Cadillac CT6 and XT5

With Cadillac now taking a bold new approach with thanks to the man who used to shaped Nissan's Infiniti to its former glory, General Motors' luxury brand introduced us with two new machines that signals the rebirth that erases our minds from thinking that they're made only for senior citizens since...well, you know.

2016 Cadillac CT6

I'll begin with Cadillac's brand new flagship saloon, the CT6, and if the name takes a beating on you, that's because Cadillac's using a brand new naming structure similar to Renault-Samsung's. They'll be using the CT-prefix for saloons and XT-prefix for crossovers, but let's not talk long about it because let's focus onto the new CT6, the new flagship saloon from Cadillac. From the start, it looks closely similar to either a E-Class fighting CTS or a lackluster fleet-capable XTS but what this car looks like, it would be both because all that Art & Science philosophy is pouring into this saloon and from every angle, the CT6 rethinks the way Cadillac is meant to be, as an American flagship capable to tackle the likes of BMW's 7-Series, Audi's A8, Benz's S-Class, even Lexus's LS and Genesis' EQ900 as well.

One thing that sets them apart is the price because the CT6 starts at 53,495 US Dollars, which makes it a BMW 7-Series in 5-Series money. Now, that's a bargain but what do you get for a flagship saloon that is less expensive than the luxury flagships from Europe and Asia?

2016 Cadillac CT6 interior

Outside, the CT6 is a well-shaped saloon that balances style and performance at the same pace despite its big size. On the inside, you will notice the new Cadillac interior that will soon to apply in upcoming models within the end of the decade and it combines craftsmanship with technology that sets its class apart from the opposition. In my mind, the new Cadillac interior looks gorgeous by detail but it's not just the design that shaped the interior. It's the tech that revolutionized it and with the CT6, every nook and cranny has been well-shaped to give owners a much office-like feel on the road. Getting accommodated with the CT6's interior sounds nice but trying to learn more about the high-tech stuff is going to be a challenge, especially if you're not a big fan of technology.

2016 Cadillac CT6

What about driving? Since this is an entirely new car, the CT6 features a brand new platform as seen on the Chevrolet Camaro. Called the Omega platform, this platform uses a combination of steel and aluminum materials, resulting to a car that weighs less than BMW's 5-Series. That sounds great, as are the dynamics that feel great to drive but it's a bit tad old-fashioned if you know what I'm saying.

Then, there's the choice of engines. The CT6 comes with a choice of three engines; a 2.0L turbo, a 3.6L V6, and a powerful 3.0L V6 Twin-Turbo engine producing 404HP of power and 542Nm of torque. all mated with an 8-speed automatic gearbox. Word from the mouth is that there's going to be a turbocharged V8 model coming soon but don't expect this to be a more exciting addition to it because even though it packs more oomph, the turbo's main purpose of better fuel economy might get the drop out of you.

And there's more because while the CT6 promises tech for a luxury saloon of this size, it comes with a rather bizarre feature called the Super Cruise autonomous driving feature which allows hands-free lane following, braking, and speed control. That feels scary but this is the future we're living it and autonomous driving tech will be all over even before the end of the decade, which sounds not so bad but would will be the end of fun driving as we knew it? It's too early to tell but in the meantime, hope you're not so stupid about taking advantage of its autonomous driving feature because while this is the future, this feature has a big fine print that drivers like you should be aware of. If things get wrong, it's no one's guess.

The CT6 is the first of the eight new models Cadillac will be launched before the end of the decade and the second of what I mentioned will be a crossover called the XT5.

2017 Cadillac XT5

2017 Cadillac XT5

2017 Cadillac XT5 interior

Served as the replacement of the SRX, the new XT5 features similar looks as the CT6 as well as its 3.6L V6 natural aspiration engine mated to an 8-speed gearbox. This engine is good for having 310HP of power and 367Nm of torque so that sounds sporty for a good V6 engine that has been around in most Cadillac models in its portfolio but don't get too confident on its power because this comes with the platform used on the China-made Buick Envision, so you may have high doubts about how it performs not just on the city centers but also on the open roads if you have a schedule to go to the country club to play golf.

Speaking of golf, because this is a crossover, the XT5 features a much spacious cabin that can accommodate various lifestyles you see fit because the XT5 isn't just a crossover, it's a lifestyle that deserves to have a lifestyle check before setting off.

So, with Cadillac's new CT6 flagship saloon and the new XT5 crossover, the luxury division of General Motors has started its major overhaul and how will Cadillac fare better against the opposition from Europe and Asia is all up to its customer satisfaction that requires clear thinking and clear judgment to settle things once and for all.

Photo: General Motors