- Cadillac has decided instead of pausing XT4 production in January, it will kill off the entry-level SUV
- The model debuted in 2018 and was the best-selling Cadillac sport-utility in Canada
- Its assembly plant, former home to the Chevrolet Malibu, will soon build only the next-gen Chevrolet Bolt EV
Cadillac will be ending production of one of its most affordable models, the XT4 crossover, in January 2025, the automaker revealed early November, changing up its initial plans to simply pause its manufacture while it retooled the Fairfax, Kansas assembly plant where it’s built to retool and add a new line for the next-generation Chevrolet Bolt EV. Instead of a pause, Cadillac decided to just stop XT4 assembly permanently, culling from its lineup its best-selling SUV in Canada.
In May of this year, General Motors said the Chevrolet Malibu sedan also coming off the lines in Fairfax Assembly would be discontinued in November 2024, and replaced by the updated Chevy Bolt in early 2025; with the XT4 also getting the axe, now, the plant will build only the Bolt EV.
“General Motors is confident in our strong ICE and EV portfolio and will lean into growth opportunities guided by customer demand,”Automotive News quoted a General Motors statement. “There is no change to our previously announced $391 million investment and staffing plans at Fairfax Assembly. This facility will continue to play a critical role in GM’s future with the new Chevrolet Bolt EV.”
The XT4 nameplate debuted in 2018, positioned as the entry-level model for the luxury marque’s range of gasoline-powered crossovers and SUVs, which include the XT5, XT6, and Escalade. Starting at $48,899 in Canada, it was also the most affordable new Cadillac generally, save for the slightly cheaper CT4 sedan.
That lower cost of entry meant that on this side of the border, the XT4 vastly outsold the XT5 and XT6, though sales were down 2.2% this year so far. It saw a steeper drop in sales, of about 12%, in the U.S.
With Malibu production at Fairfax ending this month, GM has already begun laying off workers at the factory as it retools for the much-hyped, resurrected Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle. The 2025 Bolt will be the first vehicle based on the next-generation of the automaker’s EV platform, formerly called Ultium.
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