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Cadillac: The standard of what?

Cadillac's tagline "Standard of the World" goes back to 1908 when it won the Dewar Trophy. While you might think that the moniker and the trophy have something to do with a feat of racing and daring-do against a cadre of British, French, and German marques, it's nothing of the sort. Rather, Cadillac achieved the trophy because of interchangeable parts. The parts they were producing back then were so well-made that Henry Leland, who established Cadillac, was able to disassemble three Model Ks, mix up the parts, and then put together three functioning cars. This amazed the Brits who handed him the trophy, and the "Standard of the World" was born. During the past several months, Cadillac has been producing news releases that would seem as though the company is the Standard of the World: "Cadillac Global Sales Rise 44.2 percent in January ... 18 percent in February ... 22.1 percent in March. . .40.9 percent in April ... 33.8 percent in May ... 7.2 percent in June." Like the Dewar Trophy being about manufacturing not performance, things are not necessarily what they seem. That is, Cadillac's growth is predicated on performance in China, not in the US. Through June, its China sales are 80,357 vehicles for the first five months of 2017, versus 72,073 in the US. The China number is a 75.4-percent year-over-year increase while the US number is a 1.6-percent decrease. For the entire globe, Cadillac has sold 164,174 vehicles. Of them, 65,250 were the XT5. That was followed by the ATS, at 34,277 units. In the US, the XT5 is doing reasonably well, as it has moved 29,798 units during the first six months. The ATS, conversely, is doing not particularly well, as it is down 26.2 percent with sales at just 7,209 for the year so far. To put that into some sort of context, know that Cadillac has sold 7,370 copies of the generally derided XTS, which is down 24.7 percent. The CTS is down 36 percent at 5,059 units, and the only other car in the lineup (we'll pretend that the ELR doesn't exist anymore and it shortly won't), the CT6 sedan, is up 172.7 percent – but they have sold only 5,397 CT6s. While Caddy talks a good game about competing with the likes of the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes E-Class, know that those two sedans have been sold 17,036 and 20,783 times this year in the US respectively. So what is Cadillac chief Johan de Nysschen to do? According to Reuters, it is to cull the lineup.

2019 Cadillac XT4 vs. other compact luxury crossovers: How they compare

After years of every other luxury car maker stocking their showrooms with trendy crossovers, Cadillac is finally joining the fray. Its latest addition is the 2019 Cadillac XT4, a tidy little crossover that proudly bears signature Caddy designs such as the tall slender taillights. And based on our first drive of the car, it impresses in many ways, such as its refined engine, classy interior and excellent ride quality. View 39 Photos That's good news for the little Cadillac, but it needs to stand out in a big segment. To see if it has any other areas where it shines, or maybe some where it's a bit dim, we decided to compare its specifications with those of four of the segment's bestselling compact crossovers, the Lexus NX 300, Acura RDX, Audi Q5 and BMW X3. And for good measure, we threw in the XT4's crosstown rival, the Lincoln MKC. View 15 Photos Here's a chart showing each of these vehicles' vital stats, including horsepower, torque, fuel economy, cargo space, passenger space and price. Further analysis follows. If you'd like to compare any of these vehicles with other luxury crossovers, be sure to check out Autoblog's Car Finder and Compare tools. Also, this is solely a comparison of basic specifications, and for more in-depth information on these cars, be sure to follow the links to our full reviews. And don't be afraid to check these cars out in person at their respective dealerships. Engines, transmissions and fuel economy With the exception of the Lincoln MKC's optional 2.3-liter engine, every competitor here resorts to the same type of engine, a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, for its propulsion. And unsurprisingly, they make similar power, in the mid-200 horsepower and mid-200 lb-ft of torque range. Of the 2.0-liter engines, the standout is the Acura RDX, which produces a hearty 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. It's second in power only to the Lincoln's optional turbo 2.3, which makes 285 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque. The bottom of the pack is the Lexus with 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, but the next least powerful crossover is the Cadillac XT4, with just two more ponies than the Lexus, and the same amount of torque. View 22 Photos Though the Cadillac is nearly the least powerful, it does get to claim the best fuel economy numbers, rated at 24 mpg in the city, 30 on the highway, and 26 combined with front-wheel drive.

Cadillac's semi-autonomous Super Cruise pushed back to 2017

It looks like General Motors is discovering just how difficult it is to bring autonomous vehicle technology fit for public consumption to market. The company has pushed back the launch of its semi-autonomous Super Cruise technology by several months. Originally promised by CEO Mary Barra for a fall 2016 debut, Super Cruise was supposed to be offered first on the new CT6 sedan. Automotive News is reporting that won't be the case, following a statement from GM confirming that the new system would be pushed to sometime in 2017. At the very least, that's a several month delay. GM cited the need to get the system right and keep owners safe, which prevented a firm date for Super Cruise's debut. Product boss Mark Reuss was more blunt, though, telling AN, "It will come out when it is ready." Super Cruise would be one of the earliest examples of driverless tech to be put into public hands, following the introduction of Tesla's semi-autonomous AutoPilot system in 2015. Most other automakers experimenting with the autonomous vehicles don't foresee public sales until early in the next decade, including Toyota, Renault-Nissan, and Volvo. Before Barra suggested a 2016 debut, GM originally aimed to introduce its semi-autonomous system in 2020. Related Video: