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It's October 2019 and rumors are swirling around a potential General Motors Electric Pickup, code named "Project O" We just covered this news here: https://www.gm-trucks.com/your-first-electric-pickup-may-be-a-hummer/ We've created this forum as a place to discuss these future electric vehicles and the news around their development in the leadup to 2021.
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As a parent company, General Motors is smart to cover all angles in the marketplace, but doing so with each of its many brands has gone bad in the past. Caddy needs to pick a plan and stick with it. Sales are down at a time when Lexus and BMW are posting strong growth. Lexus' CT hybrid hatchback came within 200 units of outselling the CTS in August.
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John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 9/11/2015 Has Cadillac lost its way? Today, Automotive News reports that Cadillac's Chief Marketing Officer Uwe Ellinghaus said the company's goal with its newest vehicle, the XT5 "... is to gain the attention of fashionistas, rather than cater to car buffs and auto journalists. Because in his view, younger customers are less interested in the technical details of cars, and don't read car magazines as often as they used to." We're not sure anyone reads any "magazines" anymore, but Mr. Ellinghaus at least seems to have a direction for the struggling luxury automaker to head in. Except that Cadillac is not heading that way according to Motor Trend's Jonny Lieberman, who reports that the next car-buff Cadillac will be an Escalade powered by the same engine as the Corvette. This follows the new CTS-V, which is targeted at car buffs and is powered by an engine like the one in the Corvette. As a parent company, General Motors is smart to cover all angles in the marketplace, but doing so with each of its many brands has gone bad in the past. Caddy needs to pick a plan and stick with it. Sales are down at a time when Lexus and BMW are posting strong growth. Lexus' CT hybrid hatchback came within 200 units of outselling the CTS in August.
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So, I want to know what it would take or if it can be done, switching some heated/ac seats out of a Cadillac Escalade Platinum model into my 2007 GMC Sierra 3500HD SLT. Then also switching the control panel in the center console for it also. I just want to know if anyone has done this and if it can be added and done???
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Zane Merva Executive Editor / Publisher, GM-Trucks.com February 12th, 2019 An exciting but anything-but-confirmed rumor has started to swirl around the GM performance community recently. Here's two completely independent reports I read in the last 24 hours. With the sheer number of white collar jobs currently being "resized" at GM, it's no surprise that anyone working on future product development might feel a little salty and inclined to chat about the projects they were working on. Does this mean these products are in development? MAYBE. We see three likely options. Option 1- The Rumors Are True: That means the next generation Escalade will get a V-Series variant with the 650-horsepower Supercharged 6.2L LT4. If that platform was packaged for the Escalade, slapping it into a Silverado and calling it an SS would be child's play and the most likely next move. GM has been criticized for lacking a true performance truck for a long time and this could make up for the absence. Option 2- The Rumors Were True: But not anymore. In this scenario, the leakers who knew about the projects were let go because the projects were canceled. This is also a likely option. Option 3- The Rumors Are Not True: The whole thing was made up and taken out of context by hopeful GM Performance Enthusiasts (myself included). It was wishful thinking anyways... Stay tuned to find out exactly which option it was. Maybe it's option #4?
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Thom Cannell Contributor, GM-Trucks.com January 23rd, 2019 There were good, and less-good things about the 2019 North American International Auto Show. It was smaller than the last few years as, generally, European and premium luxury manufacturers made other marketing decisions. This, of course, left open space which Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC, as well as Ford and FCA used to their advantage. Chevrolet, in particular, had an enormous family-friendly display of trucks. Oh, and some cars. Cadillac had its first bi-level display, with the upstairs reserved for dealer meetings and journalist interviews. GMC’s floor space swept from one aisle to the next, a linear flow of trucks and SUV/CUVS. We had an opportunity to talk with representatives of each brand about plans for 2019, starting with Silverado’s chief engineer. Tim Herrick, executive chief engineer for full-size trucks at GM As background, GM and Chevrolet have recently introduced the 2.7-liter turbocharged I-4 for trucks, the 2.8-liter diesel in Colorado, a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder, and a no-details gas engine for the Heavy Duty trucks we’ll tell you about early in February. Our first question to Tim was about the 3.0L diesel, which appears late in the spring. “It’s aimed at both fuel economy and great towing capability. The diesel will be heavier than the 2.7L; it has the whole chemical factory added on and, as I’m driving it now, overall your impression will be it’s super responsive. I love it. You will see it soon; let's say second quarter. Get the government open; I can't post my numbers until then, I'm ready to go!” Tim exclaimed. Tim segued to the 2.7L. “Did you drive the new 2.7 gas engine (yes, we did)? I smile every time I drive it; it's lighter than the other engines, the twin-volute turbo is super-responsive, it spools up fast and it’s fun off the line, nimble.” So some of the nimble is the suspension calibration, we asked? “It’s the overall architecture, when you take 450 pounds out, you can put it back into the fun-to-drive. It's the best driving truck we've ever produced.” With RAM posting record sales numbers we asked if the truck aspect of Chevrolet is fully fleshed out, if there was room for a mini-truck or truck/CUV? “It doesn't feel like it. We have a four-truck strategy with Colorado, Silverado, Silverado HD and medium-duty. We're happy, proud of our strategy and we sold over a million last year.” It's interesting that the previous Silverado, now over five years old, was said to be too conservative, and now "they've gone too far", for instance the hot-button over rounded wheel wells versus squared. Truck customers are conservative and don't welcome change, even though they demand it. “When you examine the whole franchise of the company, it's a marathon, not a sprint. Maybe it's an Ironman! You're just seeing the tip of the iceberg, for instance the Heavy Duty program, and more to come.” What you may not know is that Chevrolet just got to a 50/50 production split between the old truck, K2, and the new truck this month, January 2019. Dealers are just reaching their own 50-percent of new trucks delivered. Tim is extremely proud of the truck and its architecture; this is the largest program General Motors has ever done as it underpins Silverado, Sierra, and both large SUVs. “We'll make more news in 2019 than any other truck company,” Tim said. We turned to customer perceptions and needs. For instance, a 2019 Silverado LT 6.2L we had for photography was, on the exterior, exemplary. On the inside it seemed oriented towards hard- core truck buyers with large, and plain buttons; no glitter. It was entirely about "I've got gloves on and my truck and I work for a living." We asked how these interiors would play versus the competition? In answer, Chevrolet says the vast majority of sales are to Chevy truck loyalists, people who have been Chevy truck owners their entire lives, and are incredibly important to reach and satisfy. Much of the growth in the truck segment is from segment-switchers making their first truck purchase. They have similar needs and wants as lifelong truck buyers, according to the exec. “Customers are at the core of everything we do,” Tim informed us. “We had over 7,000 respondents to our new Silverado truck clinics. When the numbers were summed, we delivered on what the numbers said for exterior and interior. Customer feedback was great. When we took the new truck to clinics and talked to our customers, and yeah, they do wear gloves and they do work hard. They do have expectations; the biggest is that the interior holds up for the life of the truck. Whether that's a three-year lease or six-year note, it's got to look as good on the last day as the day they bought it. The quality and durability of our materials—we have real aluminum—a great layout for functionality that is soft where it needs to be soft. We gave a great lineup in our infotainment systems (8" screen in the center) and the largest HUD (Heads Up Display) in the industry—it's three-inches by seven and you can parse your information. You can put your directions up here, your stereo over there and your speed over here. You get the information you want in three spots. We find that's a great solution for us. When we took the materials to the clinic and talked to customers—they're a working bunch that buys things for value—they loved it. We have seen the competition, and some of the luxury they've brought in. We're not sure it will stand the test of time.” We asked if there is a known stake in the ground where massive changes occur? "I don't know,” Tim continued, “I don't see that (elimination of IC engines) happens. A truck has to do everything. It has to be quiet and comfortable, it has to get good fuel economy on the highway at 80 mph, and it has to tow and haul; it’s the broadest use-range of any vehicle, while meeting government standards. The one that wins is the one that best integrates ride-and-handling, quietness, comfort, technology, usefulness, tow and haul and great fuel economy, while looking great. Chevrolet’s display broke into segments related to vehicles and technology, for instance Silverado, Colorado, the SUVs and a virtual-reality race. Each had it’s own display space and theme. What we found amazing, and not in a good way, was the color choice for the trucks on the main Silverado display space. While earth tones are all the rage in urban environments, on the stage, well, look for yourself (we’ve included Silverado exterior color chips for comparison). The Silverado simply disappears despite thousands of Watts of illumination. Contrast that with Colorado’s display. GMC trucks and full-sized SUVs We next spoke to Stewart (Stu) Pierce, senior marketing manager GMC truck and full-sized SUV. Having participated in the AT4 launch prior to the 2018 Auto Show New York, we were somewhat up to speed with GMC’s recent actions. Our question to Stu was obviously about their plans for 2019. “The big thing is the all-new next-generation Sierra,’ Stu said “though it was introduced several months ago. So far the reaction is enthusiastic, particularly for Denali and the new AT4. The AT4 has been the biggest surprise, as we expected it to be 10-percent of total sales. In fact, orders are coming in around 20-30-percent. Our only problem is fulfilling orders, which is a good problem. The cool thing about the AT4, and why I think its taken off so well is, there were no direct competitors. Every brand has off road trucks; a significant portion of truck buyers want off-road capability. Nobody has done a premium off-road truck. (Ford's Raptor and King Ranch, RAMs Laramie Longhorn would seem to fall into similar categories, however. ED) Sort of, if you take a rugged off road truck and blend it with Denali, you get AT4. AT4 has extremely high levels of refinement and technology, and performance from the 6.2L engine. It's got a 2-inch lift, all the off road parts including Rancho shocks, skid plates, recovery tow hooks, Hill Decent control, dual exhaust, LED headlights, locking differential and more. It's been the biggest surprise to us. Beyond that, the technology we have like the rear camera (with 360° and tow-hook views) and HUD, all have been super-well received. As these trucks become stronger appearing with a big, tall hood and big, tall grille and bold truck appearance, at the same time, you've now got the ability to see all around you so you can park where you need to. It looks great, gives you the kind of presence and image you're looking for, and at the same time its easy to use, easy to drive. I think the biggest GMC truck feature is the MultiPro tailgate, a world's first. Nobody has anything like it. I've been at the show for two or three hours and there’s a constant stream of people coming from other brands, and journalists wanting to look at the MultiPro tailgate. It's got six functions (tailgate, load stop, foldable inner gate for access, full-width step, Inner gate second-tier load stop, inner gate work surface, Ed.) and it's the feature that dealers say customers who would never set foot into a GMC store stop in to see. And it's standard on more than 80-percent of 2019 trucks—all Denali, AT4 and SLT levels.” Having covered the Sierra, we wondered what else might be interesting in 2019. “We've released some new packages for Yukon, a new Graphite Edition in two versions, Regular based on SLT with chrome trim removed and a unique grille and wheels, the other version is Graphite Performance. It has the 6.2-liter. So, you can get a blacked-out SLT with great driving and great power. You also pick up things like magnetic ride control, previously unavailable, and a Head Up Display. We've also got the Yukon SLT Standard Edition, sort of value proposition; it enables someone to get a leather interior, not necessarily the other bells and whistles, at a more affordable price. We're running the plant at full overtime. Terrain is doing well, and to go back to Sierra, we have a new Elevation model which started production in October 2018. Dealers started receiving them 30-45 days ago. It's our new double-cab on the next generation truck platform. Like the Crew Cab, it’s larger and roomier than the truck it replaces. There’s greater knee room, a 6.6-inch bed and the 2.7-liter turbocharged engine is standard. It's monochrome, with 20-inch painted wheels. And it's a bit more affordable without stepping up to the fully loaded trucks.” At GMC the "stay tuned" message was about the 3-liter diesel and carbon fiber box, which will arrive soon and debut on Denali and AT4. GMC’s display feature a new Heavy Duty track concept with no production intent. It’s for you to buy, and compared to SNO-CATs, is far less expensive. GMC added it to celebrate their partnership with Vail, Colorado. Overall, the GMC display was bright, cheery, and sophisticated in its simplicity. Yeah, we’d call it Professional Grade. Cadillac's all-new XT6 three-row CUV Cadillac held an offsite introduction for new product the day prior to NAIAS. We were not invited. The biggest news, other than the 2020 XT6, was a visual-only display of Cadillac’s first full-electric vehicle. Cadillac, as GM’s luxury brand, will receive GM’s first future EV platform model. The platform will, as it must, be flexible and configurable (batteries and e-motors) in front-, rear-, or all-wheel drive. Battery systems will be based on “vehicle and customer needs”. “Cadillac’s EV will hit the heart of the crossover market and meet the needs of customers around the world,” said Steve Carlisle, president of Cadillac. “It will represent the height of luxury and innovation while positioning Cadillac as the pinnacle of mobility.” Nothing more was shared, though continuation of Escalade and an upcoming performance sedan were hinted. In a bad pun, we think Cadillac must electrify their game. BMW’s announced i4 and iX3, Mercedes EQ brand and announced EQC, Jaguar’s available-now I-PACE, VOLVO’s 2019 SC40 CUV and other BEVs (battery electric vehicles) make speed-to-market a necessity. After I received the business card from marketing project manager Cadillac XT6, James Hunter, we began our chat about Cadillac's latest SUV, the 2020 XT6. While not mentioned, the XT6 is based on the crossovers built by Lansing, Michigan's Delta Township and Springhill, Tennessee facilities, Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and my research says it's closest in size to the GMC Acadia. Springhill also builds the XT5. "XT6 is all-new, and Cadillac's mid-sized luxury crossover," Mr. Hunter said." It fills a void in Cadillac's portfolio, which is flanked on one side by the (two-row, 4-5 passenger, Ed.) XT5 and the other by Escalade. It's for customers who have need for additional cargo/passenger flexibility. You might carry 6-7 passengers, or fold everything flat for 78.7 cubic feet of cargo (43.1 cubes behind the second row, 12.6 if configured for three passenger rows, Ed.) It will tow 4,000 pounds with the tow package that delivers Guide View for the hitch." We asked if this was an alternative to Escalade? "Sliding XT6 between Escalade and XT5 offers passenger capacity, providing an alternative to customers who don't need a body-on-frame truck. It's a more modern-feeling vehicle, with Cadillac's most modern technology. For example, Infotainment-3.5 and its rotary controller with a jog feature to scroll and navigate more easily. We do maintain steering wheel controls, and at the same time hard buttons and touch-screen options to provide choices. Another example is our family of instrument clusters; they are larger, with higher resolution. We offer a Heads Up Display in our Visibility Display Package that comes with a 360° camera, advanced park assist, pedestrian detection; complementary technologies." Packaging features and options for manufacturing simplicity may not offer the best customer-oriented solution. "We spend a lot of time optimizing packages, leveraging our portfolio and all of our brand’s experience and history. I think we hit the bull’s-eye!" Beyond XT6, what does Cadillac have to provide excitement this year, to an increasingly young customer? "There's the Escalade Sport Package for 2019, and some other things I'm not at liberty to discuss. The 2020 XT6 starts production soon, and vehicles will arrive late in 2Q, early 3Q. The 500+ horsepower CT6 V-8 will arrive in a similar time-frame." We asked about the changeover from sedan-heavy to SUV/CUV-rich. "I think we have a very good start with the current lineup and the addition of XT6 and XT4, plus the higher-capacity Escalade ESV provide a broad range of customer appeal as customers move through various life stages. We are, of course, monitoring the competition." We asked about an XT2, even XT1 small crossover, as these are very hot for Buick, BMW and others. "Going forward, we'll be exploring the needs of customers," which was about the answer we expected. "We recognize that we needed to improve our average age in the marketplace. We didn't have a range of products that appealed to a younger, active lifestyle. With the XT4 and XT6, we expect a reduction in average age as we meet the needs of 40-50-year old buyers." That's good for everyone, as the saying goes, "You can sell an old man a young man's car...'" “Not only are we delivering product to appeal to a younger customer,” Hunter continued, “We are providing trim levels for their tastes. An example, the XT6 offers a Premium Luxury model calibrated for more isolation, or Sport models with active suspension and faster steering for a more responsive ride." Cadillac’s display was, as expected, a bit brighter, a bit more upscale with a raised platform for its all-new 2020 Cadillac XT6. That XT6 was colored in what I think General James Mattis might receive as a gold watch substitute. It’s OD Green, rather than a compelling color like copper, or red, or blue, or white, or black or almost any other color. Cadillac, featuring a drab, dingy, lackluster color for your new flagship product in your hometown display? Shame on you!
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John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 1-14-2019 Cadillac plans to make Cadillac a primarily electric brand. Before that happens, the brand will shift primarily to ICE crossovers, with maybe keep one performance sedan and the Escalade as its token ICE cars (ICE means internal combustion engine). The new Cadillac looks to our eyes a lot like the old XLR, Cadillac's re-branded Corvette from the not too distant past. Despite this one being a "crossover." Going forward, look for every manufacturer to re-tag its cars as crossovers, despite the number of wheels driven, number of doors, ground clearance, and lack of any sort of SUV equipment. Cars are dead, so every new model has to be a crossover by definition. Unless it's a truck. “Cadillac’s EV will hit the heart of the crossover market and meet the needs of customers around the world,” said Steve Carlisle, president of Cadillac. “It will represent the height of luxury and innovation while positioning Cadillac as the pinnacle of mobility.” We disagree. The heart of the crossover market has a selling price under $30K and is defined by the top-selling model in that huge segment, the Toyota RAV4. Cadillac may well hit the periphery of the crossover market, but it will be a long swim for any automaker to hit the "heart of the crossover market" with an affordable BEV. Decoding the marketing lingo we think GM means "We don't have anything yet, but when we do it will be a high-priced vehicle for China." Buick had better watch its back. What do you think of the looks? GM has not given us a name, range, performance profile, or price estimate yet. Which in the EV world is pretty much standard practice.
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Hey guys long time no see, I've been bouncing this around and want y'all's opinion. I've been looking to make it but a late model Cadillac style tail light for my 99 suburban. I have not been able to find any and was checking to see if any one had find any it made any. I figured pulling the light and vent should give you all the room. Ron
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John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 11-9-2018 Our colleagues at US News and World Report Autos have a new list of the best November new vehicle deals and the Cadillac Escalade stands out. According to USN, the folks at Cadillac are offering $7K cash back on the 2018 Escalade. Other interesting GM-related November deals include $5,000 back on the 2018 GMC Acadia $4,000 cash back on the 2018 Chevy Cruze and $ 4,750 off the Buick Encore. US News speculates that Cadillac is feeling pressure from the newly redesigned Lincoln Navigator.
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John Goreham Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 11-6-2018 Cadillac plans to end its Book By Cadillac subscription service in Q1 of 2019. The service allows customers to subscribe to Cadillac and drive any vehicle they wish while participating. Unlike a lease, the subscription does not lock a customer into one vehicle and maintenance and insurance are both included. The program is now about two years old and it was most active in the initial markets Cadillac targeted, New York and Los Angeles. Auto Finance News reports that the main difficulty for Cadillac, and other brands with similar services like Porsche and BMW, is the cost of a used car that a driver turns in after, say three months. Unlike a three-year-old vehicle, a 3-month-old vehicle is a burden to sell. It has steep depreciation in those initial months and Cadillac may take a big loss on a vehicle with less than a few years in service to cover its depreciation. “We are hitting the pause button for a brief time to make some tweaks to Book [by Cadillac] based on our learnings,” said a Cadillac spokesperson. “It comes down to getting money for the used vehicle,” Samuel Ellis, principal consultant for Auto Experience, told AFN. “These programs are just going to struggle until they can make the economics work. The discussion needs to center around, ‘What needs to be innovated?’ Describing [a lease] different doesn’t necessarily make it better.”
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Thom Cannell Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com 9/18/18 A vehicle is, or should be, a harmony of family value, social responsibility and transportation goodness. XT4, Cadillac’s newest and smallest SUV, earns high marks in each area. Likes Overall styling stays true to Cadillac, with signature front and rear lighting. Interior leather, woods, engineered polymers that fit together precisely. The 2.0-liter engine is a powerhouse, as well as an engineering marvel. GM’s 9-speed transmission is seamless, delivers precise gear changes without hiccoughs’. Nifty rotary controller and four-point touch control keeps eyes on the road, not on the screen. CDC damping system belongs on every car, truck CUV or SUV we’d want to own. Or something like it that would haul a ton off road. Dislikes Goofy shifter logic: too many counter-intuitive button pushes to get from Park to Drive. Goofier Manual mode (though we like the paddle shifters). Have to push buttons in, and out. Equally questionable video mirror. Great if you have under-thirty eyes with no correction. Otherwise visually daunting. To pirate a phrase, “What’s in Your Driveway”? A Denali, a Silverado, an Escalade? Would a Cadillac be at home, or out of place next to your working truck? We think the 2019 Cadillac XT4 would fit in where others might not. XT4 competes with Audi Q3, BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 and Volvo XC40. Several things make it stand out among the competition. These are: all-new chassis; all-new and most-powerful- in-segment powertrain; solid infotainment/telematics; and a comfortable interior with real backseat leg room. The 2019 Cadillac XT4 design team “Was young, and given the task of designing a vehicle for themselves; a small Cadillac crossover,” according to Robin Krieg, lead exterior designer. Hence the crisp lines and hidden aero tweaks that lurk at most corners, like the subtle detent supporting the rear window. Most distinctive are the signature “7” DRLs and taillights. Those transparent-wrapped taillights, by the way, shouldn’t have been available in North America, “But once we saw how the clear covering accented the jewel-like LED lighting, it had to be kept.” That near loss is due to XT4 being a global vehicle designed for the streets of Amsterdam and Beijing and their vehicle rules, as well as Detroit. There three XT4s, each aimed at separate audiences. Should you live in the City and plan never to stray, to find mud or a wicked two-lane road to travel, the Luxury or Premium Luxury version is your match. If the reverse is true, that you like to drive and plan to enjoy driving swiftly, the Sport model is yours. We think that, beyond the luxury surfaces of leather, fine woods, killer infotainment and rock-solid stereo, the real story is under the hood and between the wheels. The 2019 Cadillac XT4 is the first to use what GM calls Tripower (Pontiac fans, dial 911), a system that provides two different valve-lift profiles and AFM or Active Fuel Management that can—briefly—shut off two cylinders. That makes the 2.0-liter into a 1.0-liter two-cylinder motor! Engine specifications boarder on fantastic and race-car like at 118.5 horsepower per liter. This small engine delivers 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. That torque is amazing, coming on barely off idle at 1,500 and heading out to 4,000 rpm. Underfoot there’s nearly 80-percent torque at 1,000 rpm and nearly 90-percent of maximum all the way out to 5,000. Engineers actually had difficulty making the XT4 calmly driveable at tip-in! Tripower uses electrically controlled fingers and electrical controls to move splined sections of the cam into one of two profiles, or off. That yields high-lift power or medium-lift economy. And it bolts up a twin-scroll turbocharger with electric waste gate for precise control. Every 2019 XT4 is mated to a 9-speed transmission with deep 7.6:1 gear span; the first gear is deep, 4.69:1 at launch and 0.62:1 in top gear. It is killer-smooth in auto-magic or “manual”. The new 2.0L is 15 pounds lighter than its predecessor, which was among the best in the world. It uses advanced thermal management to eek out every whiff of fuel economy, for instance by warming oil quickly by controlling engine coolant and an oil pump that is continuously variable. On launch events like this, people partner to drive, ours was Executive Editor Zane, who became ill. Our replacement was Bill Patterson, XT4 chief engineer; immediate auto-geek heaven! Exiting our immodest accommodations in Seattle’s Four Seasons, we took our first street-level look at a Premium Luxury XT4. First impressions are important. Immediately noticed after opening the rear door of the XT4 Premium was the leather. “Nice, very nice”, we thought. The surface had a new-old look about it, like the authentic WW II bomber jacket you've coveted but never could justify. It has good feel to the hand (and backside), elegant stitching to connect panels, and everywhere was excellent fit-and-finish. Some of the very cool details include: 8” high-def navi/infotainment screen; rotary controller zooms the Nav; four buttons surrounding the rotary control call up Nav, audio, phone, backup; Amazon in-car package delivery; a smart phone infotainment layout on the main screen with a summary view (audio, phone, Nav); 4-user LTE hotspot; Apple Car Play—Android Auto compatibility; OnStar safety net. Bill was enthusiastic about the 2019 Cadillac XT4 and its details, like how ST4 uses High Strength Steel in the door rings for passenger protection and in the engine cradle for more-connected driving feel, as well as extensive adhesive bonding for strength and NVH. He also described the Macpherson strut suspension on all cars and the isolated 5-link rear suspension. When we stopped on a hill, Bill pointed out the Hill Hold control that allowed an multi-minute extend hold before the brake (or Park) needed to be engaged. Being truck enthusiasts, we found the Premium Luxury to feel, on the highway, very controlled and isolated, delivering a modern Cadillac ride that was quite firm. We tried all the suspension options: Tour, AWD and AWD Sport. As soon as we departed the freeway, Sport mode it was. Several things were clear. This was not the vehicle for us. Too tame and too luxurious—which is sort of funny, it being a luxury vehicle event. We noted plenty of trunk room for our gear, made possible by an all-new platform that’s now exclusive to Cadillac, which delivers the large rear seat volume and rear passenger leg room, as well. FYI an entry Luxury XT4 has an MSRP of $35,790; the Premium Luxury starts at $40,290, as does the Sport. So, our Premium Luxury was equipped with the 18” alloys, aluminum roof rack and Silver Metallic lower bodyside moldings. Option packages that you will want rapidly bring the total closer to an MSRP of $45,000. That’s competitive in the segment. After lunch we switched to a Sport Model. It had a distinctive gloss-black grille, gloss black roof rails, thicker steering wheel, plenty of safety electronics (shared with the Premium) like lane change alert, blind side alert, rear cross-traffic alert. And, an inside rear-view mirror that is either rear camera video screen or standard mirror. If you wear glasses, likely you’ll choose standard; it’s a near-far focus thing. Let’s quantify that nice-to-drive feel that either model exhibits. The XT4's suspension damping on XT4 Sport feels more connected and aggressive than the Premium Luxury version. However, the Sport’s steering effort and body lean are, in anything but Sport mode, shared with the Premium Luxury version. We think that, other than on long commutes, we'd leave the body controller set on AWD Sport for everyday use. We found no value, other than steering feel, in leaving the controller set in Sport. We asked Bill what the trade-offs might be. "In AWD and AWD Sport there would be zero fuel economy difference. But, between FWD and AWD (either AWD setting), there would be approximately one mile per gallon greater fuel consumption in AWD." So, it would be a personal choice to give up that one MPG for firmer chassis control and better steering feel. Which would apply to both Premium Luxury and Sport models. How, you ask, does Cadillac achieve their all wheel drive with FWD option? To perform that trick, there's de-coupler in the drive shaft that severs the rear axle and differential from the power train to wrest every bit of fuel economy your driving style can provide. For XT4 Sport, Cadillac chose a road-reading damping system called Continuous Damping Control or CDC. It’s an active system, reading and adjusting to the road 500 times per second. You may recall that GM pioneered a very precise damping system using magnetorheological fluid to adjust damping with extreme precision. Cadillac chose CDC over MR for XT4. It was simple economics, as MR’s nearly semi-active properties aren't necessary for a CUV, as they are for V-Series Cadillacs. While driving twisting two-lane roads, deep in the hills surrounding Seattle, Wash., there was simply no choice, Sport mode it was. The exclusive CDC suspension felt so much more planted in spirited, mildly aggressive driving, building grip without harshness. There was directness to the chassis that went from heels, to hands, to butt, and heft to the steering feel absent in other modes, and in the Premium. Yeah, we really liked the XT4 Sport. Yes, we’d like more feedback from tires telling us what surface they were gripping. But, there's direct connection between eyes, steering wheel and direction. No problem making the XT4 go where it should, when it should. And that's likely at a greater speed than you'd be driving if your kids, or spouse, were in the car. In fact, dare we say, the 2019 Cadillac XT4 is "BMW-ish" without that extra edge that many find harsh for day-to-day driving pleasure. That, either version of the XT4 will deliver, it all depends on your needs. 2019 Cadillac XT4 First Drive Photo Gallery
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Cadillac says that the streaming video mirror improves field of vision by an estimated 300 percent, or roughly four times greater than a standard rearview mirror. A couple years back we tested a Tesla Model S and its rear-view backup camera was obscured by rain, rendering it useless. Chevrolet tackled that by adding A water-shedding hydrophobic coating applied to the camera to keep it clean to maintain visibility regardless of the driving conditions. If for any reason the driver prefers a "normal" rear view mirror she can simply flip a toggle and the mirror becomes a traditional mirror.
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Do you think the ELR's 65,000 MSRP starting price that holds this green car back? It can't be the looks or performance. It's no Tesla Model S, but it costs about half what the good Model S cars sell for. Are there any ELR owners or fans here at GM=Trucks.com that can defend the ELR and tell us its upside?
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CD loves the CTS, having named some version of the car a Ten Best eight times over the years. Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen commented on the award, saying, “This award is further proof of Cadillac’s emphasis on product substance to elevate the brand. CTS sedan is the core of our brand, and sets the tone as we continue to expand the brand.” We won't argue that the CTS is an important part of Cadillac, but it is presently being outsold by the SRX, ATS, and XTS and CTS sales are down 42% this year.
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Right now, sales of Cadillac's two volume vehicles, the new ATS and CTS sedan, are both down by double digits, while almost all vehicles are setting records for sales. A story in Motley Fool explains that one part of Cadillac's new strategy is to have "One car too-few" on the lot. In other words, make Cadillacs more scarce to boost sales. If you have ever tried to buy a BMW, you know that model. The idea is to build up the brand's strength in the customer's mind. Cadillac also has been making a lot of headlines with news of a new flagship sedan. This would be a very exclusive model, highly priced, and super-capable. If Cadillac wants to mimic the sales model of BMW, and perhaps the financial success of Lexus, it may want to look at the sales by model of those brands. In both cases, the least expensive models, selling in the $40K to $50K range dominate the total sales of each brand.
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During the month of June, which included 25 selling days, the company as a whole sold 259,353 vehicles in the US. That's down 3.0% from last June but up 3.4% year over year. A large chunk of those lost sales comes from a lagging fleet market. Rental company sales were down considerably, but purposefully, according to the company. Strong sales by the Buick Encore (up 33.4% vs last June), Cadillac SRX (up 23.5% over last June), Silverado (up 18.4% in June and 14.6% YOY) and Sierra (up 20.8% in June and 8.2% YOY) helped fill the gaps left by weak sales in other areas. The Chevrolet Impala (down 41.5% in June), Cadillac CTS (down 29.4% in June and 39.5% YOY) are among the biggest sales losers. Surprisingly, the new Tahoe, Suburban, and Yukon XL are also lagging, down 44%, 54%, and 22.3% respectively compared to last June. June 2015 / 2015 YTD Sales Per Brand Chevrolet : 181,256 / 1,053.619 GMC: 47,051 / 264,713 Buick: 17,531 / 106,314 Cadillac: 13,353 / 80,899 Read the entire breakdown of deliveries by brand and vehicle: View attachment: GM-Deliveries-June-2015.pdf
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According to Cadillac, the new model will be positioned above the current CTS and XTS lineups. The brand expects to announce the name for the car in the "near future". There are rumors the rear-wheel drive car will be called the "LTS." This vehicle will also be the first to get Cadillac's new "Super Cruise" technology. The new model is expected to share design cues from the recent Elmiraj and Ciel concepts. Production of the "high-end, high-technology" car will start in the last quarter of 2015. The Detroit-Hamtramck facility is currently undergoing $384-million of investment and produces the Chevy Volt, Malibu, Impala, and the Cadillac ELR. “The objective for this upcoming model is to lift the Cadillac range by entering the elite class of top-level luxury cars,” said Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen. “Currently in development, this new rear wheel drive-oriented sedan uses completely new, custom-designed materials on a unique vehicle architecture." “In addition to new technology in the car itself, we are instituting innovative manufacturing techniques to assemble it with the precision deserving of a luxury make.”
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New features benefiting all Escalades include: New 8-speed automatic transmission increased visibility with 'Surround View' camera system two-speed transfer case on 4WD drive models 4G LTE connectivity WiFi hotspot for up to seven devices inductive wireless device charging hands-free liftgate now has hands-free closing capability These additional features add $1,275 to Escalade’s starting price, bringing the total to $73,965. Escalade 'Platinum' features and highlights: Exclusive Nappa semi-aniline leather interior and sueded microfiber headliner. Heated and cooled 18-way power front seats Messaging driver’s seat A pair of seven-inch LCD screens in headrests. Cooled center console compartment for cold drinks 22-inch wheels Chrome accents, Platinum exterior badging, and a unique grille mesh design. The 2015 Escalade Platinum is starts at $90,270 and will be available starting around October this year. Official Press Release:
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By Josh Merva Managing Editor, GM-Trucks.com 8/21/2014 Last week Cadillac announced new features on the Escalade as well as a Escalade Platinum. New features benefiting all Escalades include: New 8-speed automatic transmission increased visibility with 'Surround View' camera system two-speed transfer case on 4WD drive models 4G LTE connectivity WiFi hotspot for up to seven devices inductive wireless device charging hands-free liftgate now has hands-free closing capability These additional features add $1,275 to Escalade’s starting price, bringing the total to $73,965. Escalade 'Platinum' features and highlights: Exclusive Nappa semi-aniline leather interior and sueded microfiber headliner. Heated and cooled 18-way power front seats Messaging driver’s seat A pair of seven-inch LCD screens in headrests. Cooled center console compartment for cold drinks 22-inch wheels Chrome accents, Platinum exterior badging, and a unique grille mesh design. The 2015 Escalade Platinum is starts at $90,270 and will be available starting around October this year. Official Press Release:
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August 2014 Truck Sales Highlights Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban & GMC Yukon & Yukon XL sales up 38% Chevy Silverado up 13% GMC Sierra sales up 10% Cadillac Escalade deliveries up 64% Chevrolet Express van up 23% Buick Encore sales up 13% Chevrolet Traverse up 11% GMC Acadia up 5% The average transaction price for a new General Motors vehicle in the month of August was $33,750, up nearly $2,900 over August of 2013.
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From the album: Armor Lock
Now until Sept 9th,2014, use Promo code "ARMORLOCK" and receive a set of Armor wheel locks for $99 plus free shipping. Thank you, Armor Lock www.armorwheellocks.com-
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