DETROIT — The "vanguard" of Cadillac's shift toward all-electric vehicles will be a global crossover that will arrive after the brand's current three-year product rollout.
Cadillac President Steve Carlisle showed renderings of the vehicle Sunday during the unveiling of the brand's new XT6 crossover on the eve of Detroit auto show media previews.
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Carlisle said the all-electric crossover will be the "foundation for an entirely new kind of Cadillac" that will be "targeted at the heart" of the global luxury market.
"While I can't divulge all of our secrets, I can tell you it will be sold globally and will arrive as the vanguard of the product wave that follows our current three-year product assault," he said.
The EV’s name and additional details will be revealed closer to launch, Cadillac said.
General Motors CEO Mary Barra said the crossover “is just the tip of the iceberg” for what Cadillac plans to offer in the future.
The new EV platform will be flexible and allow the company to "respond quickly to customer preferences with a relatively short design and development lead time," GM said Sunday, adding Cadillac's product lineup "will eventually benefit from a variety of body styles that can be spun off this architecture."
GM said the platform's most advanced components — the drive units and battery cells — are being designed for "maximum usability throughout GM vehicle lineups" in multiple countries.
"The EVs can be configured in front-, rear- or all-wheel drive, and the output of their battery systems will be adjustable based on vehicle and customer need," GM said.