Cadillac News: Cadillac Puts Diesel Development on the Back Burner

[William Maley]

As part of their ambitions to compete with European automakers on their home soil, Cadillac was working on a range of four- and six-cylinder diesel engines. According to Automotive News, the upcoming XT4 was expected to have a diesel engine by 2020 and other models would follow. There was also plans about selling diesels for Cadillacs in the U.S. But Cadillac President Steve Carlisle said development has been put on hold.

"We have been working on diesel, but the markets may be changing more quickly than we anticipated," he said to AN.

"Going forward, we will focus on electrification."

The diesel program at Cadillac got hit with a double whammy over the past few years. First was the Volkswagen diesel emission crisis that broke in September 2015. There was talk about killing the project, but "executives felt it had progressed too far to kill". Then last year, General Motors sold Opel to PSA Group. The German division was working with Cadillac with development. Still, the brand continued with progress.

It is unclear as to why Cadillac has put the program on hold now, but we're guessing the combination of stricter regulations coming into Europe and more competitors deciding to go all-in electrification are the main reasons.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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[David]

Totally makes sense, Diesel is dead in regards to cars and basic personal transportation. I expect diesel to continue on strong in the trucking sector, mass transit for a while as they slowly change over to CNG/LNG and other forms of hybrid use.

Hybrid Personal transportation is the future along with EV.

[riviera74]

No need for Cadillac to have a diesel engine vehicle for the first time since the early 80s.  A fully electric Cadillac XT5 would be really sweet these days.

[Drew Dowdell]

No need.  GM already has some of the best in electrification out there. just use that instead. 

[regfootball]

side note, lots of first drive review of the XT4 up on the net now.  Car and Driver in particular, was almost quite complimentary... they liked the new 2.0.  Bodes well if that new 2.0 is going into the new CT5....

Edited September 19, 2018 by regfootball

[ocnblu]

Somebody said there will be an XT4 V-Sport.