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The DeVille was a long-existing nameplate under the brand. How possible it is for a 2023 Cadillac DeVille after the model had been replaced by the DTS and XTS?
The General Motors-manufactured Cadillac DeVille had existed ever since 1949. It used to be the popular car among the well-off class, even picked as the choice for movie stars and authority figures. It came to retirement in 2005 and entered a new generation in 2006 by bringing a fresh name of the Cadillac DTS which stands for the DeVille Touring Sedan. See the chronological history of this nameplate and if a 2023 Cadillac DeVille has a chance to be revived in the future.
An Insight into the Cadillac DeVille
Before jumping into the 2023 Cadillac DeVille, let’s talk about the lengthy history of this nameplate that spans eight generations. Initially, it was released as a trim version of the 1949 Series 62 lineup before it was made into a standalone vehicle model.
“DeVille” name itself is derived from “de Ville” or “de la Ville” French words that translate to “of the town”. In French, a coupe de Ville body style means a reduced or shortened 4-wheeled, 2-seater closed carriage where the driver sits outside, which is meant to be a ride around the city or town.
The nameplate came to cease in 2006 with the Cadillac CTS released as its replacement by bringing only minor adjustments—that essentially made the DTS the 9th generation of the Cadillac DeVille. The last production of the DeVille was built in Hamtramck, Detroit Assembly plant in midst-2005.
The Cadillac DTS as the DeVille’s Replacement
Moving forward to the DeVille’s successor, the DTS (DeVille Touring Sedan) is actually a name used to represent the high-performance variant of the all-new 2000 DeVille. At that time, it was equipped with a 300 HP 4.6L V6 engine and offered more rigid suspension tuning.
The official Cadillac DTS as an independent vehicle lineup was released in the following generation launch. From a technical point of view, this DTS was essentially an upgraded version of the 2000 Cadillac DeVille that brought the new ‘Art and Science design language of the company.
The new DTS uses the “G” platform, as also found in the Buick Lucerne, albeit the DTS offers bigger dimensions both outside and inside. Similar to the DeVille, the new DTS was equipped with a 4.6L V8 engine that puts out 275 to 291 horsepower, depending on the chosen trim grade.
The DTS-L—an extended-length version of the DTS—was released in 2007 and 2008 that offers an 8” additional measure. The DTS production ended in 2011 and the 2013 Cadillac XTS came as its replacement later.
The XTS and Possibility of the 2023 Cadillac DeVille
The era of sedan model purging has been happening for a while now. One of its casualties is the one that could’ve been the 2023 Cadillac DeVille, the Cadillac XTS. As the oldest product by the brand, it is actually not surprising that the XTS won’t enjoy a long time to exist. Indeed, it was announced that it’ll be axed out of production by October 2019.
The XTS (X-Series Touring Sedan) was unveiled for the first time as the replacement for the Cadillac DTS and STS in 2013. It was known to serve as a tranquil and calm experience both for the driver and the passenger. It rides on the GM’s Epsilon II platform.
There are three powertrain options offered by the XTS: a 3.6L naturally-aspirated LFX V6, a 3.6L twin-turbocharged LF3 V6, and a 2L turbocharged LTG 4-cylinder in China. The LF3 was offered only in the AWD system, while the other two provide available options of AWD or FWD configurations. Either way, each of them is paired to a 6-speed automatic transmission.
If a 2023 Cadillac DeVille comes back as a revived product, then surely, it’s going to follow the XTS model. That being said, the probability of this happening is quite low. Right from the start, the XTS never aligned well with other lineups under the brand—despite carrying Art and Science styling cues extremely well. These days, it simply wouldn’t be able to represent the brand well and where it’s going to head in the future.