New Cadillac CT6 offers new standards in luxury cars

By Jhoo Dong-chan

American luxury icon Cadillac’s new flagship, the CT6 sedan, offers a new set of standards, aiming to compete with the best selling luxury models in Korea such as Hyundai Motor’s Genesis EQ900 and German premium Mercedes Benz’s S-Class series.

Cadillac’s local sales unit in Korea held a test drive at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Incheon, offering a 120 kilometer, or two-hour journey, through the Incheon International Airport Expressway to the Heyri Art Village in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, last week.

This reporter drove the 3.6-liter V6 gasoline direct-injection model with an eight-speed transmission. The electronic four-wheel drive model can produce maximum 340 horsepower with 39.4 kilogram-meter of torque.

The model’s cutting-edge electronic devices, including the Night Vision System with its thermal infrared light sensor and the Rear Camera Mirror first drew the attention. The Rear Camera Mirror may be a little unfamiliar, and could take some getting used to.

The large-sized sedan is characteristically luxurious inside and out.

The interior is sizable and both the front and rear seats provide supreme comfort. It is equipped with a seat-massage system like those offered in the 2015 XTS and Escalade. It offered the utmost comfort during the test drive.

When turning the engine on, the Heads Up Display pops up with good visibility.

The CT6 also features the next-generation infotainment system, CUE. Its touch screen in the center fascia works differently from other vehicles, so it’s something drivers need to get used to.

The rear seats are equipped with CUE touch screens as well, but they were not allowed to be used during the test drive.

The CT6’s acceleration was a little disappointing at low speed. Its transmission did not fully respond, hesitating for few seconds while producing a roaring sound.

The disappointment, however, turned into satisfaction at high speed. As the speed passed over 100 kilometers per hour on the highway, the CT6 turned into a darting beast in sports mode.

Sixty-four percent of the CT6’s body is made of aluminum based on designs from the Cadillac Omega Architecture, and this lowers the car’s overall weight. It is 200 kilograms lighter than its German rivals, the Mercedes Benz’s S-class and BMW 7-Series models.

Since the CT6 began selling in July, Cadillac has received more than 300 preorders. The initial shipping supply was sold out, an official said.

The price of the CT6 Premium is 78.8 million won while the CT6 Platinum is sold for 95.8 million won.