GM is Taking a Page From Ford’s Book to Keep the CT6’s Curb Weight Low

Cadillac Badge (Credit: © Cadillac)

In the race to make cars stronger, quicker, more fuel efficient and nimbler, automakers are moving toward a number of lightweight construction processes. The most common as of late have been high-strength steel or carbon-fiber. The latter has been mostly reserved for supercars and high-end sports cars while the former has been more widespread with mainstream automakers. However, the most recent material to make its way to the mainstream is neither of the two aforementioned materials. It is actually aluminum, and the latest vehicle to swap its steel panels for this lightweight material is the Ford F-150. If a recent report from Automobile is accurate, GM will soon follow Ford into the world of aluminum bodies with the upcoming Cadillac CT6.

According to the report, the upcoming flagship sedan will use the lightweight material to help keep its curb weight between 3,700 and 4,100 pounds. Sitting in this weight class and being positioned above the CTS in terms of size would aim the CT6 directly at the likes of the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class and the Audi A7, so it needs to not only be luxurious, but it must also perform well.

The performance side of things will likely be aided by a group of all-new engines that will include four-, six- and eight-cylinder powerplants. The likely volume engine for the CT6 will be a 3.0-liter, turbocharged V-6, according to Left Lane News, and that will join forces with the new V-8 and a plug-in hybrid drivetrain to round out the lineup.

According to Automobile, the CT6 Vsport has already received the green light, but there’s no mention of the engine it will use. The CT6-V, on the other hand, is still up in the air at this point.

We should learn more about the upcoming CT6 as we approach its debut later in 2015. There is no set date as of now, but it will occur at a major auto show late in the year.