• The Northstar, in either its 275 or 300 horsepower variation, now powered all front-wheel drive Cadillacs.
• The Arlington, Texas-produced Fleetwood (and optional Fleetwood Brougham package), the lone front-engine, rear-drive Cadillac, was in its final year of production.
• Introduced in early 1996 as a 1997 model was the all-new rear-drive Catera. This midsize luxury sedan was a joint venture between Cadillac and Opel, assembled in Germany, and powered by a 3.0-liter dual overhead cam V-6.
• All US 1996 Cadillacs received daytime running lamps (standard on Canadian Cadillacs since 1990) and a new remote keyless entry fob in dark gray with light gray buttons and white icons.
• The fob functions were: lock, unlock, trunk open and fuel door open. The fobs were identified on the back with a "one" or "two" indication, allowing two separate drivers to personalize seat position that adjusted to the driver when the key was placed in the ignition.
• Additionally, all front-drive Cadillacs featured an ignition key anti-lockout feature that protected the driver from accidental lockout by disabling the driver's power door lock if the key was left in the ignition.
• Also, all front-drive Cadillacs received the new communication-based electronics architecture called Class 2, a new designation for an electrical communication protocol on 1996 vehicles that also provided common emissions diagnostic capability in connection with federally mandated On-Board Diagnostic II requirements.

• Cadillac's model year production totaled 174,406 compared with 200,577 the year previous.
• Based on sales at 170,379 automobiles in 1996 (vs. 180,504 the year before),Cadillac's share of the U.S. market was 2.0 percent compared with 2.1 the year previous.
• The 1996 sales figure listed included 1,676 early launch 1997 Catera sedans sold in the 1996 model year.
• John F. Smith replaced John O. Grettenberger as general manager of Cadillac.
• In September 1996, faulty computer chips forced the recall of 587,000 Cadillacs.

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