Motor Trend Pimps The Caddy Future

by Edward Niedermeyer

Published: October 23rd, 2008

We’ve long held that Cadillac is one of two “core brands” for GM that should be preserved (along with Chevy) at all costs. To compete with the big boys of luxury (Hyundai, anyone?) Caddy needs new product, and unlike Pontiac it’s going to get it. But will Cadillac’s product pipeline be filled with unique, desirable products or cannibalistic also-rans? I know, let’s ask that font of balanced coverage and journalistic integrity, Motor Trend! In fairness, MT admits that “It’s been four or five decades since Cadillac built a car that came close to being ‘The Standard of the World.'” “But” comes the now-customary about face that emerges any time a mainstream journo discusses the failure of an American automaker, “with the new CTS, and especially the world-beating CTS-v sport sedan, (Cadillac’s) rehabilitation is well underway.” Oh really? Let’s take a look.

The first new Cadillac products to be highlighted are the CTS Coupe and Wagon. Admitting that both are quick-and-dirty ways to leverage the existing CTS platform, MT goes on to hype both as fundamental to Cadillac’s turnaround despite their niche-within-niche status and cannibalistic tendencies. Specifically, MT reckons the CTS Wagon will be less popular than the otherwise quite similar SRX, also expected (by MT) to help turn Caddy around. By switching it to a front-wheel drive platform. Because that went well for Cadillac in the past. Cannibalism and intra-brand positioning worries don’t stop when we hear that the Escalade is downsizing to the Lambda platform, creating the fifth Lambda-based CUV in GM’s portfolio, and the third wagon/crossover in the Caddy stable. Oh, and then there’s the DTS replacement which is set to turn Caddy around by… languishing in development hell. The only ray of light anywhere? The RWD-compact Alpha, which GM is said to want to keep “lean” and “nimble.” Of course, for that GM needs to develop a whole new platform. This doesn’t look promising.

Edward Niedermeyer

More by Edward Niedermeyer

Comments

Join the conversation

2 of 19 comments

Raskolnikov on Oct 24, 2008

So the CTS retained more of its original value than the Azera. Thank you for that.

Like Reply
S is for Supra on Oct 24, 2008

The smallest car in Caddy’s stable is the CTS and that is the size of a 5 series. The need to make something 3 series sized that is targeted to beat the 335 and beat it soundly. I’d like to see a 3,400-3,500lb car with the Camaro/Vette’s LS3 in it and then the DI v-6 with say 315hp to go against the 328i. The match trim, wagon, sedan, coupe and convertible. You want to prove you can be the best? You need to go head to head with the best in the segment (if you are speaking of a driver’s luxury car) and then do it for a little less money. If my wife downsizes from a van in the future a CTS wagon or A4 Avant are likely choices.

Like Reply

Recent Comments

Kjhkjlhkjhkljh kljhjkhjklhkjh A prelude is a bad idea. There is already Acura with all the weird sport trims. This will not make back it's R&D money.
Analoggrotto I don't see a red car here, how blazing stupid are you people?
Redapple2 Love the wheels
Redapple2 Good luck to them. They used to make great cars. 510. 240Z, Sentra SE-R. Maxima. Frontier.
Joe65688619 Under Ghosn they went through the same short-term bottom-line thinking that GM did in the 80s/90s, and they have not recovered say, to their heyday in the 50s and 60s in terms of market share and innovation. Poor design decisions (a CVT in their front-wheel drive "4-Door Sports Car", model overlap in a poorly performing segment (they never needed the Altima AND the Maxima...what they needed was one vehicle with different drivetrain, including hybrid, to compete with the Accord/Camry, and decontenting their vehicles: My 2012 QX56 (I know, not a Nissan, but the same holds for the Armada) had power rear windows in the cargo area that could vent, a glass hatch on the back door that could be opened separate from the whole liftgate (in such a tall vehicle, kinda essential if you have it in a garage and want to load the trunk without having to open the garage door to make room for the lift gate), a nice driver's side folding armrest, and a few other quality-of-life details absent from my 2018 QX80. In a competitive market this attention to detai is can be the differentiator that sell cars. Now they are caught in the middle of the market, competing more with Hyundai and Kia and selling discounted vehicles near the same price points, but losing money on them. They invested also invested a lot in niche platforms. The Leaf was one of the first full EVs, but never really evolved. They misjudged the market - luxury EVs are selling, small budget models not so much. Variable compression engines offering little in terms of real-world power or tech, let a lot of complexity that is leading to higher failure rates. Aside from the Z and GT-R (low volume models), not much forced induction (whether your a fan or not, look at what Honda did with the CR-V and Acura RDX - same chassis, slap a turbo on it, make it nicer inside, and now you can sell it as a semi-premium brand with higher markup). That said, I do believe they retain the technical and engineering capability to do far better. About time management realized they need to make smarter investments and understand their markets better.