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Cadillac Changes All Model Names To Alphanumeric, Starts With CT6, etc.

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Cadillac has a range-topping, high-tech flagship on the way that’s positioned above the current CTS and XTS in the lineup. It won’t wear a throwback, prestigious Cadillac name but rather CT6. The CT6 brings in a new era of Cadillac naming convention to adorn future Cadillac cars and SUVs. Car models will wear the “CT” letters followed by a number relative to the size and position in the brand’s hierarchy, according to Cadillac. Theoretically, a CT4 would be positioned between the range-topping CT6 and entry-level CT2; not a glamorous lineup at first glance.

Related: Cadillac to Build New Flagship Sedan

Infiniti made a similar move for the 2014 model year with its QX SUVs and Q cars while even further back, Lincoln switched to its MK name lineup. Do you know what an Infiniti QX70 is? Yeah, we had to look it up too.

The difference with Cadillac, which will hopefully work better than the easily forgettable Infiniti and Lincoln model names, is the introduction isn’t immediate. The CTS isn’t going to show up next year unchanged but with a new badge. Cadillac plans to introduce the new naming convention on only redesigned or all-new models, calling the change an “evolutionary process,” in a statement.

Cars.com photo by Evan Sears

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Managing Editor

I manage Cars.com’s daily news publishing and execution of Editorial strategy. As a lifelong enthusiast, I’ve worked in the automotive industry for over 20 years, attending Universal Technical Institute for my Automotive Technology Certificate before continuing education for technical writing and journalism, where I graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Technical and Professional Communication with emphasis in Journalism and Automotive Technology. Since starting at Cars.com in 2006, I’ve reviewed hundreds of cars and tested new cars in almost every setting, from standardized fuel economy and cargo to dynamic testing such as drag-strip acceleration, towing, off-road and rock-crawling. I’m a juror on the World Car Awards panel of journalists from around the world that vote on their favorite car of the year, as well as a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association.

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