Is coming CT6 Cadillac's ticket to luxury A-list?

NEW YORK — Here at last is the Cadillac CT6, a car whose mission is to shrink, if not erase, the gap between America's leading luxury car brand and its German and Japanese competitors.

Packed with a cornucopia of innovations, the CT6's structure combines 11 different materials, including a lot of aluminum, various grades of high-strength steel and other materials to increase body stiffness, fuel economy and maximize performance.

"Every panel of the (body) is optimized with innovative joining techniques," said Travis Hester, executive chief engineer for this car, in a statement. "It's an uncompromising approach that provides the best balance of strength, lightness and refinement."

The CT6 — with production beginning late this year — is the first of eight new vehicles Cadillac will introduce by 2020 as part of a $12 billion product investment to back its strategy to double the luxury brand's global sales to 500,000 annually over the same period.

"The CT6 is nothing less than an entirely new approach to premium luxury — and an approach only Cadillac can offer," said Johan de Nysschen, Cadillac president. "It is a bold endeavor with unmatched dynamism that reignites a passion for driving in large luxury vehicles."

The rear-wheel-drive, large sedan, which will offer an all-wheel-drive package, will be powered by one of three engines. The base engine will be a 2.0-liter, I-4 duel overhead cam, capable of 265 horsepower.

Those seeking more power can opt for a 3.6-liter V6, dual-overhead cam that delivers 335 horsepower, or a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 that can achieve 400 horsepower. The 2.0- and 3.6-liter engines are paired with an eight-speed transmission.

Beyond the mechanics, there are a variety of technologies aimed at enhancing safety in situations where human limitations restrict drivers.

For example, a 360-degree camera view can be displayed on the 10.2-inch Cadillac CUE touch screen to reduce blind spots around the car. A surround-view video recording system can record front and rear views while driving if the vehicle's security system is activated.

There is an enhanced night-vision system that enables drivers to see pedestrians and large animals.

Advanced parking assist can automatically brake and guide the car into a parking space, while a pedestrian collision mitigation technology detects a person near the car before the driver can see her, alerts the driver then automatically brakes to avoid collisions.

Some analysts and critics will question why the first new Cadillac since de Nysschen took the reins last September is a large sedan when most of the luxury market growth is coming in the segments of small and midsize cars and crossover vehicles.

In January at the Detroit auto show, de Nysschen said that Audi, which he led earlier this decade, sold 30,000 vehicles last year in segments where Cadillac doesn't compete.

But the CT6 is meant to make a statement that Cadillac is raising the bar for itself. In the U.S., de Nysschen will be judged as much by the critical reaction to this car, as by sales after it rolls into showrooms early next year.

"Luxury brands are built from the top down," said Uwe Ellinghaus, Cadillac chief marketing officer. "Adding a dynamic, top-of-the-range car is central to Cadillac's elevation and global growth."

Cadillac may sell as many or more CT6's in China as in North America, and de Nysschen said CT6 production for China will begin early next year in one of GM's newest factories in that country. Cadillac's sales in China rose 47% last year to 73,000.

Designers spared no cost or creature comfort in this car. In addition to the large CUE touch screen in the front-center console there are two 10-inch-diagonal screens that retract into the front seatbacks, along with connectivity for mobile devices.

Four distinct zones enable each occupant to adjust the heating and air conditioning to their own preferences.

To build the CT6, GM invested $384 million at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant, which will also produce the next-generation Chevrolet Volt later this year. Some CT6 production there will be for export to Europe, Korea, Japan, Israel and the Middle East.