Cadillac's new V6 is called the LGX & other tidbits from the 2016 GM VIN decoder

"Captain_Spadaro" (Captain_Spadaro)
03/04/2015 at 21:06 • Filed to: future products, GM, stuff I saw, Chevy Malibu, Chevy Cruze, Cadillac ATS, Cadillac CTS, Chevy SS, Chevy Caprice, news, too much time on my hands

I'm sure most of you saw the post about Caddy getting ready to debut a new family of V6 engines next month, likely at the New York Auto Show. Well, thanks to having the GM VIN !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! bookmarked, some key information can be gleaned about this and other GM passenger cars (and I can probably get in trouble).

The new Cadillac V6

First up, the new V6. As the article headline reads, the RPO code is the LGX. All of one letter changed. Eh, okay. Anyway, like it's predecessors, it's a 3.6L affair, though exact displacement likely won't be known until they announce it. It's still naturally aspirated and still uses DI. The thing I find interesting is the use of the 'GEN2' in the description. This makes me think it's a new version of the High Feature architecture, which, given the fact that the High Feature was introduced a little over 10 years ago, makes sense. This new engine is only for the Alpha platform cars; the XTS soldiers on with the existing LFX 3.6L. Another interesting tidbit (to me, anyway) is that the LF4 TT V6 from the ATS-V is described as 'GEN1+'; one would wonder if tricks and features from the LGX were incorporated into the LF4.

New generations of the Camaro, Cruze, and Malibu coming for MY 2016.

This next part isn't really that much of a surprise. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , more or less confirming the New York debut, but if memory serves, we weren't expected to get the new gen Cruze for another year. The Camaro is absent from the current version of the VIN decoder completely, which pretty much confirms that the 6th gen will debut as a 2016 model (I had expected them to wait until MY 2017, for maximum nostalgia). The appending of 'Limited' to the existing Cruze and Malibu models is GM speak for 'fleet-only'.

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The SS and Caprice aren't being dropped (for now).

Finally, despite the belief by some Jalopnik editors that the SS isn't selling ( !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ), the SS, and it's cousin the Caprice cop car, live on for at least another year. No apparent changes to either, though (so we'll have to wait for the order guide to come out to see if that !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! for the SS is an actual thing).

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Disclaimer: I don't work for GM, or any manufacturer. I just thought people might want to know this.

DISCUSSION (12)

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Captain_Spadaro
03/04/2015 at 21:18

I hope this new Malibu that's coming is infinitely better than the current one. The fact that GM is totally redoing it in just three model years is crazy, but good. The current one is just an also ran basically.

Also I hope Cadillacs new motor doesn't have the same teething issues the first 3.6 had in its early model years. That would not be good for Cadillacs reputation.

Blake Noble > Captain_Spadaro
03/04/2015 at 21:20

Nice sleuthing! Mind if I use your post as a source for something?

Captain_Spadaro > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/04/2015 at 21:22

Having driven the current Malibu, I can safely say that it isn't terribad. Is it as good as the Fusion or the Mazda 6? No. But it's not the penalty box the media makes it out to be, either.

That said, based on the teaser image, I'm curious.

As for the new V6, were early 3.6Ls that bad? I know about the timing chain issue, but was there anything else?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Captain_Spadaro
03/04/2015 at 21:25

The media totally over exaggerated the "terribleness" of the Malibu. It's not bad at all, but not spectacular either. I do think it looks great with those big, chunk 5 spoke wheels.

But, that teaser image of the silhouette looks pretty nice.

Captain_Spadaro > Blake Noble
03/04/2015 at 21:45

Eh, if you want. Just make sure that you link to the VIN decoder page as well.

Blake Noble > Captain_Spadaro
03/04/2015 at 22:45

Awesome, and I will do. I just want to tip my hat to you. :)

disbsam333 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/08/2015 at 16:22

Here's a pic of what the new Malibu is going to look like. They just released the teaser image.

http://powershiftmagazine.com/2016-chevrolet…

disbsam333 > Captain_Spadaro
03/08/2015 at 16:25

Last Malibu was DECENT, the real problems were the overdone interior which was way more for styling than ergonomics. Also, the 2.5 was pretty subpar. I had one as a rental and I got like 24mpg on a highway run. Transmission was pretty choppy also, maybe its because it was a rental though. GM cars have far superior engineering on the chassis in my opinion. They need to work out engine and transmission combos on the low-end. The 2.0t is a much better engine.

Captain_Spadaro > disbsam333
03/09/2015 at 10:18

I liked the 2.5 in the one we had. Made a not-unpleasant noise when flogged. Got nearly 30 mpg on the way back from the Indy road race. Granted, this car had less than a 1,000 miles on it.

Captain_Spadaro > Blake Noble
03/10/2015 at 13:48

Did you use it for one of your podcasts?

Blake Noble > Captain_Spadaro
03/13/2015 at 01:28

I was actually using this post as a news source for an article I wrote for another site I contribute to. It was supposed to be up way before now. But it seems the managing editor didn't move the date up. I have no idea why.

I'll probably bring it up in the next podcast at the very least. The Cruze information especially is pretty important, I think.

Captain_Spadaro > Blake Noble
03/13/2015 at 06:32

Ah, okay. Just wondering.