General Motors is ready and able to start putting small-displacement engines into large cars, but the auto giant fears few American consumers are prepared for such a shift. In a segment dominated by prestige and performance, would a four-cylinder Cadillac CTS succeed? Not yet, GM contends.
In Europe, it’s not unusual to see a luxury sedan with a relatively small motor, but in America a powerful V6 is the bare minimum, and a hefty V8 is preferred. It remains to be seen whether luxury customers care enough about fuel economy to warrant adding additional engine options, GM powertrain boss Thomas G. Stephens said earlier this week, according to Edmunds.
Using the example of a Cadillac CTS with an inline-four, Stephens said flatly, “We’re ready … we could do it today.” So far, however, customers haven’t shown much interest. Nonetheless, if demand increases, “we’ll do it,” Stephens stated.
With the launch of the redesigned CTS sedan, GM decided to make a V6 the primary engine choice, rather than a V8. On the other hand, the new CTS-V gained a whopping 150 horsepower over its predecessor. With so many conflicting trends, it’s no surprise automakers are unsure what to do — many consumers are undoubtedly torn, too.
