The rumor that the Cadillac DTS and STS will be nixed has officially been confirmed in an interview with the brand's general manager, Jim Taylor. Sales of both models are down for the year, and Taylor admits that one premium-luxury sedan will be developed to compete in the segment.
In the Automotive News interview, Taylor and his superior, Troy Clarke, GM's president of North America, also confirmed that a new entry-level model, designed to slot in below the CTS, is a distinct possibility. Both execs feel that Cadillac's brand image could sustain such a vehicle, likely to be priced in the $28,00 to $32,000 range.
No time frame was given for either new model, but Mr. Taylor also mentioned that a high-end, ultra-luxury flagship is still alive and well.
[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
F451 @ Sep 17th 2007 1:37AM
A wise move that should have been implemented a year ago, but at least it is getting done.
smartmlp @ Sep 17th 2007 1:58AM
What about an S class/7 series/LS competitor? These are the top of line cars in the luxury segment, Cadillac should be developing one of these cars. It really helps for brand image to have a 100 grand all luxury car.
That One Person @ Sep 17th 2007 5:42AM
Did you read the last line?
Also LS2/LS7...the R-Class and the Pacifica are NOT the same car. Somewhat same class but totally different.
Bobby @ Sep 17th 2007 2:01AM
This is awesome!
Please bring back the Cimarron. It was such a high quality masterpiece with great memories with a lot of Americans.
Please GM. Please define your brands. Send SAAB back to Sweden and give Hummer back to AM General and sell it off to make military vehicles. We dont need Hummers based off of Silverados and Colorados. Kill off GMC as well since its nothing but rebadged Chevy's costing 2% more.
Then prioritize your brands from Cheapo like Saturn to Luxury like Cadillac and no overlap. A cheap Cadillac should be called a Buick not a Cadillac. Spruce up the suspension on all Buicks and make it a Acura Infiniti Audi Fighter. Lux up Cadillac and take it to the old glory days of 40 years ago and fight against BMW and Mercedes. Chevy against Honda and Toyota. Pontiac against Mazda and other sporty cars. And saturn as a funky Scion fighter.
SPG @ Sep 17th 2007 2:23AM
Bobby,
You are my new favorite person.
seoultrain @ Sep 17th 2007 2:29AM
totally agreed except 2 points:
1. Hummer is way too profitable for GM to relegate back to military use. They're crap cars, but they're profitable crap cars.
2. Saturn is moving upmarket and is growing in sales and reputation. I don't think neutering it to be cheapo or funky would be a good move.
Otherwise, tons of good ideas.
fordman @ Sep 17th 2007 3:00AM
I agree with Bobby as well.
Even though Hummer is usually profitable it has wild swings in sales and not really worth much if it is going to be modified GM platforms. The H2 sold like hotcakes in 2002 and 2003 but has tanked since. The H3 started off great then tanked. Now it will do better again with the 5.3 engine but will drop of again soon. This rollercoaster ride is not good to have.
Either make Hummer distinct with platforms all its own (engine tranny sharing ok) or get rid of it.
Otherwise agree.
Cadillac = Mercedes
Buick = Lexus
Chevrolet = Toyota
Pontiac = Sporty RWD and FWD cars with power AND HANDLING.
Saturn for wiered experiments and designs and concept cars and technologies. Then advertise them as cars from another planet!!! HAHA (Saturn = another planet)
why not the LS2LS7? @ Sep 17th 2007 3:19AM
Bobby, this is largely what Lutz laid out already.
As to the no overlap, it's not completely necessary. You don't want too much overlap, but companies typically have some.
The Maybach 58 doesn't overlap with the S600? Before the split, the ML overlapped with the Grand Cherokee, the R Class and the Pacifica are the same car!
How about the VW Golf, SEAT Leon, Skoda Octavia and Audi A3?
Toyota Avalon and Lexus ES330?
I think Saturn's recent rise and spate of good cars makes it too valueable to turn to a funky (Scion-style) division. Give it a few years of the current "sell cars that are just like European cars" idea. If that flunks out, then try the weird car thing.
MadeinDetroit @ Sep 17th 2007 8:35AM
"Saturn for wiered experiments and designs and concept cars and technologies. Then advertise them as cars from another planet!!! HAHA (Saturn = another planet)" .... Oh, you mean Oldsmobile?
jesda @ Sep 17th 2007 8:54AM
Figures. Bobby says something completely stupid, based on 1996 information, and the morons on this site cheer for him.
Hummer is hugely profitable, even in its low volume, because style-conscious people will pay extra for something that looks tough, even if its a beefed up Chevy underneath.
Saturn is reemerging as a brand for style-conscious and import-minded buyers that GM could never before win over. Why make it another downmarket high-volume brand when Chevrolet serves that role so well? Saturn position is far above Scion in the marketplace right now.
Lexus customers are after a particular flavor of luxury. I own one, and the Lexus brand, image, and experience is NOTHING like Acura or Infiniti. Buick is best suited to pursue people who want beautiful but understated elegance in a cushy package. Acura and Infiniti are targetting BMW and MB now, as is Cadillac.
On the subject of snow, some FWD cars are terrible, but FWD Cadillacs will plow through anything and everything. Cowboy Bob does make some very excellent points.
Steven T. @ Sep 17th 2007 10:32AM
"Please bring back the Cimarron. It was such a high quality masterpiece with great memories with a lot of Americans."
That deserves an encore performance.
R.E. Farrell @ Sep 17th 2007 5:43PM
Couldn't agree more.
Logik @ Sep 17th 2007 2:02AM
Offer it with a M/T and we'll talk.
wslcrew @ Sep 17th 2007 3:01AM
Don't they have BLS or something like that, based on Saab 9-3 sedans, for Europeans already? Maybe they'll just bring those models to the states.
Papi L-Gee @ Sep 17th 2007 9:55PM
IIRC, Europe gets the BLS based on a Saab 9-3 now. Meaning: FWD.
The US will, barring delays, get the BLS in 2010 on the Alpha platform, which is RWD.
polov @ Sep 17th 2007 3:10AM
By having Cadillac's "entry" level car so far above the German's entry cars (A3, 1 series, C class), Cadillac can continue to establish itself as a true premium brand. Even Lexus makes most of its sales from the Camry based RX and ES.
The day when someone says "I bought a Cadillac" and it means a stylish, high powered V6/V8 and rear/4 wheel drive and nothing else, is not only the day GM's plan has succeeded, but it goes back to the history of the brand at its high point. Why go backwards?
why not the LS2LS7? @ Sep 17th 2007 3:10AM
Really? Sales of the DTS and STS are both down this year? That's how it works with every car. Sales peak when the new models are released and then drop every year until it is refreshed after 5 years.
GENERALMOTORSMAN4LIFE @ Sep 17th 2007 4:53AM
Of course sales of the current DTS is down. Why would anyone buy a front wheel drive warmed over designed vehicle vs. a newly designed rear wheel drive vehicle in the new CTS? GM has enough rear wheel drive platforms here and on the way in the new CTS and forthcoming G8 sedans to have a competitive vehicle with BMW...etc. Their (GM) excuse could have been valid a few years ago because of the lack of rear wheel drive platforms except for the CTS and corvette but this action isn't making scense to me.
Sal @ Sep 17th 2007 5:00AM
It's sad that they've just noticed what everybody else have five years ago.
I'd love to see Cadillac offering true american RWD luxury sedans, not european wannabes.. I mean, competitors.
The only future I see on Cadillac to regain its state of the art dictionary-definition status is by innovating, reinventing the american luxury car, not just copping with trends and trying to gain a little marketshare, I don't know if it is just me, but the new F700 Mercedes concept looks a lot like a Cadillac Sixteen, that's what I mean, too much for a constant 5-year lag.
Avinash machado @ Sep 17th 2007 6:03AM
Forbes magazine has an article regarding Cadillac's plans.
http://www.forbes.com/business/2007/08/15/flint-cadillac-gm-biz-cz_jf_0815flint.html