Cadillac RIP
Pundits who've called on Cadillac to return to its roots as purveyor of the world's finest full-size luxury sedans can now officially abandon all hope. Automotive News [sub] reports that Cadillac is trading its luxobarge image for the small, sporty, European thing. GM is killing the full-size STS, DTS (nee Deville) and SRX. In their stead, Caddy will develop a new, high performance BMW 5-Series competitor and roll-out a CTS wagon and coupe. Cadillac will also introduce two new models into the U.S.: a small, entry-level sedan, similar to (if not the same as) the Euro-spec BLS, and the BRX, an as-yet-undeveloped V6-powered cute-ute. Question: who's driving these nails into the brand's coffin? Both Mark LaNeve, GM's top marketing maven and former Cadillac brand manager, and Jim Taylor, Caddy's current jefe, have specifically decried downsizing the brand's products and moving it downmarket. Is this the work of The General's beancounter General Rick Wagoner? Car Czar Maximum Bob Lutz? Anyway, that's it for our Cadillac dreams. We're done.
More by Robert Farago
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Seems like another radical fix for something that is broken in other areas. If they were to build outstanding quality cars (RWD), price them competitively, and make the service department and sales dept a joy (no haggle even?) then there would be no need for BMW ala Detroit.
stupid stupid stupid Cadillac has always stood for mammoth cars with style, luxury, and power what's so hard about that?
I thought the STS was their 5 series competitor.... That's what it's always up against in the comparos...
Compare the interior dimensions of the current CTS and STS. There differentiation is too subtle. Using a 5-series competitor to replace both the STS and DTS makes good sense. If they are successful in building on the CTS's success with a new mid-size competitor, there will be room later to add on a bigger flagship.