New Cadillac CTS, Escalade Coming Next Year, Plus Plug-In ELR

Lincoln may have abandoned its ambitions to be a full-line ultra-premium brand, focusing more on mid-market volume, but Cadillac is not capitulating to competitors in its effort to have a full lineup of high-performance and high-efficiency models. At the Pebble Beach weekend festivities, Motor Trend’s Editor-in-Chief Ed Loh had a chance to chat up Cadillac brass about what it has cooking for the near term.

While most of the talk centered around its recently-launched products — the new Cadillac ATS compact sport sedan and XTS fullsize sedan — Cadillac officials confirmed what has already been largely reported, that the next-generation models of the CTS sedan and Escalade SUV would be shown next year, with the ELR plug-in (pictured at top) right behind it.

We expect the next-generation Cadillac CTS to grow slightly larger than the current model, changing its current status from a tweener straddling the territory between the BMW 3 and 5 series in price and size, to more squarely counter the new F10 BMW 5 Series. Like the new 5-Series as well as its little brother ATS, a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder is expected to supplant the  3.0-liter base V-6 of the current CTS. Some version of the 3.6-liter V-6 is expected to carry over. Unknown, but most assuredly coming, is a high-potency CTS V-series model.

The new Escalade will come around the same time as the new Tahoe and Yukon models, and like its less lavish siblings, is expected to have a version of GM’s fifth-generation small block V-8 with direct-injection. One critique the current GMT-900 Escalade has received is that it’s too similar to the Tahoe and Yukon in regard to its trim and appearance. The new Escalade may differentiate itself further from the Tahoe and Yukon, but mechanically, is expected to share most of its hardware with those models.

Finally, the production version of the ELR plug-in hybrid coupe will make its debut. Expected to share much of its hardware and software with the Chevrolet Volt, the Cadillac ELR may have a longer electric range or a more powerful range-extender engine or both. Based on teaser shots shown at the presentation Loh attended, LED accent lighting, and premium interior materials were shown, with Cadillac representatives promising a ‘concept for the road, that still looks like a concept car.’

China continues to figure prominently in the future of the brand, with projections showing the country accounting for nearly half of all luxury goods and services purchased worldwide by 2020. To better serve the China domestic market, the XTS fullsize sedan will be manufactured locally.

Detroit Editor Todd Lassa says an ultra-premium Omega rear-wheel-drive platform to counter the Mercedes-Benz S-Class may be in the works, although officials did not specifically discuss this top-of-the-line model. But let’s not forget that it was at this venue last year that Cadillac stunned show-goers with its head-turning Ciel concept, which many believe could be a preview of a coming fullsize flagship.

Courtesy of Motor Trend