Cadillac will name new flagship CT6, give other models new names as well

YAHOO AUTOS

Posted By Abigail Bassett @ Motoramic

           

 

 

 

Photo illustration by Yahoo Autos

Like BMW and Infiniti before it, Cadillac is playing the re-naming game — starting with that new upcoming large luxury sedan which it will call the CT6. This is not the Eldorado you were hoping for.

On the heels of GM’s announcement this week that Cadillac would open a new headquarters in New York City’s Tony Soho neighborhood with 50 employees, the company announced Tuesday that new CT6 would kick off a complete renaming of its car line; the abbreviation “CT” would be used for car models and the number indicates the size and position of the car within Cadillac’s brand structure. 

"As we expand the portfolio, we can assist consumers in placing the cars within a structure, as they compare cars both within our showroom and across the market generally,” saidUwe Ellinghaus, Cadillac chief marketing officer. “However, this will be an evolutionary process – we will only change a product’s name when the product itself is redesigned or an all-new model is created, as in this instance.”

The shuffle may cause some confusion for customers. For a few years, Cadillac showrooms will carry a mix of models named like the current ATS, CTS and XTS and newer CT-types. There hasn’t been any word as to whether there will be a new naming convention for the Escalade and SRX SUVS.

It’s not that surprising that Cadillac has jumped on the digits and letters bandwagon (or is it BNDWGN?) Infiniti, much to the chagrin of many, made a similar move when it renamed its cars by the Q and QX in late 2012. That change was shepherded by former Audi and Infiniti executive Johan de Nysschen — the new head of Cadillac.

The new CT6 is slated to make its debut at the 2015 New York Auto Show in April next year and will be available in late 2015 — if you can remember what it's called.