Click on the image above for our high-res 2008 Cadillac STS gallery
It may be the end of the Big Cadillac. Not only has General Motors put plans for a DTS/STS replacement on the back burner, but apparently the flame is close to being extinguished as consumers are demanding smaller and more fuel efficient vehicles. Cadillac's banner year was 1954 (the year Elvis was driving a pink '54 model). Back then, the big Caddys represented wealth and success (and gas was only $.25 per gallon). Today, a 4,000-pound super-sized sedan averaging 15 mpg in the city cycle doesn't bode well with anyone. With plans for their replacement on hold, and the rumor that the DTS/STS my be combined into one new vehicle unconfirmed, GM is focusing on coupe and wagon versions of the CTS and smaller and more fuel efficient SUVs. For the record, we don't consider the just-announced $71,000 2009 Escalade Hybrid smaller and more efficient....
[Source: Bloomberg]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
MikeofLA @ Aug 12th 2008 2:08PM
STS = Ok, improvement.
DTS = Kill it.
Torrent @ Aug 12th 2008 2:18PM
The sts is actually nice. I saw a new one and the bigger grille and the lower stance is definitely a plus.
DTS is fugly and fwd. two bad features combined into one make one bad deal.
Crackberry Addict @ Aug 12th 2008 5:39PM
Cadillac Sixteen = Success!! lol (i know its not realistic but i can dream!)
Dave @ Aug 12th 2008 7:40PM
Rising fuel prices mean that GM needs to reconsider the direction of many products, especially this one.
GM has recently cancelled development of the Ultra V8 and will soon cancel Northstar production. So drivetrain choices are limited to a V6 or a pushrod V8 which may be a marketing issue.
Also, cancelling the FWD DTS in favor of a more expensive, less fuel efficient RWD replacement may be unwise at this point.
I think GM would do well with a RWD DTS/STS replacement with a two-mode hybrid direct injected V6 drivetrain standard.
But that could very well be the wrong marketing direction to go. The FWD DTS is cheap to produce and fits well into depreciation schedules for tax purposes.
Who can blame GM for taking some extra time to debate their options?
Xcountryflyer @ Aug 12th 2008 10:41PM
Cadillac needs a STS for a flagship car. If they want to let the old folks buy a car they can go to Buick if they want to kill the DTS.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Aug 12th 2008 2:10PM
Stupid stupid stupid.
STS isn't so large it won't sell, and the DTS is needed for fleet sales and stretch limos.
Jeez, the STS is made off the CTS platform, I can't see why canceling it makes any sense.
220v @ Aug 12th 2008 5:33PM
The product planners at GM can be so f*cking stupid sometimes. BMW has offered the 725/728/730 with a 5-speed manual for years. Mercedes has had the S280 / S320 / S350 since its inception.
Why American manufacturers can't figure out that big car != big engine is way beyond me.
Idiots.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Aug 12th 2008 6:04PM
M-B doesn't make an S below the 550 for the US market any more. Even the S430 is gone now.
So I don't blame the big 3 for doing the same.
snakecharmer @ Aug 12th 2008 2:11PM
any good luxury marque needs a flagship sedan. The DTS and STS although nice are not very stand out. Just like Lincoln Cadillac needs a serious flagship sedan, gas prices are irrelevant to the people who are buying them anyways.
Plus with the oil bubble apparently having burst what will Cadillac do when demand for these rises and they no longer have a competitive model? although it hasn't been for some time, nobody wants a FWD luxury car....
FSM @ Aug 13th 2008 7:30AM
You're kidding yourself if you think the oil bubble has burst? Its not a bubble and gas prices will continue to rise. This happens all the time. Gas prices shoot up then fall just a little bit to make people thankful for the slight decrease. Once we get use to this slight decrease it shoots up again. But after a while it will decrease a little bit to make us all sigh with relief again. Minor decreases in price doesn't change the fact that the overall trend is continuous rising.
tommy e @ Aug 12th 2008 2:11PM
Cadillacs potential seems to be so clearly apparent to the everyone BUT GM’s board. When people from China, U.A.E., East Europe, etc. get their big pay day and want to reward themselves with a big car what better Country to look than the U.S. for their new dream machine. We have BIG roads, BIG parking lots, BIG appetites, BIG houses with BIG garages, BIG golf courses, BIG everything. If Cadillac made even a decent full size RWD sedan with American dream styling the up and coming elite from around the world would LOVE to own one! Even if they had the means to purchase a S-Class many would probably opt for this car, Cadillacs are a fun alternative! Figure it out board members!!! You guys NEED a thriving luxury brand and with out a full size SEDAN you have NO luxury brand, find the money and find it now.
Ferrer @ Aug 12th 2008 2:16PM
No, I'm sorry we don't want a Cadillac.
Tim @ Aug 12th 2008 2:25PM
Most people around the world don't want a Caddy. One barometer for the future attitudes for autos around the world are the sale of 1:18 scale (Autoart, Kyosho) models. American model cars do horrible in the int'l market. When they do start to make money it seems that their sights aren't set on US luxury cars. Also Caddy was late developing a car for the world market CTS was needed yesterday.
Jon @ Aug 12th 2008 4:50PM
I agree that Cadillac absolutely needs a large car. But they put out a lot of second-rate cars for an awfully long time. Even now they're pushing the BTS on Europe, which is nothing more than a badge-engineered Saab. They need to develop a reputation for putting out spot-on cars, not just the occasional hit. And they need to avoid the usual forehead-slapping mistakes, such as slapping five-foot-long "hybrid" stickers on Escalades. Import-loving Americans will eventually warm up to this, and eventually the rest of the world might as well.
Tim @ Aug 12th 2008 2:12PM
Smart move these things are sitting on lots all over the country and with a larger CTS (which I really like) what's the point. STS has spotty reliability and horrible residuals so many people can pick up one of these used at bargain prices. Another mild refreshening would be nice and so would a "handbrake". Can you believe that just a few years ago Caddy wanted to build the 12-16 cylinder "Sixteen"? If they do discontinue the STS how about a Pink Elvis edition?
Michael D. @ Aug 12th 2008 2:17PM
I posted this on another blog (www.motorauthority.com), and I figured I'd post it here, too:
This is another case with GM either flop-flopping, dangling the carrot, selling out, or pulling the rug out from under us!
Is this a case where the Zeta-based Successor is on hold/delayed, or canceled/pulled (I would hope on the former)?
The Sigma-based STS is fine and has great dynamics, but it is getting a little long in the tooth, albeit not so horribly dated, but the DTS, even though it’s nicely appointed, is a bit stodgier and on a dated chassis which began with the MY1994 Oldsmobile Aurora- a cutting-edge platform of it’s day but time has now passed. This successor was supposed (and may still) cover both lines into one.
Now, that hot and well-received new Lincoln MKS will certainly blow away the Cadillac DTS (if the DTS hangs on due to a replacement being “on hold”) on many levels, and it also sports AWD, has great road-presence with contemporary, elegant style, it’s V6 is on par power-wise with the DTS’s (standard) Northstar V8 and will soon get an upgrade with a powerful Eco-Boost V6 engine.
Other brands and competitors are going forward with high-end vehicles: MB has the S-Class (recently introduced generation), BMW is introducing a new-generation 7-Series, Jaguar has a redesigned XJ on deck, Maserati has it’s Quattroporte, Lexus has it’s LS line, Infiniti is said to have a Q45 successor in development, Porsche in soon to release it’s Panamera (though this is a higher-eschelon like the Quattroporte), Acura has announced higher tier offerings of a sedan and more, and even Hyundai is being a player here with the introduction of the Genesis sedan, though not has top shelf as the aforementioned vehicles, but upmarket with a V8 offering!
Granted, the current CTS is fantastic and expanding! The Escalade line is legendary and the XLR is a striking halo. The SRX will be upscale, but a more mainstream, affordable and smaller crossover below the Escalades for more choice. But, where will Cadillac be with premium sedans?! It won’t be in the game! Cadillac is not about humility!
Of note, the current STS is fine, but not top-tier - it runs more with the 5-Series, E-class, GS, M35/M45, XF and even the Hyundai Genesis sedan. Even Pontiac will likely get more recognition with it’s new G8.
Eddie @ Aug 12th 2008 2:17PM
I personally would like to see a big Cadillac the size of a Lexus LS. GM needs a big nice flagship sedan. Why not use a hybrid V6 to get decent efficiency?
Michael D. @ Aug 12th 2008 2:32PM
They could give choice of a 2-mode V6 hybrid to build up MPG numbers and an LS V8 version for image and performance in a Zeta flagship.
Perhaps even choice of a V8 hybrid like what the Escalade and it's siblings have would also be fine.
Rob @ Aug 12th 2008 2:22PM
One has to wonder if GM is overreacting to current market conditions with this. Certainly they need a high end large sedan to compete with the likes of the Lexus 460 and Mercedes S Class.
Andrew @ Aug 12th 2008 2:40PM
I had the same thought - the big 3 seem to overreact all the time. They base decisions on the current/past market rather than looking ahead.
I think thats why GM ended up with a glut of full size SUVs and no compacts at a time when gas is $4+ a gallon. In a few years gas might go down and the economy bounces back and guess what GM is stuck with a bunch of econo boxes while competitors are selling big luxury sedans again with fat margins.
How about a nice balanced line up and then just allocate more resource to the models that are preforming well?