Sens4Miles

Times really are a-changin' at Cadillac

The brand is expanding the CTS range and will introduce an entry-level crossover and a baby Caddy as well

DETROIT — With Cadillac, as with so much of General Motors Corp., the good times are just around the corner. That's when those new models arrive, when the hot new technologies hit the showroom, and the marketplace recognizes how good the new Cadillacs really are.

What makes all this so different now, 10 years into Cadillac's revival, is that the future may actually be here.

GM's luxury brand, for the first time, has its own global styling director. There are confirmed plans to launch new models below the current CTS, which until now has been Cadillac's entry model.

As well, a hot-shoe version of the CTS called the CTS-V has been blistering Germany's Nurburgring, posting the fastest lap times by a production sedan and breaking the eight-minute barrier. The CTS-V goes on sale in a few months, followed by a stunning coupe version of the CTS shortly thereafter.

Heck, even Consumer Reports magazine liked the newest Cadillac, the 2008 CTS. In a test of upscale sports sedans, the '08 CTS bested the BMW 328i and the redesigned Mercedes-Benz C300.

As the CR testers noted in the March issue: "BMW and Mercedes-Benz have long been considered by many Americans to set the standard in the sport-sedan category.

"The CTS achieved an 'Excellent' overall score, surpassing both the 328i and C300, which received 'Very Good' overall scores. The CTS is also ranked above some previously-tested sports sedans including the Lexus IS250, the Acura TSX and the Audi A4."

No wonder Bob Dylan has become a paid pitchman for Cadillac. Last fall, Dylan had his debut in a 30-second spot. He's seen driving an Escalade SUV across the California flats, wearing a cowboy hat, black frock coat and shades. Moreover, Dylan has actually dedicated a full hour of his XM satellite radio show to all things Cadillac (xmradio.com/dylan-cadillac).

"Nothing goes better with a Cadillac than a long ride with music," he said in his nasal twang, before introducing authentic musicians, mostly obscure ones, who have serenaded the car: Vince Taylor and the Playboys (My baby drove up in a brand new Cadillac), Buddy Johnson's ode to A pretty girl, a Cadillac and some money, and others.

Dylan, of course, is now 66 and older than plenty of Cadillac drivers. Their average age hovers between mid-40s (for the Escalade) and mid-50s for the big sedans.

Cadillac needs to go younger or go home, and so there is also the gorgeous Kate Walsh, star of the network TV show Private Practice and an alumnus of the hit program Grey's Anatomy.

Walsh is the ongoing star of TV commercials for the redesigned CTS. Walsh as Caddy spokesperson brings plenty of attitude and an emphasis on product features, as she purred in the spots: "When you turn on your car, does it return the favour?"

Outgoing Cadillac marketing director Liz Vanzura told trade journal Automotive News that the "emotional appeal" of the CTS commercials is resonating with consumers, and you can expect more of the same. After all, Vanzura is moving on to work for the Modernista advertising agency in Boston that created the commercials. With them, Cadillac has been able to "find its voice," she said.

"We knew we had to overcome people's perception of us as being old," she said. Cadillac wants ads with "young, modern people, which is why Kate Walsh works."

The CTS ad campaign also promotes the car's navigational system and 40-gigabyte hard drive — the one that stores as many as 10,000 songs.

Add it all up and you'd think Cadillac would be ready to challenge Lexus as the top-selling luxury brand in North America. Not so fast.

Lexus will sell more than 300,000 vehicles in Canada and the U.S. combined this year — almost all of those straight retail sales with high levels of profitability.

Cadillac? Jim Taylor, the brand's general manager, is on record saying he'd like Cadillac to do more than 190,000 in retails sales this year, up from around 187,000 in 2007.

Fleet sales should boost that number by 10 to 20 per cent, so for 2008 Cadillac should move about 210,000-220,000 cars and trucks this year — a good 100,000 below Lexus and a projected fourth or fifth overall among luxury brands in North America.

That means sales have been essentially flat for several years now, despite GM's investment in retooling Cadillac's lineup to the tune of more than $4-billion (U.S.).

Obviously something is missing from Cadillac's lineup and Taylor said the holes are being filled as quickly as possible.

"We gave you an indication of that with the Provoq model," said Taylor, referring to the fuel cell crossover GM unveiled earlier this year at the Detroit auto show. "And the entry-level crossover is a space where everyone is headed," added Taylor, pointing to a big hole in Cadillac's lineup.

"We have our SRX to cover the top end, but we don't have the lower end covered. That is the product we'd like to have as soon as possible to attack what is the highest growth space and what could one day be the highest volume.

"We need to get the merger of the STS and DTS done and re-emerge as a solid prestige competitor."

Also on the list is a car sized and priced under the CTS — a baby Cadillac. In a visit to Cadillac's design studio in suburban Michigan we saw hints of it under stretchy black car covers.

"As the CTS moves up to be $30,000 to $40,000 (U.S.), you are creating space for a smaller Cadillac in the $25,000 (U.S.) range. Can we use a vehicle at $28,000 to $32,000 that would address a whole other customer group that would be under the CTS? Absolutely."

Oh, the baby Caddy is more than viable; it's in the works. Cadillac design director Clay Dean, 46, wouldn't show it to us, though he all but confirmed it is coming, and sooner than you might think.

In the meantime, he was willing to talk about his mission at Cadillac: Create a bold American design that draws inspiration from the current theme, and make that design consistent across all models sold around the world.

Dean is a rising design star at GM and the Cadillac appointment is seen as quite the plum. Previously, Dean had been GM design director for small and mid-sized cars since 2004. Among the designs he led were the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky, Saturn Aura and the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu.

Dean and his crew are working on the next Cadillacs not just here, but globally. Dean is able to use the resources of Cadillac's Advanced Styling Studio in the United Kingdom — from which the Cien concept car emerged half a decade ago — and GM's Advanced Design Studio in California, too.

"While he (Dean) will not be in charge of these studios, Dean will be able to draw on design talent," GM product vice-chairman Bob Lutz said late last year at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Aside from the baby Caddy, Dean's influence will be seen in a new large sedan arriving around 2011 — the car that will represent the merger of the current STS and DTS. That car, according to sources, is being developed on GM's global rear-drive vehicle architecture from Australia.

Like all future Cadillacs, it will look like it belongs in the Cadillac lineup, though the idea is not to create cars that look like sausages cut into different lengths.

"Back in the old days, I don't think we had quite enough internal design consistency between, say, a CTS, an STS or a DTS," said Lutz in Los Angeles. "One of Clay's objectives is going to be to make sure that we have a very consistent, unique and very advanced Cadillac design signature on everything that is Cadillac."

What Caddy cannot be is similar in any way to other luxury cars and other General Motors' products.

"We cannot compete effectively if Cadillac is one more iteration of the smooth, slab-sided sort of BMW, Mercedes, Acura, Lexus appearance," Lutz said. "We have to be distinctive and boldly American, but in a very good way."

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bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Great article, thanks.

Liked this in particular.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Of all of GM's products, Cadillac needs the most attention. It is finally going through a metamorphosis that it so desperately needed.

Hopefully, they do create a persona that isn't German-performance oriented nor Japanese-luxo-sedate oriented. Cadillac needs to have muscle car specs with road-trip comfort.

Cadillac is classic Americana. Hopefully, they create a modern interpretation of it.

DASHOCKER

iTrader: (2)

I've always loved Caddy! I can see Lutz & company expanding the V-series by offering more models. CTS-V coupe, XLR-V II, STS-V II, BRX-V, & stuffing the new small sedan with the LS7

SLegacy99

?? These vehicles all have quite a bit less HP than the base CTS. ??

LexFather

I love GMs focus here but its a shame their entry level model is their best product right now. Also they want to increase fleet sales, yuck.

They are very distinctive styling wise and I hope they continue to do American luxury. GO CADDY!

RON430

It sure helps when you are a legend in your own mind to have a short memory otherwise someone might point out to Bobby what a genius he was with the Monaro-GTO.

But if the mods will indulge me moving this a bit off thread, the Genesis thread shows that there are people who will not even go look at the car because it is a Hyundai. Does the same reluctance hold for Caddy? Walsh's commercial cooing about steaks on her way to the old boys club doesn't exactly make me feel interested in seeing if hers is bigger than mine. The CTS is a genuinely nice piece from the couple I have sat in and the one I drove but it just isn't in the Lexus/BMW/MB range to me. I can't dissect exactly what it is but it needs to offer a lower price IMO as it really isn't offering either the same product or ownership experience as the others. I will give them credit for having a different look. The Buicks are probably better looking, especially in darker colors, but the Caddy's are distinctive.

So what do you think? Can Caddy seriously get Lexus or bimmer or benz drivers? Should they?

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

IMO, absolutely. First off, I believe the dealerships have improved a lot. The one I've been to in south FL (for my mother-in-law) is spotless, gives loaners, has free ice cream and drinks, a nice waiting area, and very professional staff.

The Lexus facilities I've been to are still a bit more 'luxurious' in terms of marble/slate/stainless steel/colors/etc. but it's close.

Buying experience - IMO, hands down the Cadillac is better. Lexus salespersons again, in my experience, have, not surprisingly given the crappy way corporate doles out cars, a take it or leave it attitude, since inventories are kept so tight.

Now the all important part, product... as 1SICK says, it's strange or sad their best product is their entry product but I believe they're really doing a good job establishing an identity and the innovations will ripple through the rest of the product line. To have a hot 'volume' car isn't so bad. While Infiniti's sales may still be relatively anemic, they are considered a luxury brand without a flagship and they sell a decent number of G35/G37's.

I've seen a few more of the new CTSs on the road, and I'd be thrilled to own one. That is a GREAT looking car with a GREAT feature list. Unless you're ok with a car with no back seat room like the IS, I believe this car beats the IS hands down, and the GS (it doesn't have 4x4 looks in AWD for example), and a coupe is already in the works as well as the very hot CTS-V.

It will take many more years, but I believe Cadillac is doing exactly what they need to be doing to succeed.

LexFather

I've said it many time, people need to start being happy with their piece of the pie. The time to strike was in the 1990s Lexus shot at everyone in the room. Only Benz/BMW reacted quickly and with vigor. Everyone else had their head up their ***.

Fast forward to today and now everyone has a good product BUT they were/are still playing catch up as those 3 brands never lay down.

Caddy has its core base
1. Americans who will NEVER buy an import
2. African Americans who do see Caddy as the car to show "they arrived".

I have rarely spoken or even read any import buyer switching to Caddy OUTSIDE the Escalade. I can't even say the new CTS is attracting younger buyers, just older guys with a young mindset who always loved Caddy.

Let us understand like BMW, they have done a 180 on styling inside and out. Then to take things further, they have gone from FWD to RWD and now try to be a sporty car maker. This was UNHEARD OF 20 years ago.

I think Caddy has to continue to make home run after home run like the CTS. Then the DTS/STS replacement. Then the SRX and XLR replacement. They cannot afford a miss right now. They are doing a fantastic job with their design language and the CTS interior is superb.

As an American, I hope Caddy can show the world that American luxury is on par with the best of the world. That will take sometime though.

RON430

Part of me is rooting for Caddy. But part of me believes they should only be rewarded for doing a good job. I also think it is going to take a long time for them to take import luxury/sport buyers. For all of Lutz acclaim, I think he and GM are incapable of defining what American luxury might be and making a car company that could supply that regardless of anyone else. Wonder what Escalade sales are going to be for May?

RON430

Is it just me or do a couple of those commas (or something) need to be moved around? I think I understand what you are saying but I want to make sure. I haven't shopped Caddy but I will agree that some of what Lexus picked up from the European competition is not a positive IMO. There are still good Lexus salesman/dealerships but there are also some real duds out there.

The CTS coupe sure looks a lot more exciting than anything Lexus has coming out. I don't consider the LF-A or whatever it will be called, when or if it ever is brought out, will be much of anything other than a very limited volume advertising ploy. That ought to earn me some ire. But Lexus interest in coupes, or fixing what might be wrong with their models, isn't much. And that does sound a lot like GM as it got to the point of believing it knew better what the consumer wanted than the consumer did. I still don't know whether the consumer will give Caddy much of a chance outside of their core.