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Cadillac shows dealers convertible rendering

Cadillac is getting serious about revitalizing and expanding its lineup, and to that end, a new report claims that brand boss Johan de Nysschen has been showing plans for several new models to the marque's dealer body - among them, a new convertible.
The droptop which Cadillac reportedly showed its dealers in sketch form, would be based on the same platform as the ATS and CTS, those it's unclear to which (if either) of those model lines the new convertible would be added, or whether the design features a canvas or folding hardtop roof. One way or another, it would be the first time Cadillac would offer a convertible since the Corvette-based XLR roadster was discontinued more than five years ago.
Quoting an unnamed brand spokesperson, Cadillac would "like to introduce an open car to the portfolio at some point," however, "it's not likely to be one of the near-term portfolio additions."

Cadillac's XT6 is not, for better or worse, a mini Escalade

In its latest attempt at reinvention, Cadillac has created a trio of admirable sedans — the ATS, CTS, and CT6 — cars that challenge or beat the competition on their own terms, and do so with audacious exterior styling rendered in a distinctly American idiom. But American customers have been ditching cars in favor of high-riding crossovers, and what Cadillac has not had up until recently is a suite of appropriately (or bizarrely) sized crossovers to offer potential consumers, something competitors have been deploying for years or even decades. And so the new, full-size(ish) three-row Cadillac XT6, unveiled officially last week at an event in Detroit, is intended to help address the premier domestic automotive luxury brand's current product shortcomings. "I guess we had so many priorities and had to decide what's the most important thing," says Andrew Smith, Cadillac's executive director of design. "We decided to approach this one from an interior perspective, to do things like provide ease of use for owners, upgrade the infotainment, and allow time for ourselves to learn lessons from the launch of XT4." The XT6 doesn't exactly break any new ground within the segment, but that's not necessarily a criticism. Though huge from a sales perspective, the two-box crossover category is not the industry's leader in beauty or innovation. Still, Caddy's most recent previous crossover, the size-Small XT4, managed to create handsome proportions and a premium appearance at first glance. The XT6 doesn't feel quite so ambitious or coherent, with a front end that is at once sneering and soft, a lengthy flank that feints at muscularity without delivering, and a rather abrupt tailgate that blends the rectilinear and the anodyne. Maybe consumers won't notice? "Our biggest challenge was giving the vehicle a character that works on this scale and platform," says Smith. "We want to make sure all of our cars feel different. We didn't want it to be a mini Escalade. No one wants a mini anything. But we wanted to give it Escalade presence, but in scale. So it's this combination of nice, and aggressive. I'm convinced we will sell more than we think we'll sell." Maybe he's right, and we definitely don't see this vehicle cannibalizing sales of the Escalade. People who want a bold Cadillac can still get that one, and will have a brand new option later this year, we expect, when a new Escalade is released.

2020 Cadillac CT4 revealed in non-V form

We got our first look at the 2020 Cadillac CT4 when its V variant made its debut a few months ago. Now the company is officially showing off the regular CT4 luxury sport sedans. They actually don't look all that different from the V, though - especially the CT4 Sport trim. The Luxury and Premium Luxury trims are distinguished by less aggressive ground effects and a grille studded with chrome pieces shaped like the Cadillac logo. The interior is similar, too, complete with an 8-inch touchscreen. Super Cruise will be made available on the CT4 later in 2020, including on the V model. Really, the big news is the powertrain as V6 engines have been dropped entirely from Cadillac's compact sedan. The base CT4 engine available in Sport or Luxury trim cars is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Coupled to either rear- or all-wheel drive, it features cylinder deactivation and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Unlike in the old ATS, a manual transmission is not available. One notable mechanical difference between trims is the Sport trim gets standard Brembo brakes. Moving up from the 2.0-liter engine is the turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder introduced on the CT4-V. Available on the Premium Luxury trims, its output is downgraded to 309 hp and 348 lb-ft of torque from the CT4-V's output of 325 hp and 380 lb-ft. It too has cylinder deactivation and can be had with either rear- or all-wheel drive. The only transmission offered is a 10-speed automatic. The V model also gets Brembo brake upgrades, and with rear-wheel drive includes Cadillac's magnetically controlled adaptive suspension. Cadillac will start taking orders for the CT4 later this year, but pricing has not been announced yet.