The 2016 Cadillac CT6 is an all-new vehicle that succeeds the XTS as General Motors’ flagship luxury sedan. GM’s marketing team has skillfully avoided using the word “flagship” to describe it, but until rumored plans for a super sled that will play in the same league as the BMW 7 Series, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and Audi A8 come to fruition, the CT6 will have to do.

Built upon GM’s Omega platform, the new car is essentially a stretched-out version of the mid-size, rear-wheel-drive CTS. Much of the additional 8.5 inches can be found in the cavernous interior; very little can be found in the surprisingly small trunk.

Thanks to extensive use of lightweight aluminum throughout the frame and compressed steel around the passenger compartment, the CT6 is light on its feet and is said to deliver a pleasantly stiff and quiet driving experience. Critics have praised the new car’s roadworthiness, which is augmented by four-wheel steering and an available adaptive suspension.

The CT6 is powered by a choice of three engines, including the base turbocharged four-banger, which delivers 265 horsepower (hp) and 295 pound-feet (lb.-ft.) of torque. That kind of output might not be enough to pull a 7 Series out of your parking lot, but it’s a capable powerplant for the relatively lightweight CT6 — and it delivers 31 miles per gallon (mpg) in highway driving.

Next up is a 3.6-liter V-6 that ups the ante to 335 hp and 284 lb.-ft. and only gives away 3 mpg on the highway. At the top of the lineup is the “3.0TT,” a twin-turbo, 3.0-liter V-6 that delivers a hair-raising 404 hp but only covers 21 highway mpg.

The smaller engine gets rear-wheel drive, and the V-6s are equipped with all-wheel drive. All three are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. A 4.2-liter turbo V-8 and a plug-in hybrid could appear as early as the 2017-MY.

Base models come with leather, eight-way power front seats with driver memory, dual-zone climate control, voice inputs, smartphone integration, and more. Upgrading to Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Platinum trim brings a panoply of high-end options, including automatic parking, super-high-end stereo, navigation, and adaptive cruise control.

The 2016 Cadillac CT6 is in showrooms now. Starting MSRPs, including delivery, range from $54,490 for the 2.0 to $65,390 for the 3.0TT, making the CT6 a reasonable alternative to its pricier but similarly equipped German competitors.