Cadillac not giving up on sedans in its electric era - report

Cadillac may be rolling out a fleet of electric SUVs, but there are new battery-powered sedans reportedly in the mix, too.

GM Authority reports word from sources General Motors’ luxury brand has two electric sedans in development, and they’re intended for global markets – not just China.

They will reportedly ride on BEV Prime, a more premium version of the BEV3 platform underpinning models like the Cadillac Lyriq and Celestiq.

This platform will reportedly feature more advanced construction methods and allowance for additional Ultium battery cell modules and electric motors, allowing for more power and range.

The Cadillac sedans will reportedly be “low hip-point” vehicles, and ergo lower and sleeker than “regular hip-point” vehicles like the Lyriq crossover.

They will also feature more of a fastback profile than Cadillac’s existing sedans, potentially more closely resembling the 2016 Escala concept or the upcoming ultra-luxury Celestiq flagship.

The sedans will reportedly be similar in size to Cadillac’s two largest sedans: the CT5, which is 4923-4953mm long, and the CT6, which is 5223mm long.

Cadillac currently sells only two sedans in its home market: the CT4, a heavily revised version of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class-rivalling ATS repositioned as an A-Class rival; and the CT5, a C-Class rival closer in size to an E-Class.

In China, it just introduced a second-generation version of its CT6 sedan. Following Cadillac’s ‘tweener’ strategy, this is ostensibly an E-Class rival but sized much closer to an S-Class.

Though the CT6 was available in its previous generation with a plug-in hybrid, all three of these sedans are powered exclusively by petrol engines.

Cadillac has been expanding its EV line-up beyond the Lyriq, which is already on sale in North America and China.

The brand has previously confirmed it would reveal three new electric vehicles this year, which will enter production in 2024.

The smaller Optiq was recently revealed courtesy of a Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology filing, while Cadillac debuted its full-size Escalade iQ last week.

General Motors has filed trademark applications in Australia for all three electric SUVs.

This month, it also filed to trademark the name Vistiq. It’s unclear what vehicle this name could be applied to, though Cadillac has been spied testing an electric replacement for its Volvo XC90-rivalling XT6.

The Vistiq name, along with Symboliq, Ascendiq and Lumistiq, had already been trademarked in the US.

GM Specialty Vehicles has yet to confirm the introduction of any Cadillac models to Australia to join the Chevrolet Silverado and Corvette.

Senior members of the General Motors team in Australia told CarExpert earlier this year there’s “a lot of exciting stuff coming this year”.

When it comes to Cadillac, a spokesperson for General Motors simply said “stay tuned”.

Companies do trademark names to protect them from being used by rival firms, so the presence of a trademark on the IP Australia database doesn’t necessarily confirm a vehicle is coming.

“It is common practice for GM to secure key trademarks globally. GM has several brands registered, to protect them from unapproved usage,” a GMSV spokesperson told CarExpert in December.

A local trademark filing has also appeared recently for the GMC Yukon, a full-sized, body-on-frame, combustion-powered SUV and, as with the Cadillac Lyriq, GMSV has kept its powder dry.

However, there are no other trademark filings for current Cadillac products, including combustion-powered vehicles like the regular Escalade and CT5. Also missing from the local database is the ultra-luxury Celestiq EV, which will be produced only in left-hand drive.

Cadillac last officially sold vehicles in Australia in 1969, but 40 years later it came extremely close to returning to the local market with the second-generation CTS – obtaining local certification and shipping examples from the US – before the global financial crisis scuppered these plans.

Newly appointed GMSV managing director Jess Bala is moving to her role from the position of director of global product planning and product strategy for Cadillac, but the company still has yet to confirm the brand’s return.