Cadillac Delays Project Pinnacle Rollout… Again

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Cadillac has delayed the launch of its dealer incentive program for another three months. Brand president Johan de Nysschen says the delay is all about giving dealers more time to understand the program and has nothing to do with its potential illegality or the extensive dealer backlash against it.

“Pinnacle’s going to be around for the long term, so there’s no need to rush it into execution,” de Nysschen told Automotive News. “Adding another three months certainly will not hurt.”

Cadillac had originally planned to implement the project in October, but held off after negative feedback from dealer networks and precious few buyout takers. That makes this the second extended detainment since the program’s June unveiling.

De Nysschen spun the new delay as a positive by suggesting that it gave dealerships where Cadillac has to share showroom space with other GM brands a chance to design a more exclusive customer experience.

The automaker informed dealers that Project Pinnacle will now begin in April instead of January last night, one day after its smallest retailers were, again, forced to decide whether or not to accept a buyout. Fewer than twenty of the four hundred eligible stores opted to take the deal — frequently claiming that offers, which averaged $120,000, were far too low to make it worthwhile.

“The vast majority of people have Chevy, Buick and GMC tied in with that Cadillac store,” explained Will Churchill, chairman of the Cadillac dealer council. “When you see the amount of money that was put out there, it’s like a rounding error if you’ve got a Chevy store. So I think people are deciding they’ll take a roll of the dice.”

[Image: General Motors]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • SCE to AUX SCE to AUX on Nov 23, 2016

    If Tier 5 Cadillac dealers have no inventory, then I'd shop at a Tier 4 dealer to get the best deal on the car.

  • 28-Cars-Later 28-Cars-Later on Nov 23, 2016

    "Fewer than twenty of the four hundred eligible stores opted to take the deal — frequently claiming that offers, which averaged $120,000, were far too low to make it worthwhile." Which is what I argued, however can I meet the folks who took $120K for what costs probably a close to a million (new franchise fee)? Small dealers unite in a class action suit, its your only hope.

  • DeadWeight DeadWeight on Nov 23, 2016

    Don't expect too much from me on Cadillac or GM, anymore. There's not much unspent ammo on either of those worthy targets left. Cadillac is really Escapade + CT5, and even neither one of those is that good in terms of performance, packaging, reliability or luxury (honestly, the SRX was just as good as the CT5 is, so no progress there) as many competitors (the Escalade doesn't ride plush an the CT5 doesn't offer anymore luxury than some crossovers significantly less expensive). By the way, I had a Bark M special rental Chevrolet Impala recently in Las Vegas and couldn't tolerate it, especially with the idiotic stop-start feature, and exchanged it for a Mercedes C Class (straight up; Sixt Rental treats me very well) after 1/2 a day. Cheap plastics, a mushy suspension, awful gauges, and the worst velour-like cloth seats literally made the "new" Impala feel like a pre-Bankrupt GM bad dream. Stepping into the C Class upon the exchange was like going from a depressing, gloomy, playskool like place (if larger) into the true modern era. I never saw a company so full of fail like General Motors, no matter how much empty rhetoric (Mary Buggin' Barra) or taxpayer dollar subsidies are expended on trying to save such a basket case. Don't even get me started on the rental 6 cylinder Camaro I had in San Diego 5 weeks prior. General Motors is like that sad Charlie Brown Christmas Tree.

    • OldManPants OldManPants on Nov 24, 2016

      "Cheap plastics, a MUSHY SUSPENSION, awful gauges, and the worst velour-like cloth seats" *joy* The quintessential TTAC'er provides the quintessential example of the reverse-barometer value this site has for me. If only the Impy's roof weren't so gotdamn low.

  • Thornmark Thornmark on Nov 24, 2016

    >>Cheap plastics, a mushy suspension, awful gauges, and the worst velour-like cloth seats literally made the “new” Impala feel like a pre-Bankrupt GM bad dream.

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