Cadillac delays diesel development to expand electrification
GM can read the writing on the wall, despite offering a couple diesel variants across its lineup.
If you were looking forward to buying a diesel Cadillac in the next couple of years, you might want to think twice.
Cadillac has reportedly shelved development of future diesel offerings, Automotive News reports, citing a conversation with Cadillac president Steve Carlisle during the XT4 compact SUV launch event. "We have been working on diesel, but the markets may be changing more quickly than we anticipated," Carlisle told Automotive News.
According to AN's report, Cadillac had at least two diesel engines in development, four- and six-cylinder versions. While the primary focus of these engines was on the European market, they would have made their way to the US, as well -- in fact, the XT4 was supposed to pack a diesel variant by the end of the decade. AN reports that a diesel XT4 might still happen, but it's currently "on hold."
AN says that Cadillac hit its first major diesel-related speed bump when Volkswagen's diesel crisis broke in 2015, but the company soldiered on, even after its development partner, Opel, was split off from General Motors and sold to the French.
Instead, the company will place its focus where a majority of automakers are already headed -- electrification. Cadillac already offers a plug-in hybrid variant of the CT6 full-size luxury sedan, and that lineup will likely expand beyond a single vehicle as the automaker releases follow-ups to the Escalade , CTS and other cars.
Plug-in hybrids are a good first step into electrification, as they allow you to operate largely on electricity, but the existence of a gas engine helps alleviate range-related anxieties. Let's just hope that subsequent Cadillac PHEVs are just a bit more financially approachable than the CT6 Plug-In, which starts around $75,000.
Nevertheless, General Motors still offers diesel variants of some of its latest vehicles. You can pick up a diesel variant of both the Chevrolet Cruze and Chevrolet Equinox , as well as the Equinox's tarted-up sibling, the GMC Terrain .
Chevrolet Equinox Diesel: Still want an oil-burner? Here's one way to get it.
Chevrolet Silverado: If there's one place diesels will still reign, it's in pickup trucks.
Solar Installer Guides
Other Energy Saving Guides
Our Experts