Yesterday, we shared GM’s announcement on a $245 million investment at the Orion Assembly plant for “an all-new vehicle program unlike any in the plant’s 32-year history.”
The release also said that 300 new jobs would be added to build a “never seen before,” brand-new product. So what’s the mystery car you ask? A source from GM told Motor Trend that it’s “a future crossover with no predecessor” and hinted at Cadillac, where “the gaps is product lineup are obvious.”
This likely means that the new model is a small Cadillac crossover, since the Orion Assembly plant already builds small cars like the Buick Verano and Chevrolet Sonic.
The statement about the new model not having a predecessor fits Cadillac’s plans to launch a series of new products to reposition the brand. We know that GM has announced a $12 billion investment to develop eight new Cadillac models by 2020. One of them will be a small crossover which could be built at Orion from 2017 the earliest.
The upcoming vehicle could be called either XT3 or XT1, depending on its size. In addition to the SRX-replacing XT5, Cadillac plans to launch three crossovers: two smaller than the XT5 and one larger.
That’s because the luxury brand wants to align its lineup with those of German rivals. The XT1 should go against the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA, while the XT3 should compete with the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC.
Note: 2015 Cadillac SRX pictured
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