China's Largest SUV Comes From America

Jul. 21, 2019 9:20 PM ET by Martin Bigg / 1 Comment

This is going to be a huge success.

Cadillac presented the XT6 at this year's 2019 Detroit Auto Show as the automaker's first attempt at a three-row luxury crossover to capitalize on the demand for this segment. Potentially, the XT6 could be a huge sales success for GM while also helping Cadillac increase its presence in the world's largest automotive market: China.

Cadillac

As reported by Cadillac Society, the XT6 is the largest SUV produced in China. And because the XT6 is being produced in China for the Chinese market, Cadillac won't need to pay any import taxes unlike its competitors such as the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class, Audi Q7, Volvo XC90 and Lincoln Aviator, which are all manufactured outside of China. As a result, the XT6 will be significantly more affordable at Chinese dealers than its rivals. It's all part of GM's plan to double Cadillac's sales and profits by 2021.

The recent trade war between China and the US has forced BMW and Mercedes to look into ways to increase production of the X5 and GLE Class in China, but it's going to take a long time to implement, giving Cadillac a huge advantage over its competitors.

Cadillac

While the US version of the XT6 is powered by a naturally-aspirated 3.6-liter V6 engine that produces 310 horsepower and paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, China will get turbocharged LSY inline four-cylinder tuned to produce 231 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. It may offer less power than its US counterpart, but, crucially, this means the XT6 meets China's national 6-B emission standards that were recently enforced.

Sales of the Chinese-spec Cadillac XT6 have begun after a small delay. In the US, the 2020 Cadillac XT6 starts at $53,690, which is even more expensive than the luxurious Lincoln Aviator
.

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China's Largest SUV Comes From America

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China's Largest SUV Comes From America

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