Cadillac to launch three new petrol-powered models from 2027

With electric vehicles accounting for under six per cent of new car sales in the US, Cadillac has confirmed it will be launching two new petrol-powered SUVs and a sedan over the next few years.

During an earnings call to discuss the automaker's second quarter results, GM CEO Mary Barra revealed the company will "begin launching the next-generation of Cadillac ICE vehicles" in the third quarter of 2027, with new model launches continuing until some time in 2028.

The first new petrol-powered vehicle will be the second-generation XT5 SUV, which is widely expected to be based on the model released in China in 2024. 

In China the latest XT5 is just under 4.9m long, and is powered by a 169kW 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine hooked up to a 48V mild hybrid system. Regulatory filings indicate a plug-in hybrid variant will soon join the range, and sport a 115kW 1.5-litre turbo engine, 160kW front electric motor and a 110kW electric motor on the rear axle.

In a LinkedIn post, Kristian Aquilina, vice president of Cadillac Global, and former head of Holden, confirmed the XT5 will be followed up by new versions of the CT5 sedan and XT6 SUV. 

A report last year indicated the second-generation CT5 will be based on an updated version of the current car's Alpha 2 rear-wheel drive platform. We don't know what powerplants will live under the CT5's bonnet, but the existing model is available with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-pot, a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, and a 6.2-litre supercharged V8.

The XT6 will once again be a three-row SUV, and will likely be based on the VSS-S front- and all-wheel drive platform that's employed by the Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave. All three models are about 5.2m long, and are powered by a 245kW/442Nm 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

At the beginning of the 2020s when GM and others were envisioning a world dominated by EVs, Cadillac was designated as the company's electric vanguard and was to shift to an all-electric lineup, except for the Escalade, by 2030.

That saw Cadillac progressively phase out combustion-powered models, with the XT6 and smaller XT4 SUVs exiting production in 2025 and the CT4 sedan following this year.

Cadillac was launched in the Australian market in 2024 as an EV-only brand, and in numerous markets including Europe it also has an EV-only lineup.

However, EV take-up, especially in the States, hasn't met expectations, so Cadillac walked back its commitment and is about to launch a clutch of new petrol-powered models for North America. 

Despite this, some of the combustion engine models killed off in the past few years won't be making a return, at least in the States. At this stage, it looks as though there will be no replacement for the smaller XT4 SUV and the CT4 sedan.

It's unclear if Cadillac's new petrol-powered models will be sold in Europe or Australia, but they are likely to be exported to the Middle East.

In May, Cadillac touted it had sold over 100,000 EVs in the US since introducing the Lyriq in 2022, and claimed over three-quarters of its EV buyers were new to the brand.

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