With the sale of Opel and Vauxhall to France’s PSA Groupe, General Motors certainly lost a foothold in the right-hand drive development department. Specifically, Vauxhall has long been a source of engineering expertise for right-hand drive programs, since the British refuse to accept they’re placing the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car.
However, it’s likely not what it’s cracked up to be. GM is finally thinking, acting and portraying itself as a global automaker. This is apparent in products we’re already seeing today.
Take the C1XX platform, or Chi. This architecture was designed from the ground up to support right-hand drive applications. This is good news, because the 2017 GMC Acadia will soon head to Australia as the Holden Acadia, another country that has their steering wheels sewn on the opposite side. And D2XX, too. The 2018 Chevrolet Equinox, Cruze and others will all be able to handle right-hand drive.
The latest news, though, means GM is getting serious about competing globally with its more premium offerings. Last week, a report broke stating the next-generation Chevrolet Camaro would be heading to Australia, due around 2020. If this report rings true, it means the Alpha platform is on deck next to support RHD.
And with economies of scale in mind, the Camaro will certainly not be the only car in GM’s portfolio to support such an engineering development. It more than likely means GM has engineered A2XX, Alpha’s successor, with RHD in mind. What does this mean? Cadillac can finally get serious about playing in other premium markets.
The timing lines up, too. Cadillac has long been saying it will carry out a proper, full-scale assault on the European market when the time comes, likely around 2020, just when A2XX cars will be rolling off the assembly lines. The Cadillac ATS and CTS will switch to the CT nomenclature and prepare for battle in the heavily armed arena that is the European market.
Ditto for Australia, too. Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen concluded Oz was indeed a part of the brand’s global future, just not until it has its volumes together in the U.S. and China. And, most importantly, it has the right product mix to be relevant. AKA, when it has right-hand drive vehicles to offer.
And with Opel-Vauxhall shed from GM’s once glorious volume of global brands, it opens the door for Holden to hold a prominent seat at the development table for future, RHD products.
GM once upon a time proclaimed “No one sweats the details like GM.” The engineering and development wing sure must be perspiring.
Comments
Sigh. Alpha is and has been compatible with RHD since the ATS debut in 2012! It was well reported! Likely the whole Caddy line up except the Escalade and XTS is RHD ready. It’s not engineering holding up manufacturing RHD Cadillac’s it’s the cost of the RHD parts since the numbers of RHD vehicles would be so small since Cadillac has only one U.K Dealership and a handful in Japan. So to get the per unit cost down, Cadillac would need to build more cars with those RHD parts which means spending a lot of its capital to introduce its brand into RHD markets including opening dozens of dealerships and engaging in extensive marketing. The cost of all of this is what’s holding Cadillac back, NOT that architectures are not engineered for RHD.
we will see radical design changes in Cadillacs exterior and interiors.
The really strange thing about this news is that it is not a news item from 90 years ago, but from 2017!
GM, a global car maker, only now is able to build cars which can be sold in all markets, if the drive on the right side of the road or on the wro.. er left side.
Besides, it is not Vauxhall which did the engineering. There is no separate engineering lab on the island. It is all done in Rüsselsheim.
BTW, the Millbrook Proving Ground has been sold in 2013: http://www.millbrook.co.uk/about/
Gm has always sold cars that are rhd and lhd
But they have developed platforms for driving on the right only! In the 21st century! What a provincial outlook!
I can’t imagine any European manufacturer who does not design all their cars for right hand and left hand steering.
GM, OTOH, has concluded a 500-million advertising contract with one of the leading football businesses in Great Britain, but has supplied the players with Corvettes and Camaros with steering wheels on the left! To me this is a sign of incompetence.
All GM platforms will be all made to go both ways from this point on.
The Alpha could have been converted but with the refresh coming it was not worth the expense for a couple years just to have to redo it. One must remember the RHD markets are very limited sales so it must be done with control of cost in mind.
Nearly all country on the shores of the Indian Ocean drive on the left, except the the north-west corner from Somalia via Arabia to Iran, some islands which had been or still are under French colonial rule, and Myanmar. This includes the former Portugues colonies Mozambique and Timor-leste (East Timor), which already during Portuguese colonial rule were aligned with their neighbours. Plus the very large market which is Japan. The population of these countries represent at least a quarter of mankind.
BTW, in Myanmar’s case I suspect a reaction against British colonialism leading them to reject the British imposed drivng on the left.
the next ATS and CTS will look like the Elmeraj in side view profile.
The STS was designed and built in RHD versions at huge expense. I think they sold 10 of them.
the British refuse to accept they’re placing the steering wheel on the “wrong” side of the car.
no no i can assure you its the “right” side of the car 😉
real commodore and monaro is return? hope…