- Cadillac is discontinuing the XT6 this year to focus more on electric crossovers.
- The new three-row Vistiq EV replaces the XT6 but costs over $28K more to start.
- The XT5 will remain in production through 2026 due to strong customer demand.
Cadillac may have dialed back its all-electric ambitions, but that doesn’t mean it’s taking its foot off the EV pedal. Even as the brand steps away from its original goal of going fully electric by 2030, production plans are still shifting to make room for new EVs, starting with changes at one of its key US plants.
More: Cadillac Projects EVs Will Make Up 35% Of Its Sales This Year
Production of the gasoline-powered Cadillac XT6 will come to an end later this year at GM’s Spring Hill, Tennessee, assembly plant. Launched in 2019, the three-row crossover slots between the smaller XT5 and the range-topping Escalade. News of its discontinuation surfaced in an internal memo obtained by CNBC, which GM later confirmed. A spokesperson told the outlet the move is unrelated to the Trump administration’s sweeping auto tariffs.
XT5 Stays, XT6 Goes
While the XT6 is heading for the exit, the smaller XT5 will stick around a bit longer. Originally expected to bow out by the end of 2025, the XT5 will now stay in production through at least 2026. That said, the current model is showing its age as it was first launched in January 2016 and hasn’t seen a major overhaul since. A second-generation XT5, complete with a longer body, was introduced in China late last year, though Cadillac hasn’t confirmed whether it will make it to North American shores.
According to the same memo, Cadillac is citing “strong customer demand” as the reason for the XT5’s extended run. It was the brand’s third-best-selling model in 2024, moving 26,432 units, a slight 1.4 percent dip from 2023. It followed the Escalade, which led with 41,001 units (down 1.7 percent), and the all-electric Lyriq, which saw a massive 210 percent year-over-year jump to 28,410 units.
Interestingly, the XT6, the model being axed, was the only internal combustion Cadillac to post a sales gain last year. GM moved 20,225 units of the three-row SUV, representing a 5.8% increase over the prior year. In the first quarter of 2025, it continued to hold steady with 4,778 units sold (up 3.7 percent), while the XT5 moved 6,353 units, marking a 1.2 percent gain over the same period last year.
Vistiq Takes the Wheel
The XT6’s departure clears the lane for Cadillac’s latest three-row electric crossover, the Vistiq. It’s similar in size but exists in an entirely different price bracket, starting at $77,395, well above the XT6’s $49,195 base price. Some dealers are already offering discounts, but there’s still a noticeable gap. Production of the Vistiq is already underway at the Spring Hill facility, which also builds the Lyriq.
Temporary Shutdown Coming in May
According to the same memo, the Spring Hill facility will pause operations for the week of May 12. GM has confirmed the planned downtime and accompanying temporary layoffs, telling CNBC that the move is necessary to better align inventory with current market demand.