According to the Detroit News, Cadillac is once again changing, or in this case, adding to its already somewhat confusing alphanumeric vehicle labeling system with numbers that foretell the brand’s shift to electrification. Beginning with the new XT6, added numbers will indicate the amount of torque the powertrain delivers. But ratherthan in traditional pound-feet, the measure will be in newton-meters, the more accepted metric measurement outside of North America. It helps that newton-meters are also higher numbers than corresponding pound-feet measurements by about a third. Cadillac apparently chose torque over horsepower since it is a measure of low-end pulling power, and is a force that is more relevant to electric motors that can develop peak torque almost instantly from a stand still. Horsepower is a measure of power related to rpms, or how fast the engine is turning, and is historically how internal combustion engines are rated and compared. The new torque numbers will help distinguish one Cadillac powertrain from another and will be most visible on the rear end of each model.
