The CT6 nameplate first appeared for the 2016 model year as Cadillac’s flagship full-size luxury sedan, positioned above the brand’s other rear-drive sedans and aimed squarely at the traditional premium German and Japanese rivals. It marked a major shift for Cadillac, bringing a lighter mixed-material structure, a spacious long-wheelbase cabin, and advanced driver-assistance technology into the brand’s top sedan. Over its first production period, the CT6 served as the showcase for Cadillac’s sedan strategy, including high-spec luxury and performance-oriented variants such as the CT6-V.
In the United States, the CT6 ended after the 2020 model year and Cadillac later classified it as a retired vehicle. However, the nameplate did not disappear globally. Cadillac launched a new-generation CT6 flagship sedan in China in 2023, making the badge a case of separate production eras rather than one uninterrupted run. The revived Chinese-market CT6 carried the name into a new generation with updated styling, technology, and market positioning, while continuing the role of Cadillac’s large prestige sedan. Because the nameplate was discontinued and later returned in a distinct production period, its history should be understood as two separate chapters rather than a single continuous model run.