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Cadillac could base its entry-level sedan on the Chevy Cruze [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Cadillac spokesperson Donny Nordlicht tells Autoblog , "The post speculating on a future Cadillac model derived from the Chevrolet Cruze is completely false." Premium automakers Mercedes-Benz and Audi have seen plenty of success with new small front-drive-based sedans. The CLA-Class had its best January ever this year, while Audi moved more of its new A3 in 2015 than its predecessor sold in 2005 through 2010 combined. The fact that Cadillac wants a piece of that pie is no surprise, then. There's a new rumor that GM's luxury brand could launch its own compact – possibly called CT2 – to battle the Germans. Cadillac, a brand that's pushed hard to rebuild its rear-drive reputation, could develop a new entry-level model based on the front-wheel-drive 2016 Chevrolet Cruze's D2XX platform. Go ahead and make your Cimarron jokes. Sources are telling GM Inside News that a Cadillac built on the Delta platform would ditch the Cruze's turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder for a 1.5-liter turbo in base models. General Motors' well received 2.0-liter turbo four would serve in higher-end models. According to GMIN, the Delta-based Cadillac would likely command a $6,000 to $9,000 premium over the Cruze, so figure $23,000 to $26,000 on the low end to $30,000 to $33,000 for something at the top of the range. As much as we dislike the kind of badge engineering that brought us the Cavalier-based Cadillac Cimarron in the '80s, the company has done an admirable job of distinguishing vehicles on shared platforms lately. A Delta-platform Cadillac would at least have a good basis – the new Cruze is surprisingly comfy. That said, we question GM's rationale if this rumor is indeed true. Put simply, Cadillac needs another sedan like I need another student loan payment. The company has four sedans, three of which overlap two segments, and none of which are selling very well. That's not because they're bad, but because customers want crossovers, of which Caddy has but one – the new XT5. Spending the time and money to add a fifth sedan to the mix when the company desperately needs to flesh out its CUV range would be a tremendous mistake. As much as we hate to say it, if Cadillac really wants to add a small, entry-level car to its range, it'd better be a crossover. Related Video:

Cadillac hid more than two dozen Easter eggs in its Blackwings

Everybody loves Easter eggs, right? Finding one is a great moment, especially if you happen upon it by accident, preferably while simply cleaning or poking around, but maybe because you had to dig around in some far-flung corner of the cabin in search of a persistent rattle or some other issue. A hidden symbol or message from the manufacturer helps remind us that some cars aren't just appliances.  The 2022 Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwings are perfect candidates. Not only are they niche enthusiast vehicles whose owners are likely to turn them inside out, but they also benefited greatly from Cadillac's racing efforts, providing ample source material for subtle references all over the car, both inside and out. Enough, in fact, that Cadillac managed to stick more than two dozen of them into its two flagship sport sedans. And since I took delivery of my Blaze Orange CT4 last week, I decided to see if I could spot a few of them myself – because I don't spend enough time crawling all over car interiors already.  Cadillac called several of them out in a press kit Tuesday. Manual-transmission cars like mine have blank-off plates installed where the paddles would go on the back side of the steering wheel, for instance. Rather than just leaving bare plastic that nobody would ever have a reason to look at, Cadillac had a small map of its Milford proving grounds printed on the plates.  Each Blackwing also gets a serial number on the wheel. 46-146 translates to CT4-V Blackwing 6-speed #146. CT5-V Blackwings decode similarly, though their model indicator digit is an 8 rather than a 5. While a steering wheel plaque is not exactly hidden, it's among the items Cadillac noted, as are the "Blackwing" tags on the front seats; the subtle logo in the seatback Alcantara is something I spotted on my own. CT5-V Blackwing models with the carbon fiber seat package get their logos embossed in the seatback. This brings us outside. While I know for a fact that there are several items hidden on the CT4-V's underbody (we got to look at these on a lift back in July), there are a couple of obvious items scattered in more accessible locations. The subtle Cadillac crests in the taillights aren't unique to Blackwing, but they're still nicely done. The stylized "V" in the hood insulation layer looks pretty nice too.  The hidden items differ between the CT4 and CT5-V too, as illustrated by the two wheel images above.

Driving the C8 Corvette, and previewing GM's electric future | Autoblog Podcast #617

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by West Coast Editor James Riswick and Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. First they dive right in to the experience of driving the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette, followed by their review of the Mercedes-Benz GLE 350. Then they talk about the week's news, beginning with the whole slew of electric vehicles General Motors surprised us with at its EV Day. Next, they discuss the possibility of Porsche building a hybrid 911, as well as news about Ford's electric Transit van making its way to the U.S.. Last, but not least, they take to the mailbag to help a listener pick his next car in the "Spend My Money" segment. Autoblog Podcast #617 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Driving the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Driving the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 GM EV Day: Cadillac Celestiq and Lyriq, GMC Hummers and more A hybrid Porsche 911? Ford Transit electric commercial vans coming to U.S. Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: