QOTD: Picturing Yourself in a Caddy?

For many people past a certain age, the word “Cadillac” still inspires visions of finned Sedan de Ville Broughams of the ’70s and ’80s, usually driven by the aging wife of an even older retired businessman. Your author used to lust after these square-rigged sedans as a child, marvelling at that soft panel between the taillight housings and body and wondering how long it would be before the vinyl top started to flake.

The same goes for Lincoln. Yes, old images and the stigma they create cannot be washed away by an early morning’s rain. They stay ingrained, and automakers must move heaven and earth to erase these deep-rooted impressions.

Now that Cadillac’s new(est) face is almost completely exposed, one must ask: do you like what you see, or are there a few key suggestions you’d like to impart?

Yes, this is your chance (well, another chance) to tell the execs in charge of a storied American brand how to do their job. Last night’s reveal of the marque’s CT5-V and CT4-V sedans generated no shortage of commentary on the Twitter machine, with many complaining that a V-badged Caddy should have more cylinders than doors.

Then there’s the prospect of different variants of V, which raises a pile of questions related to branding and marketing.

In the past year, we’ve seen the debut of four Cadillac vehicles, from the compact XT4 crossover and its larger XT6 stablemate, to this brace of sedans, the smallest of which is still an unknown quantity in base form. A new Escalade looms over the horizon, where an electric crossover also lurks.

Does this lineup scream Germany-fighting American luxury to you, or has the brand lost sight of what it takes to instill passion in an audience?

Keeping in mind the buying public’s affinity for crossovers and dislike of sedans, what would you do to correct the problem, assuming there is one?

[Image: General Motors]