2001 Cadilac Eldorado Esc on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2018 Cadillac XT7 three-row crossover spied [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Upon further consideration, and after speaking to some industry insiders, it appears this might not actually be a new Cadillac, but instead just a mule of the new Chevy Traverse. One source points out that the foglights are fixed, round units, which would be production spec and would not suggest Cadillac. Another source says the Cadillac version of the Traverse/Acadia/Enclave was cancelled, and development has stopped. Yes, a Cadillac of this size is expected to arrive – and elements of this prototype sure do look Cadillac to us – but it might be too early for this to be it. Cadillac is expanding its portfolio with a three-row crossover. This is it. Expected to be called the XT7, the new vehicle will give Cadillac an entry above the XT5 and below the hulking Escalade. Though the XT7 is heavily covered, we can see Cadillac's (?) bold grille and what looks like strong proportions. It'll probably look like a larger XT5, and you can sort of (maybe) see a similar roofline if you squint. Spy shooters caught it testing with the new Chevy Traverse and Buick Enclave, and they're all expected to use the new General Motors 3.6-liter V6 engine, like the recently revealed GMC Acadia. The XT7 could show up as soon as late this year or early in 2017. Its part of GM's push to capitalize on the red-hot crossover segment that has been fueled by low gas prices and Americans' thirst for utility. The XT7 would likely represent GM's most profitable play in this segment. Simply affixing the Cadillac badge on the front adds thousands of dollars to the sticker compared to a Chevy or Buick product. The XT7 will also give Cadillac a significant opportunity for growth – and perhaps allow it to gain on Mercedes and BMW on the sales charts. While the CTS and ATS have had mixed success, Americans have continued to show a willingness to buy Cadillac utility vehicles. The XT7 is the latest in Cadillac's product blitz following the XT5 and the CT6 range-topping sedan. Those two are the most critical Caddys, but the XT7 isn't far off. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Cadillac XT7 View 11 Photos Image Credit: Brian Williams / SpiedBilde Spy Photos Cadillac SUV

Cadillac still planning for big things in China

Despite some hiccups, China remains the auto industry's great hope for new vehicle sales, with significant sales gains and a huge upside. Nowhere is that hope more fervent than at General Motors, which offers eight different marques in the Asian nation. China has been GM's single biggest market the last three years running, and is unlikely to give up that title anytime soon. Yet its premiere brand, Cadillac, has remained essentially stagnant, selling just 30,000 units in China last year. That's in a segment where sales of luxury vehicles has outpaced that of the larger Chinese market. So what gives?
According to Cadillac officials Autoblog spoke with in China this week at the Shanghai Motor Show, it's been a problem of product - they haven't had the right ones. Displacement taxation issues, import tariffs and currency fluctuations have all conspired to make the brand's products less appealing than they might otherwise have been. But GM is stepping on the gas with Cadillac, and executives are eyeballing 100,000 sales by 2016 - more than triple the Wreath and Crest's current volume. And the expectations for the brand only get more ambitious from there - they're shooting for 10 percent of the luxury market by 2020. Bob Socia, President of GM China, promises that there will be a new Caddy launched in the market each year from now through 2016 and most will be built in China. Characterizing the company's efforts to revive the brand's fortunes as a "relaunch" of sorts, Cadillac also figures to gain dealers as GM expands its sales outlet footprint westward.
New products like a made-in-China XTS sedan (with a market-specific 2.0-liter four-cylinder to avoid heavy displacement taxes) will help, and Socia hinted that the ATS sport sedan could be next in line for in-country production. The SRX crossover - currently the brand's best-selling model in China - will also likely get a long look for future local production when the next-generation model is introduced. In the meantime, Cadillac unveiled the Escalade ESV Hybrid (shown above) as its latest model addition to capitalize on the market's white-hot luxury SUV segment.

NHTSA approves hybrid rearview mirror display in Cadillac CT6, Bolt EV

The Chevy Bolt EV prototype doesn't just have a fancy new all-electric powertrain. Just outside the driver's line of sight is a newfangled rearview mirror, one that can turn into a screen that shows a moving image from the rear-facing camera. Speaking to NPR's Robert Siegel yesterday, Department of Transportation secretary Anthony Foxx said that NHTSA has now approved this type of mirror/screen for use in vehicles. According to a letter from NHTSA to General Motors, GM will likely use this Full Display Mirror first in the 2016 Cadillac CT6 before coming to the Bolt. In its letter to GM, NHTSA said that the Full Display Mirror will only qualify as a standard rearview mirror as long as there are normal side mirrors in place. In other words, don't expect to see cameras and screens replacing all the mirrors in a motor vehicle just yet. @AutoblogGreen @NPR - #NHTSA has OK'd GM rear-view system that can switch between mirror & camera views. pic.twitter.com/6CBeIit10v — Anthony Foxx (@SecretaryFoxx) February 22, 2016 The Full Display Mirror was developed by Gentex, which has long worked with GM. The FDM debuted in 2014 and some people hoped it would also make its way into the Tesla Model X. Gentex, which also makes auto-dimming mirrors, says that it has "set out to develop the technologies and core competencies necessary to manage this evolution of the rearview mirror." The Chevy Bolt EV will start at $37,500, before incentives. The 200-mile EV will go into production late this year for likely sale in early 2017. Related Video: