2017 Cadillac CT6 Review

Standard equipment for the base CT6 includes 18-inch wheels (19s with the V6), front and rear parking sensors, LED headlights and taillights, heated mirrors, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, leather upholstery, eight-way power front seats (with two-way power lumbar), driver memory settings and dual-zone automatic climate control. Also standard on the technology front are GM's OnStar system (with 4G LTE connectivity and Wi-Fi hotspot capability), Bluetooth, a 10.2-inch touchscreen with Cadillac's CUE interface, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, a rearview camera, voice controls, four USB charge ports, wireless charging and an eight-speaker Bose sound system with satellite radio and three audio USB ports.

An optional Driver Awareness and Convenience package adds a panoramic sunroof, automatic high-beam headlights, automatic wipers, power-folding mirrors, heated front seats, a navigation system and an array of extra safety features (see Safety section for details).

The Luxury trim starts with all of the above equipment and adds an automatic parking system, auto brake hold (prevents forward/rearward creep when your foot is off the brake), a hands-free power trunk lid, four-way power lumbar for the front seats, front passenger memory settings, a top-down 360-degree parking camera system, rear side window shades, upgraded interior lighting and a 10-speaker Bose surround-sound audio system.

The optional Comfort package adds ventilated front seats and heated rear seats. There is also an Enhanced Vision and Comfort package with those upgraded seats plus a unique rearview mirror that displays streaming video from a special rearview camera.

Moving up to the Premium Luxury gets you an upgraded gauge cluster display, a head-up display and the Enhanced Vision and Comfort package as standard.

For both the Luxury and Premium Luxury trim levels, an available Rear Seat package bolsters the CT6 Luxury's feature list with a rear entertainment system and four-zone automatic climate control. An available Active Chassis package (not available with the 2.0-liter engine) bundles adaptive suspension dampers, active rear steering and 20-inch wheels. A 34-speaker (yes, 34) Bose Panaray premium audio system is also optional. For the Premium Luxury trim only, an optional Driver Assist package adds adaptive cruise control, a night-vision camera system and enhanced safety-related automatic braking.

At the top of the totem pole is the Platinum, which adds all of the above as standard equipment plus 12-way power front seats with massage functions, premium leather upholstery and eight-way power-adjustable outboard rear seats with ventilation.

The Plug-In variant takes many of the options available in the Premium Luxury and Luxury configuration and makes them standard, along with a new hybrid powertrain. The Driver Awareness and Convenience and the Enhanced Vision and Comfort packages, for example, are all standard. The Hybrid comes with 18-inch wheels and is only available in rear-wheel drive. Due to the large battery pack, you do lose significant trunk volume.

The 2017 CT6's base and Luxury trims come standard with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine good for 265 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Rear-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission are standard.

There are two V6 engines available, both paired with all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Optional on the base and Luxury trims, and standard on Premium Luxury and Platinum, is a 3.6-liter V6 that produces 335 hp and 284 lb-ft of torque. The Premium Luxury and Platinum can be had with a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 (dubbed 3.0TT) good for 404 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque.

In Edmunds testing, a CT6 Platinum 3.0TT went from zero to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, a solid performance but notably slower than a number of rivals, particularly those with turbocharged V8 engines.

The CT6 Plug-In mates the turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four with a pair of electric motors. They drive the rear wheels through a specialized continuously variable automatic transmission. The Plug-In can operate in pure electric mode (up to 31 miles), gas-only mode, or a combination of both. Total power output is 335 hp and 432 lb-ft of torque.

EPA-estimated fuel economy with the four-cylinder engine is 25 mpg combined (22 mpg city/30 mpg highway), with the 3.6-liter V6 checking in at 21 mpg combined (18 city/27 highway). The 3.0TT dropped to 21 mpg combined (18 city/26 highway). The Plug-In stands at 62 mpg equivalent in hybrid mode or 26 mpg using pure gasoline.