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GM won't really kill off the Chevy Volt and Cadillac CT6, will it?

General Motors is apparently considering killing off six slow-selling models by 2020, according to Reuters. But is that really likely? The news is mentioned in a story where UAW president Dennis Williams notes that slumping US car sales could threaten jobs at low-volume factories. Still, we're skeptical that GM is really serious about killing those cars. Reuters specifically calls out the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CT6, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Sonic, and the Chevrolet Volt. Most of these have been redesigned or refreshed within the past few model years. Four - the LaCrosse, Impala, CT6, and Volt - are built in the Hamtramck factory in Detroit. That plant has made only 35,000 cars this year - down 32 percent from 2016. A typical GM plant builds 200,000-300,000 vehicles a year. Of all the cars Williams listed, killing the XTS, Impala, and Sonic make the most sense. They're older and don't sell particularly well. On the other hand, axing the other three seems like an odd move. It would leave Buick and Cadillac without flagship sedans, at least until the rumored Cadillac CT8 arrives. The CT6 was a big investment for GM and backing out after just a few years would be a huge loss. It also uses GM's latest and best materials and technology, making us even more skeptical. The Volt is a hugely important car for Chevrolet, and supplementing it with a crossover makes more sense than replacing it with one. Offering one model with a range of powertrain variants like the Hyundai Ioniq and Toyota Prius might be another route GM could take. All six of these vehicles are sedans, Yes, crossover sales are booming, but there's still a huge market for cars. Backing away from these would be essentially giving up sales to competitors from around the globe. The UAW might simply be publicly pushing GM to move crossover production to Hamtramck to avoid closing the plant and laying off workers. Sales of passenger cars are down across both GM and the industry. Consolidating production in other plants and closing Hamtramck rather than having a single facility focus on sedans might make more sense from a business perspective. GM is also trying to reduce its unsold inventory, meaning current production may be slowed or halted while current cars move into customer hands. There's a lot of politics that goes into building a car. GM wants to do what makes the most sense from a business perspective, while the UAW doesn't workers to lose their jobs when a factory closes.

2020 Cadillac CT5-V First Drive | The lowercase v series

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — This isnÂ’t the Cadillac CT5-V we were expecting. After years of successively higher horsepower and world-beating performance statistics, Cadillac flipped the script with the CTS-replacing CT5 by making the reborn carÂ’s first V-badged sedan a middle performance tier that will slot below a new model that hasnÂ’t yet been released. The outgoing CTS-V pounded the pavement with 640 horsepower; the CT5-V weÂ’re discussing here offers up a seemingly paltry 360 ponies. The CT5Â’s styling aligns with recent models like the XT4, XT5, XT6 and CT6, but is another major departure from the CTS it replaces. The automakerÂ’s abandoned Art and Science design philosophy culminated in a CTS that looked modern and distinctive. Crisp lines, clean edges and sharp features have given way to the CT5Â’s more flowing sense of style, and with the exception of its gracefully curved pseudo-fastback greenhouse that results in an unfortunately awkward C-pillar transition, itÂ’s right on the border of blending in instead of standing out. As you would expect, the CT5-V has a more aggressive look than other CT5 models. Bits that are bright on the standard car are blacked out on the V, and the sportier car has a more chiseled front face with a mesh grille that flows more air than if it were just wide open. Similar changes are seen in the cabin, where the V replaces wood trim with carbon fiber. WeÂ’d prefer some other trim options in the V, like maybe brushed aluminum, since the monochromatic dark leather with dark trim leads to — you guessed it — a starkly dark interior. Cadillac has a brand-new infotainment system that will be launching soon in the upcoming Escalade SUV, but the CT5 sticks with the brandÂ’s oft-maligned CUE. As much as customers and journalists like us have complained about CUE, the latest (and likely last) version found in the CT5 works pretty well. All the necessary functions are easy to find, and the touchscreen is quick and responsive. And if you really donÂ’t like the interface, there are physical buttons for the climate control and a pair of dials for audio. An available rear camera mirror offers a wider field of view, or can be used as a regular mirror. Forward collision alert, automatic braking and pedestrian detection are standard. A 360-degree camera system, adaptive cruise control, automatic parking assist and rear auto braking are available.

Opel director Sedran to succeed Docherty as Chevy Europe boss

When longtime General Motors executive Susan Docherty announced she would be stepping down from her post as the head of Chevrolet and Cadillac in Europe, there was some idle chatter that plans for the creation of a new global overseer position for the Bowtie brand was behind the move. And while US sales chief Alan Batey has indeed assumed control of Chevy worldwide since her departure announcement, Docherty's vacancy is being filled after all, with Opel chief strategist Thomas Sedran taking up the reins.
That's according to Automotive News, who reports that Sedran will be tasked with pulling Chevy out of a sales funk, much of it pegged on Europe's stagnant auto industry, which has sunk to a 20-year low. AN notes that Chevy's EU sales plunged 32 percent to 57,584 units through the first five months of 2013, but the everyday value brand is faring worlds better than Cadillac, which has sold just 167 units in Europe over the same time period.
Sedran, 48, has been in the auto industry for over 20 years. Most recently, at Opel he had been working on long-term plans for the marque, and was appointed to the brand's management board in April of last year. Prior to joining GM, Sedran was employed as a management consultant for AlixPartners, where he worked closely with Opel for six years. Sedran will assume his new duties beginning July 1.