Cadillac’s CUE infotainment system will be displayed on a larger, 10.2-inch, high-definition touch screen. The system also includes a console-mounted touchpad that allows the driver to execute commands without touching the screen.
The interior is a mix of leather, real wood and carbon-fiber trim. The front seats have five massage programs. The heated and ventilated rear seats recline and also have a massage feature. Ten-inch infotainment screens retract into the front seatbacks. The armrest has media controls and HDMI and USB ports.
The CT6 will enter a segment that has shriveled to about half the size it was before the economic downturn of six years ago. There were 108,627 large luxury cars sold in the U.S. last year, down from 220,031 in 2007, according to the Automotive News Data Center.
Cadillac will sell the car in several overseas markets, notably China, where it will begin production at a new factory there starting early next year. U.S. production will begin at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant at the end of 2015, GM says.
Cadillac also will sell the CT6 in Europe, Korea, Japan, Israel and other the Middle East countries.
Dealer Carl Sewell, whose Sewell Automotive Cos. of Dallas owns five Cadillac stores as well as Audi, Infiniti and Lexus outlets, has seen erosion in his sales of large luxury sedans since the recession. He thinks a less-expensive sedan that’s big on driving dynamics and innovation could be a winner.
“There is a segment clearly there for a excellent sedan with good room but is more understated with tech and innovation,” Sewell says. “We need something with a more contemporary feel that appeals to a younger buyer.”