Cadillac Reported To Have Up To 10 Models By 2016
10
A new report from Reuters has suggested that Cadillac will double its current product offering by the year 2016, starting with the addition of the new ELR plug-in hybrid compact luxury coupe. Today, Cadillac offers the new ATS and XTS sedans next to the aged CTS, SRX and Escalade models. This means that along with the all-new versions of these three vehicles, we can expect another five — including the ELR — to appear in Cadillac showrooms.
The report also falls in line with our Cadillac Future Product Guide almost directly.
According to Reuters sources, Cadillac is currently developing a crossover to slot below the SRX, and even a vehicle to slot below the ATS to compete with the likes of the BMW 1 Series. And of course, there’s the highly anticipated LTS — or what many of us know as the Omega platform flagship sedan — coming down the pipeline. And while the report doesn’t mention it, we would like to also mention a large crossover to slot above the SRX in the works as well, based on what we’ve heard from sources of our own.
What about a roadster or convertible?
Could be the same sub-ATS vehicle. Hard to tell at the moment.
Sounds like GM believe’s its road to recovery is by catering to the 1%. So much news on Cadillac and the Corvette. For the masses we get “new” trucks — lot’s of steel with little technology.
Meanwhile, we’re seen little for the most popular Chevy auto classes. And with declining middle class incomes, the trend will be toward even smaller styles that offer more flexibility, as it has been in Europe. Honda obviously sees this by introducing something smaller than the CRV. We’re hearing pre-orders of the Encore are better than expected. Small EVs and hybrids will be necessary given government fuel mandates and our lack of mass transit. The writing is on the wall.
So what’s up with the Chevy line? There has been almost nothing new for the mainstream buyer (and I mean NEW, not just a slightly different looking sedan, truck, or SUV with essentially the same automotive technology).
So far, I’m disappointed with what has come out of Detroit this week. If the strategy is to improve profit margin by shifting to the high end then fine, but it does mean a much smaller GM and more losses for American manufacturing, so forget about help from taxpayers. We’re not the beneficiaries in a strategy like that.
Think about it. Our future is what we’re seeing in Europe — massive government intrusion, socialism, debt-crises, higher taxes, socialized medicine (but forced on the private sector), and yes, everything that this means for the auto market. Chevy’s future? See Opel.
I can see where one could think that GM is catering to the 1% with the recent news. Looking at a broader timeframe, I’m not convinced that is the case. Among their first roll outs since ’09 was the Malibu, Cruze and Sonic. These where released before the ATS or Corvette.
The new Chevy trucks do have technology – New engines, LED lighted beds, integrated steps, and a complex and thoughtful use of high strength steels to be stronger, safer and reduce weight. While the styling isn’t ‘r’evolutionary, and they didn’t pull a ‘me too’ with a turbo V-6, there is still technology where it counts.
I’m thinking/hoping with a little patience GM will expand their offerings, but they seem to be pacing their investments to remain profitable. If they start now to expand their higher profit margin products, that allows for more investment to expand the higher-volume segments while simultaneously improving the integration of the newer/high end tech into the lower priced vehicles. Basically, let the high profit brands absorb the R&D investments, and bring it into the volume brands at a lesser price point and leverage economies of scale to drive manufacturing costs even further down. This is NOT the old GM where bean counters cheapen the end product. This is an efficient way to add customer value across the board.
VeranoHatchForUS, Couldn’t have said it any better! Amen. Chevy was and should be one stop shopping for the masses. Shouldn’t be turned away because they don’t make what we are looking for. we may never come back.
When GM says new models, they usual mean model variants too, so CTS Coupe, Sedan, and Wagon make up 3. In that case they have 12 models currently. Or do they mean 10 new models:
2013 ATS (Convertible + Coupe in 2015ish maybe)
2014 CTS
2014 Escalade and ESV and Hybrid
2013 XTS
2014 ELR
2016 SRX
2015 Mini CUV
2015/16 Large CUV
2016 Omega
2016ish Mini ATS
Pretty easy to come up with 10 or more
The X3 fighting, alpha based crossover should be called the ARX
Does it look likeDetroit is slipping back into the forget about sedans and buy my 20mpg pick up and Suburban routine all over again?
Or is to just a case of the model cycle saying its time to replace trucks rather than sedans and minivans?
I vote the latter.
I often criticized GM for taking to long to respond to market trends. For example,why can’t all GM’s new models be introduce with 8-speed transmissions like other auto makers? Because that takes away the some of the advantages of introducing a new vehicle.
However, I can agree with Brian_E that this tecnology introduce first on upscale models, will evetually trickle down to lower scale vehicles. This gentlemen, is known as economies of scale. It means that GM will have to create efficiency in its production process, while lowering production cost to facilitate for new technology to be integrated into all models of upper and lower scale vehicles.
Hence, this efficiency of technological production will permit GM to make profits while giving the customer plenty of value for their money. So while I too am a little impatient about GM response time to market trends, please folks, lets gave them the chance to do so before writing them off. Now feel free to criticized my comment people.
Brian_E, Thank you, so well put… Hatch for US has his panties up his rear…