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Same here. The CTS is a bit small for my tastes, but I can still appreciate it as a noble effort. And, even though it's getting a bit dinosaur-ish in automotive terms, I'd still be more than happy with a DTS. The SLS sort of gets lost in the shuffle to me, though...at a quick glance, it seems indistinguishable from the CTS.
As for Lincoln, the only one I would really want is the Town Car, but I think that one's finally been discontinued completely, or, at best is for special order/fleet only. I kinda like the MK-whatever that's based on the Fusion, although its humble origins are all-too obvious. In general though, Lincoln just doesn't seem upscale enough to me, anymore, though. Even the Town Car seemed like it was getting cheap on the inside, essentially a taxi with leather seats.
It was either Lemko or Grbeck who summed it up perfectly at one of the Carlisle Ford shows... "Lincoln. What a Mercury SHOULD be!"
Maybe killing Mercury was premature - move the existing Lincoln line to that brand and give Lincoln some actual new product, like Caddy got several years ago. Ford could make the investment...too late now though.
And, yes, GM sells Cadillac in China. The STS is still sold over there, where it has a much nicer interior than the U.S. version. My personal hope is that the Chinese interior/styling makes its way back over here.
Looking at the XTS information and auto show pictures, it looks like it's going to be exactly what we wanted. A bigger, better CTS for those who want a big executive cruiser and who don't want to deal with the insanity of the European brands when it comes to repairs and upkeep costs. (yes I know about BMW's program, but it's not going to help you on a 5 year old vehicle. )
XTS looks pretty cool. Caddy needs to build this image, not only an image of harsh angles for the sake of hard angles, and blingy SUVs beloved by wannabe gangstas, trophy wives, and old men.
Only at GM could the Chinese market offerings look interesting.
I know what you mean with the original CTS - a co-worker bought one when they were fairly new, and I remember looking it over...dashboard texture in particular turned me off.
Caddy has a place at the table, just like Chevrolet, but Caddy will NEVER be a fraction of what it once was...and that crap about "Standard of the World" is almost shameful...maybe they should change the slogan to "American Luxury & Performance" which would probably describe it well...
Beyond these models, Cadillac is working on more new vehicles than at any time in its history. "We are expanding and elevating our brand in terms of design and technology," says Don Butler, marketing chief."
Cadillac seeks to regain luxury title (Detroit News)
"GM plans to introduce 10 all-new or redesigned Cadillacs, including two that hit the market this summer, executives told reporters.
GM wants to "restore Cadillac to be the standard of the world" and wants to capture a larger share of the global luxury vehicle market, said Don Butler, Cadillac's vice president of marketing."
GM intends to double Cadillac's sales in U.S. (Detroit Free Press)
I have a few friends that will not buy any GM product due to the bailout, looking at either Ford or the imports...
Personally I'd buy a Cadillac over the competing European model as I believe the Cadillac is a better value.
Also IMNSHO, the "government motors" babble is more bitterness from the birther/"we built this" crowd (who didn't) who can't stand to see that the previous big election might be repeated again soon.
It depends on your crowd. Here in the northeast, I have never heard the phrase "Government Motors" nor felt a bias against GM. Based on what I've read of your postings, you and yours are a litter "redder" than I am.
Cadillac To Retain All-American Styling, Despite European Offensive (Inside Line)
"Adams, who remains head of design for GM's Opel brand while a replacement is found, says he wants to add "design quality" to the mix, as well as building on Cadillac's American roots. This is contrary to the expectations of some within the department, who had thought that he would be introducing a European styling element. But Adams told Edmunds he gave an emphatic "no" to that approach."
Cadillac takes refresher course (Detroit News)
And for how long have we been hearing about a new flagship sedan for Cadillac? I'll believe it when the actual car shows up at the dealer. The two-seat sports car is a waste of money at this point. The Allante and XLR were both ultimately dead ends. GM needs to ensure that the ATS, CTS, SRX and Escalade are distinctive and fully competitive with the best from Germany and Japan. The money would be better spent there.
Last week I saw a new ATS at the Chevrolet-Cadillac dealer in my hometown. It's a handsome car, but, a glance, it was hard to tell whether it was an ATS or a CTS. The late, great Bill Mitchell once ridiculed BMW for selling the "the same sausage in different lengths," and now it appears as though Cadillac is doing the same thing.
If you like the whole Art & Science styling theme, you'll like this car. If you don't, you wont.
Best thing Caddy could do, at least for the US market, is to bring back some real names. DeVille, LaSalle, Fleetwood, Coupe de Ville.
The only current Cadillac I can identify with is the Escalade. When I read that, I know what the vehicle is. The rest are just a muddle.
The effect of his personality can't be discounted. Based on everything I've read about him, he has the ability to tell subordinates to get with the program or seek opportunities elsewhere, without coming across as a tyrant.
Of course, it helped that Ford was in a crisis, and most people realized it was in a crisis. I don't get the impression that GM has yet reached a similar conclusion, even with the government-sponsored "bankruptcy."
As for Cadillac's names:
ATS - LaSalle
CTS - Seville
CTS Coupe - Eldorado
new flagship - Fleetwood (skip the "Brougham" part).
I'd leave DeVille on the shelf.
Cadillac is trying to move towards a younger demographic to whom those names mean very little. The target customer is a European brand buyer who is used to alpha-numeric designations.
A name like LaSalle is relevant if you were born in the 20's or 30's. To someone born in the 60's +, it means nothing. Eldorado, Seville, Fleetwood would conjure up images of stuffy, floating barges to those same people.
Eldorado is somewhat of a cool name. Seville makes me think of bustlebacks. Fleetwood of 70s era mastodons.
I knew 1 kid back in the 80's - born in the 60's - whose owned a baby blue w/ white vinyl roof Coupe DeVille Fleetwood Brougham D'Elangance. His name was Carmine, he worked out alot, he wore muscle shirts and Spot Bilt coaching shoes and was associated with a less than savory bunch out of the North End in Boston.
I see nothing wrong with LaSalle...if most people have forgotten the original version, that gives Cadillac a chance to start with a clean slate for a new model. The ATS seems like a good car, so it would do the LaSalle nameplate justice.
As for Seville - on the right car, it could be used. Yes, it was damaged in the 1980s, but Ford has proven that the right vehicle can rehabilitate a tarnished nameplate with the 1979 Mustang and the current Taurus. The CTS certainly has been getting decent reviews, and the next version is supposed to be larger to compete with the BMW 5-Series. I think "Seville" might be a good fit.
Cadillac CTS sales nosedive as buyers look at the new ATS (egmcartech.com)
I think it's pretty common knowledge that the XTS was a stop gap solution.
Cadillac is working on a new RWD flagship sedan based on the new Omega platform. It is expected in 2015 and will be larger than the XTS. The XTS may hang around either in it's current form for the livery market or may be replaced by a shortened Omega platform based vehicle.
The BMW offer is $339 a month, $750 Loyalty Discount (if you qualify) and $3800 down for 39 months.
IMHO, the ATS is a better deal. The real cost of the BMW is $436 a month with the down payment amortized over 39 months. Is soul worth and exta $70 a month?
But are the cars identically equipped? I am sure the ATS has some soul, too. GM needs to publicize this car more.
Fin - is that really you?? Did you just say a non German car has soul??
The Cadillac is a 2.0 Turbo , automatic with luxury preferred group. The BMW is the 328i with auto and premium package. ATS has leather vs leatherette, BMW has moonroof.
I vividly recall the ATS ad I saw saying it was a "2.5 standard". Would they call the "luxury" group "standard"? Knowing the execs at the 11th level of management in GM, I could see it.
Still, the car needs to really undercut the competition to lure people in. If it is the same car for the same money, it is going to be a tough battle.
Funny coincidence - right now my banner ad is for an Escalade lease, $0 due at signing, ultra low mileage (30K/36 mos) - $849/month. No bargain there.
It just has a Cadillac badge on it instead of Opel. It's as close to German engineering as you can possibly get without having to suffer the reliability or electrical issues.
I can guarantee that the ATS will be a car you can purchase and it won't break your bank. Try that with a 3 series. There's a reason why sane people lease BMWs and don't buy them.
That's 36 months, zero down on a $64K car. Similar priced X5 is leasing for $679 a month. In any case, that's crazy money for a lease.
"Light, powerful and efficient, the * * * * 2013 Cadillac ATS sport sedan is a breakthrough for America's premier luxury brand. Lavishly equipped and attractively priced, it raises Cadillac to a new level.
The ATS competes with sport sedans like the Audi A4, BMW 3-series, Infiniti G37, Lexus IS 350, Lincoln MKZ and Mercedes-Benz C-class. The new Cadillac's price, fuel economy and performance stack up well against comparably equipped models."
Mark Phelan: Cadillac ATS sport sedan strong in looks, performance (Detroit Free Press)