Cadillac is about to end production of one of its best-selling models. The American luxury brand will stop building the XT4 crossover in January as it closes the plant where the model is built and beigns the transformation of the plant to build electric vehicles. The factory will soon be home to the next-generation Chevrolet Bolt EV, taking the place of its multiple gas models.
Cadillac
Cadillac is a luxury automotive brand that is a part of General Motors. Founded in 1902, it has a long history as a premium luxury brand. Its current lineup includes both sedans and SUVs with a variety of propulsion systems, including a growing number of electric vehicles. In addition to luxury, Cadillac also focuses on performance, particularly with its V-Series vehicles.
- Founded
- 1902
- Founder
- Henry Leland
- Headquarters
- Warren, Michigan
- Owned By
- General Motors
- Current CEO
- Johan de Nysschen
We’ve known the Fairfax, Kansas, plant was closing for some time. In September, General Motors announced that it would begin to phase out production of the Chevrolet Malibu sedan, Chevy’s last sedan, at the plant. However, it was expected that production of the XT4 would resume after the electric vehicle conversion was finished at the plant. Automotive News reports that is no longer the case.
Fairfax Layoffs Start Next Week, Temporary Closure In January
The first of two rounds of layoffs will begin on November 18th, putting 686 full-time and 250 temporary employees off work. That will correspond with the end of Malibu production. The Chevrolet Malibu has seen its sales fall more than 16 percent year over year as the aging model falls to market-wide reduced demand for four-door cars.
A second round of layoffs will start on January 12th. At that time, Cadillac XT4 production will end, and an additional 759 full-time employees will be laid off.
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GM has committed to investing $390 million at the plant for the transition to electric vehicles. Once complete, the facility will build the next-generation of the Chevrolet Bolt electric models. After sales of the Bolt EV and Bolt EUV skyrocketed following the announcement to end the pair of low-priced EVs, GM announced plans to introduce a second-generation EV.
New Bolt Expected To Turn A Profit
The new Bolt will be based on the no-longer-called Ultium battery architecture used by GM’s flagship EVs, not the now-dated electrics used by the original models. Despite that, GM President Mark Reuss said that pricing for the new model would be “only slightly higher than the 2023.” Reuss added that GM planned to make money on this version and offer the same or better value to customers.
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Chevy Bolt’s 2026 Return To Remain Affordable, And It Won’t Be Alone
Priced similarly to its previous iteration, the upcoming EV will be joined by a family of Bolts.
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The changeover is expected to be quick. The new Bolt has not yet been revealed, but it is set to arrive at dealers in late 2025 as a model year 2026 vehicle.
Cadillac launched the XT4 in 2018 as the luxury brand’s smallest model in the US. Sales here averaged around 22,000 per year for most of its run, trading places with the larger XT5 as the brand’s second-best-seller below the Escalade. This year, that second spot clearly belongs to the Cadillac Lyriq EV, which is outselling the XT4 in the US by nearly 5,000 units so far in 2024. Cadillac is replacing the XT4 in its lineup, at least spiritually, with the 2025 Optiq, a similarly sized EV that is expected to go on sale early in 2025.
Source:
Automotive News
