Cadillac CT6 Goes Hybrid In Los Angeles, Returns Better Mileage Than German Rivals

For years, Cadillac has always been the symbol of luxury, power, and full-size roominess. It belongs to the tier one level of luxury cars dominated by the Mercedes-Benz S class, the BMW 7 series, and the Audi A8. But all that is about to change as Cadillac takes on a different approach to the full-size luxury sedan category, when they unveiled the CT6 Plug-in Hybrid at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

The Cadillac CT6 Hybrid is being promoted as a quick driver's car, backed by a technological tour de force to match the German-made rivals. Since the CT6's unveiling in 2015, the Plug-in Hybrid model has been added to the full-size hybrid category marked by Mercedes-Benz and BMW. It's an opportunity for Cadillac to break new ground in the luxury market, after years of methodically plotting its vehicle lineup that matches it entry-for-entry with the Germans, according to Automotive News.

Outside, the Cadillac CT6 Hybrid doesn't look as different as its gasoline-powered siblings. Its 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine is paired with an Electric Variable Transmission (EVT) system, with both motors adding 100 horsepower each with an output of 335 horsepower and 432 pound-feet of torque. The CT6 can travel 400 miles on a single charge and a single tank of gasoline, which translates to a whopping 65 miles per gallon. When running on electricity alone, the range is estimated at 30 miles and the top speed limited to 78 mph. When the gasoline engine kicks in, the figure increases to a more respectable 150 mph. It can also go 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, an impressive number relative to the competition, as reported by TopSpeed.

So, where does the Cadillac CT6 Hybrid stand with the German hybrid models in the market? For starters, the Cadillac has a better range of 30 miles versus 14 miles for the German models in the all-electric range mode. The same goes for MPGe (Miles per Gallon equivalent), with 65 for the Cadillac versus 64 for the BMW and 58 for the Mercedes. Pricewise, the Cadillac CT6 Hybrid is also lower at $75,095 for the base model compared to BMW's 740e XDrive iPerformance at $89,100 and the Mercedes-Benz S550e Hybrid, which fetches $96,100.