Cadillac's product parade set to begin

July 23, 2018 01:00 AM

A new Cadillac luxury vehicle heavily influenced by the Escala concept is expected around or after 2022.

Cadillac's long-awaited product renaissance will finally begin this fall with the Cadillac XT4.

After the compact crossover, expect former Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen's plans of a new or redesigned vehicle coming every six months on average through 2021 to remain in place, if not be accelerated, under new boss Steve Carlisle. That could include a new midengine sports car for the brand in addition to previously announced plans of repositioning its lineup to three cars, three crossovers and the next-generation Escalade.

CT4: A rear-wheel-drive car smaller than the ATS — think BMW 2-series competitor — is expected in 2020. However, given Cadillac's leadership change and the need for crossovers, it wouldn't be surprising if those plans are pushed back or switched with another more lucrative product.

ATS/CT5: Once-touted as a BMW fighter and "the new soul of Cadillac," the ATS is not long for this world. The compact sedan is being discontinued after the 2018 model year, followed by the coupe variant a year later.It will be the first of three Cadillac cars to be replaced with two new nameplates. The ATS and CTS replacement is expected to be called the CT5.

CTS/CT5: Cadillac's midsize CTS is the second sedan expected to be cut from its lineup in exchange for the CT5 by 2020. Spy photos suggest the car's design will be heavily inspired by Cadillac's acclaimed Escala concept that was introduced in August 2016.

XTS: The large, front-wheel-drive sedan is the car with nine lives for Cadillac. Despite plans to kill the nameplate, it has become a sales and fleet workhorse in the U.S. and China and received a refresh for the 2018 model year. It's still not expected to get a second generation, though, and will probably be cut around 2021.

CT6: The flagship sedan will remain so until at least 2021 and will be the only one with GM's Super Cruise hands-free driving system until 2020. Cadillac made tweaks to the car for the 2019 model year, including the addition of a V-Sport model with a new 4.2-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine. The refreshed car will begin arriving in dealerships in the fall, followed by V-8 models in early 2019.

Corvette-based Cadillac: Speculation has been rampant for some time about a Cadillac based on the next-gen midengine Corvette. Before GM's bankruptcy, Cadillac released a concept of such a vehicle called the Cien. If the vehicle is given the green light, it could come as early as 2020 or 2021 to inject more performance DNA into the brand.

Halo car: Around or after 2022, the company is expected to release a new luxuryflagship vehicle that is heavily influenced by the Escala concept car. It is expected to be powered by the new 4.2-liter V-8 and include a hybrid electric variant.

The 2019 Cadillac XT4 compact crossover arrives this fall.

XT4: The long-awaited compact crossover will start at $35,790, including shipping, when it arrives in dealer showrooms in the fall. It will be powered exclusively by a new 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. De Nysschen said he expected the XT4 to become the top-selling vehicle in the segment.

XT5: Cadillac's sole crossover, introduced in 2016, is expected to receive a refresh in 2019. Expect it to be offered with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that's standard on the XT5 in China in addition to the current 3.6-liter V-6. A redesign is scheduled for around 2021.

XT6: The three-row crossover is expected to arrive in mid-2019, filling the large gap between the XT5 and the Escalade large SUV. Based on spy photos, expect the vehicle to retain the XT4's styling and possibly include at least one Cadillac-exclusive engine offering.

Escalade: Cadillac's profit factory was re-engineered for the 2019 model year to include a 10-speed transmission. A full redesign is expected by 2020.

EVs: According to de Nysschen, Cadillac was expected to get its share of EVs under a GM plan to introduce 20 EVs or fuel cell vehicles by 2023. An influx of such vehicles for the U.S. could begin in 2021 or, more likely, 2022 based on previously announced plans. Early expectations include a Tesla performance competitor and compact and midsize crossovers.