Cadillac CEO Johan de Nysschen announced today that the new CT6 luxury flagship sedan will be unveiled on March 31 at the New York Auto Show. GM invested $300 million it its Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant to build the vehicle, which will be manufactured using a unique combination of joining techniques.

“For the Cadillac CT6 we have developed additional new body construction techniques and technologies allowing various types of advanced and lightweight materials to be combined within the manufacturing environment like never before,” Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen said today at the Washington Auto Show.

Positioned above the CTS and XTS, the CT6 is said to have the agility and efficiency of a smaller vehicle when it goes on sale in the fourth quarter this year. GM has added a new body shop with new tooling and advanced technologies (including 205 robots) to the plant. The fully automated, roughly 138,000-square-foot (12,820-square-meter) shop is dedicated to the manufacturing of the high-end luxury sedan.

“We have invested $300 million in the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant to make this possible. These actions will allow us to advance the art of manufacturing and take craftsmanship and manufacturing technology to a new level,” de Nysschen added.

Material joining techniques prominent in the body construction of the CT6 include Patented Aluminum Spot Welding Technology, Aluminum Laser Welding, Self-Piercing Rivets (which are able to join different types of materials together with a clean appearance), and Flow Drill Screws (which are able to join different types or materials and used in conjunction with adhesive). Aluminum arc welding and structural adhesive are also separately used for CT6 body assembly.

“The result is a top-level large luxury sedan, with class-leading body stiffness that generates excellent driving characteristics and impressive fuel economy without compromises to safety, comfort or quality,” said Travis Hester, CT6 executive chief engineer.

Story references: GM, The Detroit News

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