New Top-End Cadillac Will Be Called Cadillac CT6, Not LTS
Surprise! That thing we’ve been calling the LTS for months is not going to be called the LTS, although we kind of had a feeling Cadillac would do something like this. Instead, Cadillac’s new range-topping (for now) model will be called the Cadillac CT6, which explains why Cadillac recently filed trademark applications for Cadillac CT5 and Cadillac CT6. Admittedly, we mistakenly thought that these names would be used for sport-crossover variants of the ATS and CTS, but we can’t be right all the time, can we?
But I digress. The point is, the Omega flagship’s official name does more than eradicate our use of the term “LTS.” It heralds in a new naming system for the entire Cadillac brand, something we suspected would happen eventually under the direct of Johan de Nysschen (just like with Infiniti) and Uwe Ellinghaus.
Going forward, Cadillac’s naming system will be clearer—and even more boring than it already is. “CT” will be used to indicate car models, and the number will then indicate the size and position of the car in the Cadillac lineup, as in Cadillac CT6. I imagine a similar structure will be created for crossovers.
Ellinghaus, who is the chief marketing officer for Cadillac, said that this naming system will eventually be adopted by all models, but only when a new model is introduced or a current model gets redesigned. It won’t be all at once, the way Infiniti did with that Q bullcrap.
I mean, I’m all for consistency in model names, but honestly, even as an automotive journalist, I sometimes get lost in the naming structures of automakers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Random letters and numbers are not instantly recognizable—or memorable—for me. Instead, I want an inspired name, like the Subaru Outback or the Toyota Sienna. To me, those names are much more interesting, though the Sienna doesn’t really have much else going for it.
Despite my misgivings, the new naming system will probably bode well for Cadillac, especially as it attempts to compete with those aforementioned German luxury brands. So I say good luck to you, Cadillac, but when you get bored with your naming structure and wish you could have a Cadillac Godzilla or a Cadillac Firework, don’t come crying to me.
Timothy Moore takes his leadership inspiration from Michael Scott, his writing inspiration from Mark Twain, and his dancing inspiration from every drunk white guy at a wedding. When Tim is not writing about cars and money, he’s working on his novel or reading someone else’s, geeking out over strategy board games, hiking with his pooch, or channeling his inner Linda Belcher over beers with his friends. See more articles by Timothy.