Cadillac Confirms its new Flagship Sedan, Redesigned SRX and Hotter ATS

Cadillac Elmiraj Concept (Credit: © General Motors)

Recently, we brought you a report that GM would be releasing a new, flagship sedan that draws inspiration from the Elmiraj concept. Back then, the report was still just hearsay, but now it is 100-percent confirmed. According to Bloomberg, at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Ca Cadillac’s chief engineer Dave Leone confirmed that this car is indeed coming and will arrive in late 2015.

This new flagship is earmarked as one of the cars that will push Cadillac’s slumping sales upward toward Lexus, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, as the American brand is still lagging behind these brands in the luxury realm. Sure, this likely very expensive, RWD, luxury sedan will likely not be a sales leader for Caddy, but it will help better establish the brand with more affluent buyers.

Cadillac Elmiraj Concept (Credit: © General Motors)

Cadillac Elmiraj Concept (Credit: © General Motors)

Another vehicle announced at Pebble Beach that will have a much larger role in catching the big-boys of the luxury segment is a redesigned SRX. Though the SRX has seen great sales in its relatively short life, GM and Cadillac feel that a redesign will push it even further.

The final bit of news from Cadillac at Pebble Beach is the confirmation of a hotter version of the compact ATS. Dubbed the ATS-V, this compact, luxury rig will take aim directly at the BMW M3, BMW M4 and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. Leone stopped short of revealing details, but the consensus within the industry is that it will carry the 420-horsepower, 3.6-liter, twin-turbo V-6 from the CTS Vsport. Sure, the ATS-V wouldn’t be a high-volume car, but like the upcoming flagship, it is an attention-getter that will bring the Cadillac brand to the front of buyers’ minds.

Leone is quoted saying “This is going to be a fantastic year for Cadillac,” and I certainly will not argue with that.