Let's make one thing clear: The 2016 Cadillac CT6 is not meant to directly compete with the Audi A8, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and the BMW 7 Series. Sure, the CT6 is properly sized to compete with big, heavyweight sedans, but that's not what it's meant to do. Cadillac has insisted the CT6 is more of a middleweight, but that doesn't mean we can't visually compare it to other similarly-sized sedans. Below, we take a look at how the CT6's styling stacks up against three German luxury flagships.
Up front, the CT6 does a good job of fitting in with the rest of the sedans with a large hexagonal-shaped front grille and elaborate headlights that contain detailed internal elements. All of the cars also have cool-looking LED running lights housed within the headlights, though the ones on the 7 Series don't look as fancy. The 7 Series looks outdated next to all the other sedans since its kidney grille looks rather basic, as well as the headlights that don't contain any intricate details. That should change with the next-gen 7 Series, which we recently got to sample in prototype form. All cars also have clearly defined power lines on the outer edges of the front hood.
From the side, each car's long profile is accentuated with the downward sloping roofline that seamlessly tapers off into the trunklid. This styling cue is more exaggerated on the CT6 and the A8, giving them more of a fastback look compared to the 7 Series and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. With their large, three-box rear ends, both the Bimmer and Benz keep the conventional sedan silhouette. When looking at the rear quarter window, the BMW is once again the outcast with a blunt-sided window as opposed to the sharp angular ones on all the others. Chrome trim around the windows is also found on all the models.
