A Cadillac XT6 vehicle is seen at the La Fontaine Cadillac dealership in Highland, Michigan, September 18, 2019.
Rebecca Cook | Reuters
DETROIT — General Motors is ending production this year of a gasoline-powered Cadillac crossover at a plant in Tennessee, while extending production of another vehicle at the facility, CNBC has learned.
The Detroit automaker will cease production of the XT6, a three-row crossover, at its Spring Hill assembly plant toward the end of this year, but it will continue producing a smaller crossover called the XT5 until at least the end of 2026, according to an internal memo sent to plant employees and confirmed by the company.
The changes are unrelated to tariffs, according to a company spokesman. They are part of the brand’s previously announced plans to offer a full lineup of all-electric cars, crossovers and SUVs, he said.
Crossovers blend elements of cars with a traditional truck-based SUV.
Cadillac, which has pulled back on its ambitions to exclusively sell EVs by 2030, has been on an aggressive product rollout that has included introducing six new or updated products in the past year or so. That has included EVs and gas-powered vehicles.
The plant in Tennessee has been producing the Cadillac Lyriq — the brand’s first EV — since 2022. It also recently started production of a three-row crossover called the Vistiq, which essentially replaces the XT6, at the plant.
The internal memo cited “strong customer demand” for the continuation of the XT5, which was expected to end production later this year. The XT5 was Cadillac’s No. 3 selling vehicle last year behind the Escalade SUV and Lyriq.
Sales of the XT6 have largely been underwhelming since its launch in 2019, with sales averaging about 19,000 units a year. It was the last of GM’s three-row crossovers to be released during that time and shared many components with the less expensive GMC Acadia.
In the memo, plant leadership also said the facility would have scheduled downtime the week of May 12. GM confirmed the downtime, as well as temporary plant layoffs for workers, citing the need to adjust vehicle inventory with demand.
