Has Cadillac Found Its Flagship?

The Standard Of The World (so to speak) may have found its long-awaited flagship in China, reports Car and Driver. Dubbed the SLS, this stretched (four inches longer than STS) Sigma platform beast was developed for the Chinese market by Shanghai GM. Previously available only in China and Middle Eastern markets, the SLS is a great excuse for GM to not develop a new flagship. C&D does note that a “reskin” and an LS V8 will make the model distinct to the US market. Meanwhile, the return to bad habits continues across Cadillac’s product planning.

“Gunning For the 3-series In Earnest?” asks C&D in a breathless sub-header. Uh, no. Resurrecting the Alpha-platform dream only serves to cruelly raise the hopes of those who don’t realize that The General has no cash for such frivolities. Instead Caddy is getting a Lexus ES-fighter based on the Epsilon II platform. Just like Buick. Not to put too fine a point on it, but what’s the point of sending two brands after one car (the ES)? Could the overlap be any more glaring here?

Oh, and in case that were’nt enough, an AWD version of the Delta II (Cruze) is being floated. Again. Still. Can you say Cimarron? Even C&D admits that

“such a Cadillac spun off the Delta platform would be awfully close to the BLS—a.k.a. the “Bob Lutz Special”—the infamous first-generation Epsilon derivative that completely bombed in the European market.”

In other “how Fritz Henderson learned to stop worrying and love the rebadge” news, the Cadillac Escalade will become Lambda-based (count ’em!) and a Volt-based Converj will replace the XLR as Cadillac’s “halo car.” First, isn’t the Volt based on the Cruze? Second, isn’t the point of a luxury brand that all your cars are halo cars in some sense? Third