2016 Cadillac CT6
The 2016 Cadillac CT6 is indeed an all-new flagship sedan that doesn’t replace anything currently in the lineup, but rather looks to extend the range while raising the profile of the entire Cadillac brand.
Slightly longer than an XTS, both the CT6’s overall length and 122.4-inch wheelbase are just shy of benchmark large luxury liners Mercedes-Benz S-class and BMW 7-series; but it’s much bigger than four-doors like the Acura RLX that straddle the midsize/fullsize line.
This car is clearly full-size and it is also beautiful; sleek and sophisticated, far more gorgeous going down the street than it ever looked on an auto show stand.
Yet it still appears very American, and there are plenty of traditional Caddy cues. Proportions are just right.
Standard 2.0-liter turbo 4-cylinder power might be a stretch for a large global sedan, but its 265-horsepower is certainly adequate. And most Cadillac owners never know what’s under the hood anyway.
A 335-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 is the next step up, but the hot ticket for now, is our test car’s twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6. Horsepower here is 404, accompanied by 400 lb-ft. of torque. We imagine a V8 will appear sometime in the future.
8-speed automatic transmissions for all.
More significant is the return of a rear-wheel-drive architecture. Of course, all-wheel-drive is available as well.
And consider our minds blown when we checked the rearview mirror only to see it’s actually a wide video display from the rear mounted camera. It takes a little getting used to as you lose your normal frame of reference, but you can always switch back to a normal mirror.
Applying lessons learned with the ATS, lots of aluminum is involved in keeping weight down, more mid-size than full at just over 4,000–lbs. with the turbo-6; and you certainly feel it.
Highway ride is quite plush, yet nowhere near bloated; and it doesn’t go to pieces when pushed hard through corners.
It’s actually impressively solid, stays almost flat thanks to magnetic ride control, and has a joyous bit of oversteer at the limit.
Steering is very direct with a performance sedan feel and excellent feedback.
Things actually do get sporty in sport mode, and the car seems to shrink as you push harder; yet it remains incredibly smooth.
Off the line it certainly feels like 400-horsepower, with a quick leap to 60 in 5.4-seconds. With all-wheel-drive, there was gobs of traction and plenty of bold power laid down.
The engine revs quickly, and automatic shifts come on just as fast; but the car remains super stable at speed, hitting 105 at the end of the ¼, after 13.7-seconds.
The interior is a huge step up for the brand, nicer than the XTS, and even more inviting than the XT5 crossover that we’ve also recently spent a lot of time in. Most materials like wood and chrome are excellent. The leather-work, not so much. And, there are still a lot of different materials and surfaces going on in here.
Most of us aren’t fans of having strictly touch controls, though things have come a long way since the original CUE interface; we could live with this setup.
CT6 front seat comfort is truly spectacular; and, with almost a foot more wheelbase than the XTS, rear seat room very plentiful, as is trunk space.
Every safety system you could expect is available including night vision and automatic braking, which waits until the absolute last possible second before aggressively taking over and bringing you to a safe stop.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 18-City, 26-Highway, and 21-Combined. We averaged a good 22.8 miles-per-gallon of Premium.
For an average Energy Impact Score of 15.7-barrels of oil consumed and 7.0- tons of CO2 emitted yearly,
Style and sophistication come with hefty price tags, but Cadillac does seem to have a CT6 for everyone from a base CT6 at $54,490 to Platinum trim with twin-turbo V6 at $88,460
So does the 2016 Cadillac CT6 really have what it takes to compete with the world’s best luxury sedans? Well, it’s close with only a few details that need addressing. Still we think the CT6 easily exceeds its traditional buyers’ expectations, while giving new converts won over with the CTS and ATS a car to aspire to. It is a bold move up in style, stance, and interior features; and worthy of its flagship banner. It’s also clearly the best ever from Cadillac, and an effort we gladly praise.
Specifications
- Engine: 3.0 liter twin turbo V6
- Horsepower: 404
- Torque: 400 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 5.4 seconds
- 1/4 mile: 13.7 seconds @ 105 mph
- EPA: 18 mpg city / 26 mpg highway
- Energy Impact: 15.7 barrels of oil/yr
- CO2 Emissions: 5.0 tons/yr
- Transmission: 8 spd automatic
2024 Hyundai Kona Electric
Plugging In And Riding The Wave
With Hyundai expanding their fantastic lineup of IONIQ EVs, it’s easy to forget about the Kona, which has been available in all-electric form since 2019. In fact, this second-gen Kona was designed as an EV from the get-go and adapted to employ ICE powertrains for those who are either not ready or not willing to go down the full EV path. It’s a great strategy, one we’re about to dive further into.
As we nudge closer to the theoretical end of the internal-combustion engine for our personal transportation, it’s vehicles like this 2024 Hyundai Kona, available with both ICE and electric powertrains, as in this Kona Electric, that are best equipped for this transition, allowing consumer demand to be the sales driver.
All Kona Electrics are front-wheel drive, available in SE, SEL, and Limited trims. The base SE gets a 133-horsepower motor and a range of 200 miles from its 48.6-kWh battery. SEL and Limited get a larger 64.8-kWh battery, and a bigger 150-kW motor producing 201 horsepower and 188 lb-ft of torque. This Limited is rated for 261 miles, but based on our highway-heavy driving loop, we’d put the actual range closer to an impressive 290 miles. With DC Fast charging, the Kona Electric can get to 80 percent in 43 minutes, and with the charge port mounted right up front, we like the convenience of being able to just pull right up to the charger without worrying about which side the port is on.
Now, this is not the kind of EV that feels crazy fast wherever you go, but like most EVs it clearly has an edge over gas-fueled competitors. And it was plenty quick at our test track, where despite a hesitation to deliver full power immediately off the line, 60 mph arrived in just 7.1 seconds; plenty quick for a commuter car and half a second quicker than its turbocharged ICE counterpart. Power did seem to taper off towards the end of the track, but we still managed to clear the quarter in a decent 15.6 seconds at 92 mph. Stops from 60 were well-controlled and consistent, averaging 110 feet with good initial bite, and an acceptable amount of nosedive.
This is not the kind of EV that feels crazy fast wherever you go, but like most EVs it clearly has an edge over gas-fueled competitors.
Carrying its powertrain weight down low instead of over the front axle, the Kona EV felt even more stable in our handling course. The front end will start to slide as you reach its limits, but we’ll chalk that up to the hard, eco-minded tires as much as the chassis. The steering feel tightens up quite nicely in Sport Mode.
This second-generation Kona is much roomier inside than the first gen, and while there are some EV-oriented aspects to the new design, the overall layout appears fairly traditional, and it shares everything with the ICE version. Front seats are firm but supportive, and covered in H-Tex simulated leather, helping top Limited feel a tad more lavish than it should at its price point. The large horizontal 12.3-inch touchscreen display with navigation sits more in front of the dash than on top of it, and merges directly with the 12.3-inch digital driver’s display; both are standard.
Using 29-kWh of electricity per 100 miles, the Kona Electric is quite efficient. Pricing starts at $34,070; that’s about eight-grand over a base ICE Kona, but certainly at the low end when it comes to battery electric vehicles. Top Limited comes in at $42,440. A sportier N Line version is set to arrive next year.
The Kona design is a great package, made even better with the option to go Electric. And even with all the push to go full EV, there are still relatively few inexpensive options for buyers to choose from. This 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric is one of the best yet, making it one of the easiest ways to join the EV lifestyle.