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Cadillac will expand its range of high-performance Blackwing models

Cadillac proved the American sport sedan isn't dead when it introduced the Blackwing variants of the CT4-V and the CT5-V (pictured) in February 2021. Launched to denote a short-lived V8 engine, the nameplate will appear on other go-fast members of the company's range in the coming years, but there's at least one model it will steer clear of. "Blackwing is reserved for really the pinnacle, the purest expression of performance and track capability, and that's what it's going to stand for going forward. [The CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing] won’t be the last Blackwing cars that we do, but you wonÂ’t see one on every vehicle. ItÂ’s not appropriate. I couldnÂ’t imagine doing an Escalade-V Blackwing," said Cadillac engineering boss Tony Roma in an interview with enthusiast site GM Authority. His comments are reassuring, because they confirm that Cadillac won't water down the Blackwing badge by putting it on sporty-looking models that are more show than go. What's next remains up in the air. The CT4 and the CT5 are Cadillac's only sedans as of writing, so the next Blackwing-badged model will either be an electric car, a crossover, or both. Regardless, it should arrive as a truly track-capable hot rod developed for hardcore enthusiasts. For others, Roma also suggested more V-badged cars are in the pipeline, though he stopped short of listing the models the emblem will appear on. Demand for quick crossovers is growing steadily in America, so it's not difficult to imagine an XT4-V, for example. And, an unverified report published in February 2021 claims the Escalade's 6.2-liter V8 will soon receive a 200-horsepower bump thanks to a factory-backed, dealer-installed supercharger. If the rumor is accurate, the 600-plus-horse Escalade could be the V-branded model that Roma alluded to in the interview. "The V-Series lineup has expanded," he said. "You're going to see more of that in the future. We're going to do more V-Series. It's important to our brand, and you'll see it on other products." Related video:

GM Cadillac chief: New CT5 will replace 3 sedans; EVs coming

DETROIT - The head of General Motors' Cadillac luxury division said on Thursday the brand will shrink its lineup of sedans and expand its offerings of sport utility vehicles and hybrid and electric vehicles in response to market shifts. Expanding Cadillac's global sales is central to GM's overall profit strategy, and Cadillac has reported a 27 percent increase in worldwide sales through the first half of the year. However, in the United States, now the brand's second largest market behind China, Cadillac sales are down 1.6 percent and combined sales of the brand's four sedan models have plummeted 16.3 percent through the first half of the year. That has forced GM to order layoffs at two Michigan factories that build Cadillac cars, and raised questions about the long term future of the plants. "We have to rebalance our sedan portfolio," Johan de Nysschen told Reuters in interview, offering new details about the strategy. Cadillac will not directly replace the current XTS, CTS or ATS sedans when they end their life cycles in 2019, he said. Instead, Cadillac will use a single new car called the CT5 to appeal to consumers shopping for sedans priced between $35,000 and $45,000. New versions of the CT6 sedan will be offered to customers who want a larger car starting at $50,000. Sources had told Reuters last week that GM was considering ending production on six cars including the CT6 and XTS and models from Chevrolet and Buick. That report now appears only half-right as far as Cadillac is concerned. The new CT5 will be built at a factory near Lansing, Michigan, that currently builds the slow-selling Cadillac ATS and CTS models. A small luxury sedan to compete with the Audi A3 will be built in the same plant, de Nysschen said. Cadillac will offer more SUVs, starting with a compact model called XT4, followed by a larger SUV with three rows of seats due by 2019 to compete with vehicles such as Volvo's current XC90 model. Volvo, owned by China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, scored a public relations coup by announcing plans earlier this month to power all its vehicles with either hybrid or all-electric technology starting in 2019. The move challenges Tesla, which has eclipsed more established brands with tech savvy luxury buyers. Cadillac has plans "not dissimilar to what Volvo has announced," with more electrified vehicles launching in the second half of the next decade, de Nysschen said.

GM's Mark Reuss explains why a performance Cadillac ELR-V won't happen

Hey, I've got enough things to worry about. That's one interpretation of General Motors executive vice president Mark Reuss' response to a question posed by Driving the Nation about the recently-introduced Cadillac ELR plug-in hybrid. Reuss said GM will "definitely expand the tuning envelope" for the ELR. The question was whether GM would consider adding magnetic ride control to the quite-powerful-for-a-plug-in Caddy, creating an "ELR-V" model in the process. Reuss' non-answer: "Good question, can't really answer that," but then elaborated that magnetic ride control uses up "a lot" of power otherwise spoken for in terms of providing the longest electric-only range possible. Interestingly, he did add that GM will "definitely expand the tuning envelope" for the ELR, as you can see in the video below. With the model retailing for north of $75,000, fewer than 60 percent of US Cadillac dealers were carrying the ELR as of last month and just 99 ELRs were sold during the first two months of the year. In an effort to sell more vehicles, GM said in January that it would offer the ELR for a 39-month lease for $699 a month for qualified lessees and with a $5,999 down-payment required. Autoblog's First Drive impressions of the ELR can be found here.