While we reported GMC, Chevrolet and Buick are gearing up for new vehicle debuts at the 2016 North American International Auto Show, Cadillac will be sitting the Motor City out this round.
Cadillac will not show any new vehicles at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show, but emphasis on the 2016 Cadillac CT6 and 2017 Cadillac XT5 will most likely be a priority. The news follows earlier reports of Cadillac taking a product pause following the introduction of the 2017 XT5 in Dubai and in Los Angeles.
We’d expect the 2016 New York International Auto Show to be when we see something from Cadillac next, knowing the city is now the brand’s home town. Rumors are pointing to a possible $100,000-plus Cadillac Escalade, or even an Escalade-V powered by the 6.2-liter supercharged LT4 V8.
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Good!
At this time of transition for the brand, with ATS in 7th place in it’s home market, Cadillac needs a break.
When an automaker tosses this much ad money at such a high quality vehicle with no progress, it time for a re-evaluation.
Cadillac needs to go quiet, focus on the newer products, and maybe reskin ATS with a more modern take on wherever Art and Science is going.
The brand, frankly, needs to chill until the CT 7 is ready. Hopefully, by then, Cadillac design will be something people actually want to buy.
Cadillac has made progress in many areas even if US sales do not currently reflect it. Understand that Cadillac is pushing for a global presence and in other markets like China and Canada their year over year sales are in double digits.
Taking a break is not a way to continue or build momentum.
Also exterior design is not the biggest knock against any the models that are currently struggling.
No new production vehicles….but can we at least get a concept?
Well we are in that lull that was expected as the new management came in a year and a half ago and now the changes are being made and new products are being planned. This will go on for a little while as they put their plans and ideas together.
I do not expect much till 2017-18 as it takes that long for small changes and it will be 2020 till the full model changes will start.
To do a car from inception to final product can be 5-7 years depending how many resources are committed to it. I know Cadillac as full commitment going on right now so it will be close to 2020 to see the first fill model by the present management. The other cars like the CTS and ATS will see some updates but more effort will be committed to make these more into the cars management wants Cadillac to be.
We have to remember every model we have now was done by people that are no longer in Cadillac management. The people here now have a lot of work to do and many of the changes that we see here that people wish would come are their own wishes too.
For now we will see small tweaks to the cars and options to make them good values without damaging their image. I also expect we will see a improved ground game on marketing. They will get it tuned up to where it needs to be and by the time the new product arrives it should be running on all cylinders.
I really thing many just have not grasped how much the independent Cadillac has been given will help them. In the past manager have had to work with one hand tied behind their backs and today the door is open to them.
For too long, Cadillac design would trickle down in small ways to Chevrolet with this especially being true of the last two generations of Malibu.
I was checking out a 2014 ‘Bu and was stunned by how it shared character lines, the hood, and C pillar with ATS.
Today, we see near identical grill on both many Chevy and Caddy models. Hopefully, this will no longer happen with Cadillac firewalled off from the rest of the company.
I’m hoping to see a redesigned ATS soon. It’s mechanically equal to the German peers but the design looks dated and lacks soul. With the new Jaguar and Alfa models ready, Cadillac needs to redefine the segment. Me too! styling with never suit Cadillac and the brand needs to either focus on futuristic design, like Infinity tries to do or focus on the a classic conservative design ethos.
I keep thinking that Infinity sort of stole Art and Science (wonder who did that?) albeit with a modern twist.
I am glad you see it as I have not since the designs of the 50’s.
Accept the Cimarron and that one trickled up.
As for Alfa and Jag they are not really burning up the sales charts. I really expect Alfa to languish just where they have been. God they need to lose the grill. It may be heritage but even Caddy lost most if not all of the fin.
Too be honest in this segment there is little soul in the top sellers. Benz has a hit once in a while but most are no exciting. As for BMW they have built the same damn car for 3 decades with a little moving around of the trunk lid.
Audi is the one that has some classic smooth lines and has even taken chances on the R8 and TT but still it has moved them little.
Bentley on the GT really is the one that moved the sticks in the luxury segment. They have redefined their past and future in one design. Now can they expand on this?
Infinity stole nothing and got little in return.
Lexus copies Benz on soulless designs for many years.
Cadillac has had some good years and some bad. The 30’s and 40’s they did well and up till 59 they are still recognized as a leader in styling.
Earl did well with them, Mitchell not so much and it declined from there. But to be fair many of the people who were working on these models had one or both arms tied behind their backs in what they could do.
The present cars have evolved under several different managers and not exactly have had a solid direction as it has changed over the year. With solid sustained leadership we should see some change but nothing too radical as this class is not accepting of radical. The CTS coupe tested the waters and well we know how that worked out.
Like you Sean I hope to see a new Escalade model of some kind. It would not hurt my feelings if there was also an mid-cycle reskin of the ATS or a ATS V Sport model.
I’m still in shock that Cadillac hasn’t corrected that awful instrument cluster in the ATS. They even went through the trouble of updating the reconfigurable cluster in the CTS/XTS yet decided to not even offer it as an option in the ATS. I just do not get it at all. Every single review of the ATS has its instrument cluster blasted for how cheap it looks in a Luxury automobile. Such an easy fix but for some reason Caddy refuses to do anything about it. And I bet these same people are so stumped as to why the ATS isn’t selling well.
A new, much bigger (as the current one is way too small for its segment) ATS needs to be here ASAP in my opinion!!!
In mangy humble opinion, Mazda did a better job with things like that instrument cluster on a tiny budget.
GM needs to lose the bean counters and focus on higher transaction prices.
Build it, and they will come…
Cadillac needs to ditch the angler slab-sided design that’s been around for years. it just look DATED. and it doesn’t have any life in it anymore…..Cadillac should be focusing on new groundbreaking designs for a change and stop rehashing the same crap…..it would be foolish if they didn’t adopt the Elmeraj/Ceil designs for the upcoming cars witch would be around 2020…hick A&S would be vary stale by than.
Not even having a concept to show at NAIAS is frustrating . If there is to be a new direction in their A&S it is a good idea to have something to show to see how the public will respond to it . Lets hope that maybe they are waiting until the New York show . It would do Cadillac some good to start to advertise the new CT6 prior to Detroit . There is alot of pressure on sales of this all new car . Let the public know that this is just the beginning of what is to come . Same thing with the XT5 , I haven’t read or seen any bad reviews of it . But Cadillac needs to let the public aware of what this new SUV is all about . It’s a growing and crowded field and it will take work to get the buying public to want to take a look at what is offered with the XT5 .
The rest of Cadillacs portfolio is going to need some attention , with mid cycle refreshening . Sales will continue to decline if something isn’t done . With the rest of the automakers continuing to offer up new product , Cadillacs cars are going to look a bit stale . This self imposed hiatus is a big gamble , and after it;s over Cadillac must have something new and exciting to offer .
maybe they will show off a CT8 concept and some crossover concepts with bolder styling in 2017 or 2018 like they did with the XTS in 2010…….one of the reasons why Cadillacs are not selling is because there designs are a bit stale. there design just doen’t have any excitement in them anymore and..they haven’t adopted the Elmeraj/Ceil designs yet……A&S has been watered down for 10+ years now.
I think Art and Science actually looks too conservative with the exception of ERL (which no one buys).
The design started as edgy, something unique, but was rounded and made boring for China. Interestingly, ERL isn’t sold in China and it’s therefore free to look stealth.
At this point, it’s time for something new. I love how Jaguar and Infinity avoid Me Too! design but feel like Cadillac is borrowing too many C pillars from Benz and interior cues from Audi.
In my humble opinion, Mazda did a better job with things like that instrument cluster on a tiny budget.
GM needs to lose the bean counters and focus on higher transaction prices.
Build it, and they will come…
Cadillac was known to be big and iconic….especially with there flagships….I know the escalade is fine in the status….but the CT6 is not quite there… hopefully the CT8 will be……A&S doesn’t make Cadillacs look big and iconic…..it just look slab-sided and boring and want to be germen…..todays caddys don’t look anything like the Icons of the 1950s-1970s….but the CT6 is a step towards that.