Cadillac’s sedan-focused lineup is hampering sales but help is on the way in the form of the XT4 crossover which will be unveiled at the New York Auto Show later this month.
While it’s only one model, Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen recently told Motor Trend the XT4 as well as other upcoming crossovers will be “exciting, athletic and very attractively designed but also functional.” The model will slot beneath the popular XT5 and it is expected to be offered with a plug-in hybrid powertrain as well as an “entirely new series of efficient and powerful engines.” Rumors have suggested one of the choices will be a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that develops around 275 hp (205 kW).
The decision to focus on crossovers isn’t surprising as consumers have an insatiable demand for them. Just looking at Cadillac’s sales chart reveals the XT5 outsold the ATS by a margin of over 5:1 in the United States last year.
de Nysschen blames the decline in sedan sales on several different factors including low fuel prices which mean consumers aren’t too worried about fuel efficiency. The executive also noted America’s crumbling infrastructure means “roads no longer support high-performance sport sedans and ultra-low profile rubber.” de Nysschen also laid blame on a familiar target, the younger generation, by saying they’re “less tuned into dynamics and handling” than their parents. This seems like an odd criticism as some Cadillac models, driven by older generations, had the handling characteristics of an aircraft carrier.
Millennial bashing aside, de Nysschen said Cadillac’s range of high-performance V-Series models isn’t going away anytime soon. He said every model won’t receive the V-Series treatment but we can expect a “far broader” V and V-Sport lineup in the future. Nothing is official but a CT5-V is virtually a given and there have been countless rumors about a high-performance Escalade V.
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