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Cadillac adds torque-number badging to most new models starting in 2020

Few phrases describe huge swaths of America better than a phrase spotted on the back of a top-fuel dragster at an NHRA event: "You can never have too much horsepower or ammunition." If Cadillac CEO and wily Canuck Steve Carlisle has his way, the revised phrase would substitute "torque measured in Newton-meters" for "horsepower." Starting with the 2020 model year, America's luxury brand will add torque figure badges to CT and XT models, beginning with the XT6. The badge above kinda almost sorta represents the torque produced by the luxury crossover's 3.6-liter V6. That badge did not appear on the XT6 we photographed at the Detroit Auto Show. In U.S. parlance, twist in the XT6 comes to 271 pound-feet. Translated to Newton-meters, that's 367 Nm. Then round that up to the nearest 50, which Cadillac will do, and one arrives at 400. True, the rounding prevents a future of number jumbles like the 2020 XT6 367 vs. the 2021 XT6 419T. Nevertheless, we don't know why Cadillac is rounding to the nearest 50 instead of the nearest 25, since 50 Nm is about 37 lb-ft and could conceal a decent torque increase between model years. A "T" denotes turbocharging, and we imagine there'll be designations for hybrids and electric cars. We think most modern attempts at engine-based nomenclatures soon get as complicated as ciphers or come unmoored from their original scheme. And based on our experience with The Average Car Buyer, they don't care. A bigger number, no matter what that number represents, means more, which is the important thing. Because America, right? Maybe not. Carlisle said, "We're not talking about displacements any more," and the new badging will give consumers "a clear understanding of the power differences across the lineup." The brand believes torque provides a better comparison between ICE, hybrid, and EV powertrains and "the balance between fuel economy and performance." As for the immigrant unit of measurement, Carlisle told CNET, " It's metric, it's universal, it's global, we have to think about all the markets that we're doing business in." Oh, and, "Engineers certainly prefer Newton-meters." The new nomenclature will not be applied to V-series models or the Escalade, because the CEO holds that "special cars get special names." We should probably take a moment to reassure the CT and XT models that Steve Carlisle thinks you're all special, too. Just a different kind of special.

GM's Super Bowl ad puts Will Ferrell and EVs in Netflix shows

GM is kicking off the automotive Super Bowl commercial season with EVs and Will Ferrell. The ad highlights GM's new relationship with Netflix in which the automaker's many upcoming electric cars and trucks will appear. More specifically, the ad has Will Ferrell appearing in settings from major Netflix TV movies and shows such as "Army of the Dead" and "Squid Game," talking about how there's no reason not to have EVs there. And then he also appears with EVs in shows where they don't make sense, such as "Bridgerton" and "Stranger Things," but only to reassure people that Netflix won't be shoving new cars where they don't fit in. The GM lineup on display is pretty varied, with the GMC Sierra EV, Hummer EV, Chevy Blazer EV, and Cadillac Lyriq all making appearances. Most interesting is the Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss in the "Stranger Things" part. Chevy hasn't said much about it beyond a teaser and saying it'll be a late addition to the line. It looks pretty much like the truck in the teaser with the black plastic front fascia and fender flares. But it gets different wheels, Trail Boss badges on the rear pillars, and a gloss black roof like the RST trim. Related video: 2024 Chevy Silverado EV | 2022 Chicago Auto Show

GM invests $175 million to replace 3 Cadillac sedans with 2

We've already had confirmation that Cadillac is sunsetting the ATS compact sedan and strong hints that Caddy would discontinue the full-size XTS (pictured above) and midsize CTS, too. Now all three are confirmed, with GM saying it's investing $175 million to build two replacement sedans. GM has already begun installing new tooling at its Lansing Grand River assembly plant in Michigan. That will go toward building two new sedans, which reports suggest are likely to be called the Cadillac CT5 and CT4, or possibly the CT3. It's part of Cadillac's plan to introduce a new vehicle every six months by the end of 2021. A spokesman told the Associated Press that the new cars will debut within that time frame and that the changes won't affect staffing levels at the plant, which employs 2,000 people. Of the three, the XTS is expected to go away entirely, while the CT5 would replace the CTS, straddling the line between a compact and midsize four-door. The CT4 or CT3 would take the spot of the ATS and likely be smaller. That would leave the CT6 as the brand's largest sedan and leave Cadillac with three sedans starting with the 2019 model year. Meanwhile, Cadillac has only one model, its top-selling XT5, representing the all-important and red-hot luxury crossover segment. It's prepping a midsize XT4 crossover for sale later this year as a 2019 model. Cadillac's global sales rose 15.5 percent in 2017, thanks largely to growth in China, but sales in the U.S. fell 8 percent for the year to 156,440 vehicles. Sales of the ATS fell 39 percent, dropped 35 percent for the CTS and 27 for the XTS last year. Related Video: