Photo: Cadillac
$81 million doesn’t seem like much in the automotive industry, but nevertheless, that is the money pledged by General Motors for the upcoming Celestiq. The moolah is going towards retooling the Global Technical Center in Warren, in preparation for building the flagship.
The first production vehicle to be manufactured at the Michigan-based technical center “signifies a new, resurgent era for the brand.” Mark Reuss, the president of General Motors, also confirmed that “each one will be hand-built by an amazing team of craftspeople.” General Motors, and by extension Cadillac, is known for extremely poor build quality. In light of recent examples and classics like the Cimarron and Northstar, one has to wonder how much of that statement is factual and how much is fictional.
“Today’s announcement emphasizes our commitment to delivering a world-class Cadillac,” added Reuss, “with nothing but the best in craftsmanship, design, engineering, and technology.” This déjà vu you might be feeling can be traced back to the CT6, the previous flagship. Touted as a world-class product, the CT6 failed to sell in adequate numbers back home in the United States. Cadillac also tried to attract eco-friendly customers with a plug-in hybrid and sportier customers with a twin-turbo V8 model, yet nothing came out of that. Discontinued from the U.S. market, the CT6 soldiers on solely in China, where it’s produced by SAIC-GM in Jinqiao.
This lack of excitement may be rightfully interpreted as resentment for the crown jewel of General Motors, but it’s not. Yours truly is a big fan of Caddies from the good ol’ days, yet fanboyism doesn’t have a place in this ever-changing industry. Another tell-tale reason for the apathetic reception is the Ultium EV platform, complete with its much-praised batteries and drive units that have yet to threaten Tesla from its domineering position.
From the GMC Hummer EV to subsequent models that include Cadillac’s very own Lyriq, the Chevrolet Silverado EV, Equinox EV, and Blazer EV, there’s not much to look forward to from the Celestiq other than the usual techy stuff.
Some of these highlights are the Ultra Cruise level 3 semi-autonomous driving suite, which is going to employ the Snapdragon Ride platform from Qualcomm. Last year’s teaser further confirmed a stupidly huge infotainment screen, a smart roof, all-wheel drive, and all-wheel steering.
GM says the show car will debut sometime in late July.
“Today’s announcement emphasizes our commitment to delivering a world-class Cadillac,” added Reuss, “with nothing but the best in craftsmanship, design, engineering, and technology.” This déjà vu you might be feeling can be traced back to the CT6, the previous flagship. Touted as a world-class product, the CT6 failed to sell in adequate numbers back home in the United States. Cadillac also tried to attract eco-friendly customers with a plug-in hybrid and sportier customers with a twin-turbo V8 model, yet nothing came out of that. Discontinued from the U.S. market, the CT6 soldiers on solely in China, where it’s produced by SAIC-GM in Jinqiao.
This lack of excitement may be rightfully interpreted as resentment for the crown jewel of General Motors, but it’s not. Yours truly is a big fan of Caddies from the good ol’ days, yet fanboyism doesn’t have a place in this ever-changing industry. Another tell-tale reason for the apathetic reception is the Ultium EV platform, complete with its much-praised batteries and drive units that have yet to threaten Tesla from its domineering position.
From the GMC Hummer EV to subsequent models that include Cadillac’s very own Lyriq, the Chevrolet Silverado EV, Equinox EV, and Blazer EV, there’s not much to look forward to from the Celestiq other than the usual techy stuff.
Some of these highlights are the Ultra Cruise level 3 semi-autonomous driving suite, which is going to employ the Snapdragon Ride platform from Qualcomm. Last year’s teaser further confirmed a stupidly huge infotainment screen, a smart roof, all-wheel drive, and all-wheel steering.
GM says the show car will debut sometime in late July.
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