row of seats. The introduction of this model will certainly give Cadillac a much more rounded lineup of crossovers from small to large, something the brand sorely needs. Related Video:

It's going to cost $12 billion to fix Cadillac

The Cadillac CT6's development predates Johan de Nysschen taking over at Cadillac, but the forthcoming flagship is the luxury brand's first major new product launch since the beginning of his tenure. The vehicle's debut also marks the beginning of a comprehensive $12 billion renewal plan bringing eight new vehicles in the next five years. Now, the former Audi and Infiniti exec is talking about joining Caddy and the company's future. "Cadillac will be a powerhouse global luxury brand that will command the respect of its peers," de Nysschen said about the forecast state of the company in 2020 to Bloomberg. He disclosed that three of those new vehicles under the five-year plan would be crossovers and reiterated that plug-in hybrids are on the way that would take advantage of the Chevrolet Volt's tech advances. De Nysschen also reminisced about joining Cadillac last year. He told Bloomberg that leaving Infiniti wasn't an easy decision, and there were apparently long conversations on the phone with General Motors President Dan Ammann discussing strategy for the luxury brand. De Nysschen was apparently clear that a greater investment and more autonomy from the corporate mother ship were vital. These days, the revitalization of Cadillac is just getting rolling. The company has a swanky New York office with a dedicated team to focus on the future. According to de Nysschen, the brand will grow its staff to around 150 people by the end of the year, compared to over 40 now. The marketing plan is to position the American luxury brand as a more distinctive product versus more common German rivals. It's going to be very interesting to see if this new Caddy can dare greatly enough to accomplish these lofty goals.

Expect greater differentiation in GM's next-generation SUVs

General Motors says its next-generation Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade models will offer shoppers improved interior differentiation. Car and Driver recently caught up with Chris Hilts, GM's creative manager of interior design, who said that the cabins will all feature unique instrument panels, consoles, center stacks and switchgear moving forward. Apparently GM is now aware that consumers may be bothered by the fact that today's $85,000 Escalade has effectively the same cabin as a $45,000 Tahoe. Hilts says SUV buyers want more refinement than their pickup purchasing counterparts - and those same buyers also want their SUVs to have more exterior differentiation between the company's Silverado and Sierra pickup lines. Shocking.
That all sounds good to us, but we've heard this song and dance before. GM made big waves about how different the new-for-2013 Silverado and Sierra would look from each other, but judging by what we've seen so far, GM's stylists are painting in shades rather than with the full spectrum. For more on the what to expect out of GM's new SUVs, click on the C/D link below.