GM Extends Life of Two Big Sedans

General Motors has just announced that some of their sedans aren't quite ready to go away just yet. Production of the Chevrolet Impala and Cadillac CT6 will continue into 2020 at one of the company's plants.

GM announced late last fall that it would be ending production at five plants in the US and Canada, as well as seven passenger car lines. One of those cars has already seen production end; the Chevrolet Volt range-extended EV ended its run earlier this month.

Now two of the cars, and one of the plants, will see a stay of closure until January 2020. Though the Impala is currently produced at GM's Oshawa, Ontario, plant, that isn't the plant that will stay open a bit longer.

It's the company's Hamtramck assembly plant in Michigan that will stay open. GM said that the vehicles, which were set to end this June, will be extended. The reason given is "continuing the availability of Cadillac advanced technology features currently included in the CT6-V, the Blackwing Twin-Turbo V-8 and Super Cruise," as well as "balancing production timing."

The only recently announced 4.2L twin-turbo Blackwing V8 and its 550 hp was only available in the CT6-V. And only in extremely limited numbers. But rumours have been circulating that the engine has been given a 500 hp version that will be in a non-V CT6.

Likewise, Cadillac's Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system that lets drivers go hands-off in most highway driving conditions is only available in the CT6. The brand has said that it will bring the tech to other vehicles starting in 2020. Continuing the CT6 gives GM more time to bring it to new products and make sure that the company doesn't have a gap where Super Cruise isn't available.

GM hasn't changed its previous announcement that the Oshawa plant is set to close by the end of the year.