For the better part of a century, Cadillac built its reputation on big sedans, but — save for the ultra-luxury Celestiq — the automaker has been without a true full-size luxury sedan since the CT6 was discounted in the U.S. following the 2020 model year. It still lives on in China — even getting a second generation — but that’s neither here nor there. At the time, it sort of made sense, but now, half a decade later, General Motor’s top brass isn’t so sure it was the right decision.
In this week’s InsideEVs Plugged-In podcast, GM’s President Mark Reuss says the CT6 shouldn’t have ever been discontinued. That being said, he did admit that it was one of those “tough decisions” that the company had to make at the time. As Motor1 points out, the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly Plant where the CT6 was built was eventually transformed into GM’s flagship Factory Zero, which currently builds the Chevy Silverado EV, Cadillac Escalade IQ, GMC Sierra EV and GMC Hummer EV. However, as we’ve recently reported, there are nearly 300 workers on that plant on a temporary layoff through the end of the year because of weak demand, so maybe killing the CT6 wasn’t the greatest idea.
It would seem that Reuss isn’t the only one at GM that holds this sentiment. While there’s no direct CT6 replacement (no, the Celestiq doesn’t count) we just reported that Cadillac is about to give its much-loved CT5 a new gas-powered generation after the current one wraps up after 2026. Sure, it’s not quite the same size as the ‘6, but it’s still filling in a similar ethos.
Other regrets and musings
Reuss didn’t use the nearly hour-long podcast just to talk about the demise of the CT6. He had plenty of other regrets about GM products that were killed off before their time, according to Motor1. He admitted that if he could go back, he would have stopped Chevy from ending production of the all-electric Bolt back in 2023. Of course, the little electric hatchback is returning for the 2027 model year, and while it will be the cheapest EV on sale in America, its value proposition is a bit questionable. I’ve got a feeling that there will be a true Bolt replacement a bit further down the line.
He didn’t just stop at vehicles he was involved in, either. Reuss says that even though he wasn’t at GM at the time, he wished the company didn’t kill the EV1 in 1999. He said the electric coupe was “really quite a car,” and for the time, it definitely was.
One thing Reuss didn’t seem to make any mention of was the complete fumble that was Cadillac’s twin-turbocharged 4.2-liter Blackwing V8 motor. It only ever showed up in the CT6-V, making a beefy 550 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque, and while the name “Blackwing” lived on, the car and the engine did not. Sometimes, when I’m feeling down about my financial misses, I think about how much money GM spent on this motor that ended up in one single car.
