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GM won't really kill off the Chevy Volt and Cadillac CT6, will it?

General Motors is apparently considering killing off six slow-selling models by 2020, according to Reuters. But is that really likely? The news is mentioned in a story where UAW president Dennis Williams notes that slumping US car sales could threaten jobs at low-volume factories. Still, we're skeptical that GM is really serious about killing those cars. Reuters specifically calls out the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CT6, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Sonic, and the Chevrolet Volt. Most of these have been redesigned or refreshed within the past few model years. Four - the LaCrosse, Impala, CT6, and Volt - are built in the Hamtramck factory in Detroit. That plant has made only 35,000 cars this year - down 32 percent from 2016. A typical GM plant builds 200,000-300,000 vehicles a year. Of all the cars Williams listed, killing the XTS, Impala, and Sonic make the most sense. They're older and don't sell particularly well. On the other hand, axing the other three seems like an odd move. It would leave Buick and Cadillac without flagship sedans, at least until the rumored Cadillac CT8 arrives. The CT6 was a big investment for GM and backing out after just a few years would be a huge loss. It also uses GM's latest and best materials and technology, making us even more skeptical. The Volt is a hugely important car for Chevrolet, and supplementing it with a crossover makes more sense than replacing it with one. Offering one model with a range of powertrain variants like the Hyundai Ioniq and Toyota Prius might be another route GM could take. All six of these vehicles are sedans, Yes, crossover sales are booming, but there's still a huge market for cars. Backing away from these would be essentially giving up sales to competitors from around the globe. The UAW might simply be publicly pushing GM to move crossover production to Hamtramck to avoid closing the plant and laying off workers. Sales of passenger cars are down across both GM and the industry. Consolidating production in other plants and closing Hamtramck rather than having a single facility focus on sedans might make more sense from a business perspective. GM is also trying to reduce its unsold inventory, meaning current production may be slowed or halted while current cars move into customer hands. There's a lot of politics that goes into building a car. GM wants to do what makes the most sense from a business perspective, while the UAW doesn't workers to lose their jobs when a factory closes.

Cadillac ATS Crimson Sport Edition is here for a limited run

The Cadillac ATS has been a well-received entry into the small sport sedan segment for General Motors' premium brand, but keeping the model fresh is an understandably high priority. A two-door coupe variant is on the way and should help keep interest up, but the line's volume leader is still expected to be the sedan. In order to keep awareness high and sales going, GM will need to lavish a little attention on its four-door, as well. That's where the Crimson Sport Edition comes in.
Crimson Red Metallic paint is the exterior highlight for this special-edition Cadillac, while the interior is complemented with a number of microsuede touchpoints, including the heated steering wheel and shifter. To this point, the car's rich burgundy finish has only been offered on CTS-V Coupe and Sport Wagon models, and brand spokesperson Donny Nordlicht tells Autoblog that this is the first time that the company has offered a microsuede wheel with heat. Four interior trims are also available, although all have been seen previously.
The Crimson Sport will be limited to production this spring, and the trimmings can be added to either the 2.0T Performance or the V6 Premium specifications. Both rear- and all-wheel drive will be available, as well. Prices start at $46,010 for the turbocharged model and $51,010 for the V6 including destination fees, which represents a premium of $2,990 for the extra equipment.

Autoblog Podcast #399

Episode #398 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Brandon Turkus, and Rob Sass of Hagerty Classic Cars Magazine talk about Cadillac's move to Manhattan and new naming convention, preview the Paris Motor Show, and finish up with the 3 Guys, 3 Grand Classic Car challenge. Also included is an interview with Tom Tjaarda, prolific designer of vehicles including the DeTomaso Pantera. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #399: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics: Cadillac relocates to NYC and changes its model names Paris Motor Show preview Tom Tjaarda interview $3,000 classic cars In The Autoblog Garage: 2015 BMW 428i Gran Coupe 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid Jensen Interceptor Hosts: Dan Roth, Michael Harley, Brandon Turkus Runtime: 01:47:56 Rundown: Intro and Garage - 00:00 Cadillac Move - 24:02 Paris Motor Show - 39:22 Tom Tjaarda - 52:12 Hagerty $3000 Classics - 01:15:43 Q&A - 01:27:45 Get the podcast: [UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Feedback: Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Podcasts Paris Motor Show BMW Cadillac Subaru Classics cadillac ct6 rob sass cadillac lts