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Cadillac won't replace XTS after 2019

Cadillac wouldn't be Cadillac without a large sedan, but the definition of just which model fits that bill changed last week. Before the New York Auto Show, that role fell to the XTS. After the New York Auto Show, though, the focus shifted to the CT6. So what's to become of the XTS now that the CT6 has emerged? According to the latest intel, it'll live out the rest of its lifecycle until around 2019, but then drive off to its own funeral like so many limousines and hearses that were built off its platform. This was learned based on comments made by Cadillac chief Johan de Nysschen at the closed-door unveiling of the CT6 in Manhattan: "Ultimately, a car like XTS when it reaches the end of its lifecycle, will not be replaced." That'll be bad news for the livery business that – in the post-Town Car era – has come to rely on the XTS as the basis for its stretch jobs. "We will not have a car that will lend itself to these kind of modifications and we will probably withdraw from those markets," de Nysschen told GM Inside News. That's not all the new Cadillac boss had to say, though: he also indicated that the replacements for the ATS and CTS will be positioned differently from the current models: "As we move into the future refining our sedan portfolio, there will be no direct successor to the CTS. There will be no direct successor to the ATS. There is no point to renaming those cars because in the future those cars will disappear." Based on Johan's comments and those we've heard until now, we'd expect the replacement for the ATS to move down a size to take on the likes of the Audi A3 and Mercedes CLA, and the CTS' successor to move down half a size class as well to give the new CT6 a bit more breathing room, and possibly an even larger flagship sedan to be positioned above them all. Related Video:

Cadillac to ditch China-only LWB models for global 'right size'

We often think of Buick being General Motors' poster child in China, but would it surprise you to hear that Cadillac is just doing a bang-up job in the People's Republic? It's true, the Standard of the World is on fire, and it's doing so with a surprising group of buyers that are going to push through globe-spanning changes for the brand. Cadillac's average buyer age in the People's Republic of China is just 34. Yes, younger buyers dominate the Chinese market, but according to Reuters, Cadillac's young buyers want to drive and they don't want the typical businessman's German-badged sedan. Cadillac understands this, and is setting about to exploit it with a shift in its Chinese strategy. According to President Johan de Nysschen, the company will begin moving away from the China-only, long-wheelbase models, like the ATS-L. Instead, it will push for a global "right size" design, along with some stylistic changes. "You will see a softening of some of the hard edges, and more three-dimension styling on the side of the car," de Nysschen told Reuters, while noting that the cars will still be "instantly recognizable as Cadillac." Even without these changes, though, Cadillac has bucked the trend in China. At 17 percent, the company's sales exceeded the PRC's overall market growth of 7.3 percent by a significant margin. In fact, Cadillac's 2015 gains outpaced the overall market growth in China over the past three years, as the brand jumped to nearly 80,000 units. And the company is hoping to push that even higher, Reuters reports, with President Johan de Nysschen targeting a 25-percent increase in 2016. Related Video:

Cadillac considering ultra-luxe, $100k+ Escalade

The Cadillac Escalade has pushed incrementally up-market over the years. From its humble Chevy/GMC truck underpinnings, the latest Escalade starts at $72,970 and tops out at $96,940. But according to the latest reports, Cadillac is weighing an even more upscale version. Though the exact nature of the upgrades that would push the Escalade further up-market remain unknown – and perhaps undecided at this point – the impetus for such a move is crystal clear. European luxury SUVs keep getting more and more expensive, both from established players and new challengers. Bentley just launched the Bentayga, and other luxury marques like Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Maserati, and Lamborghini are all getting into the game. All the while manufacturers like Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz keep rolling out ever more expensive offerings, like the Range Rover Autobiography and anticipating forthcoming Maybach sport-ute. To challenge those European imports with their astronomic price tags, Cadillac could go with an even higher trim level than its existing Platinum spec – or it could go with a more powerful, performance-oriented Escalade V or Vsport. Getting that big a vehicle to hustle would require a lot of power, but then General Motors has never been one to shy away from slotting a bigger engine into its vehicles. One thing's for certain though, and that's that Cadillac isn't quite done with pushing the Escalade higher up the market.