Cadillac’s next-gen CT6 is testing in the U.S., but will it be sold here?
Though production of the CT6 ended in February of 2020 after only five model years, a new generation of Cadillac’s flagship sedan has been spotted prowling around Detroit under heavy camo. It’s possible, however, that this modern-day riff on the traditional Cadillac formula is returning only for certain foreign markets, like China.
Two things condemned the CT6 back in 2020: GM’s decision to repurpose the sedan’s birth plant of Hamtramck, Michigan, for production of the Hummer EV, and weak sales. Though the hope was that the full-size, surprisingly dynamic rear-drive sedan was the sort of car that could become a halo for Cadillac in the U.S., but its timing was poor. Americans, seemingly obsessed with SUVs, simply weren’t buying the thing. Chinese customers were, however.
![New Cadillac CT6 spied rear three-quarter](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2022/03/Cadillac_CT6_012.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=426&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
GM already knows that China likes sedans. In 2021, the slightly smaller CT5 was the best-selling Cadillac on Chinese shores. In January 2022, China lifted restrictions that required foreign automakers to partner with local manufacturers, and now GM is readying a new menu of U.S. exports to present to the world’s most populous country. GM president Mark Reuss even indicated that GM would export a “pretty aspirational Cadillac.” From the mouth of a company man, that could refer to anything from the Escalade to the all-electric Lyriq… but what more aspirational Cadillac is there, traditionally speaking, than a luxurious, full-size sedan?
Wherever the CT6 is sold, it will likely appear on a new architecture. (Make that another new architecture, since the original full-sizer debuted as the first model riding on GM’s Omega platform.) The “VSS-R” designates GM’s platform for rear-drive cars with their engines mounted longitudinally, such as the CT6, its smaller CT5 and CT4 siblings, and the Camaro.
![New Cadillac CT6 spied front three-quarter](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2022/03/Cadillac_CT6_003.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=427&ixlib=php-3.3.0&w=640)
We can’t discern much about the new car’s styling under the camo, but its sharp-edged silhouette hews closely to that of the previous car. It’s a safe bet that the shield-shaped grille will grow in size, and that the lightning elements will glower in a squintier, more aggressive fashion. The exhaust pipes are trapezoidal, instead of the previous gen’s circular tips. Cadillac has gone to a lot of work to hide the hood, which could imply some exciting new sheetmetal contouring … or it could be just a matter of protocol. The mule seen here suggests greenhouse and wheelbase remain generous, with a slightly larger window opening behind the C-pillar, all promising a properly bright and spacious interior for passengers.
Could the U.S. have missed its chance to enjoy the full-size, four-door fruits of Cadillac’s labor? Time will tell. For now, we’re just pleased that the full-size Cadillac sedan is living on … somewhere.