Maybe Cadillac is beginning to realize its American heritage does involve producing the swagger associated with the Escalade nameplate. The Escalade has been a problem child for the brand as of recent, but there’s no denying it stands for nearly everything the brand wants with its sedans and other vehicles.
While the market turns to crossovers and SUVs, with some analysts predicting a permanent shift, Cadillac is looking to get serious in the luxury SUV space. AutoGuide reports the brand is currently in the very early stages of the Cadillac XT9, which would serve as a halo SUV for the entire brand lineup.
We first reported on the matter last year, when we were told the Escalade was being looked at specifically, to enter the $100,000 plus price segment. The XT9, however, is said to check in at $250,000 to $300,000. Big money.
It’s easy to suspect the Omega platform would underpin such an SUV, with all-wheel and rear-wheel drive options. Competition would be plentiful, too, as Bentley, Rolls Royce and other high-end, bespoke automakers enter the luxury SUV space.
Prepare to wait for such an SUV, though. The source states a debut around 2027 for a range-topping SUV. Before that, the Cadillac XT8, XT3 and other crossovers will have arrived to help fill out the staple of vehicles Cadillac so desperately needs.
Comments
So it’s going to take 10+ years to develop? …vary slow…slow slow slow.
You must keep in mind, that by then, Cadillac will:
have at least six other SUV/CUV’s on line
will have already replaced the Escalade with the XT8
need to grow the brand with buyers who, by then, have accepted Cadillac as a high end competitor in the Bentley, Rolls Royce, Range Rover, and Mercedes Benz segment of SUV vehicles that cost upwords of $270,000+
Cadillac currently has several under development (XT2, XT4, XT6/7, CT2, CT3, CT5, and CT7) that must land by 2021. Only when these vehicles have come online, and, are selling in numbers to be profitable for the brand, will such vehicles like the CT8, CT9, XT8, XT9, CS1,CS2, and XT10 to complete development.
Also keep in mind that that previous vehicles, XT’s and CT’s will be due for their respective scheduled “refresh/reengineering” in the time frame between 2020 and 2030….
CS1 & CS2?
2027? By then, their reputation could be tarnished by the lineup of C1XX CUVs. I really hope DeNysschen comes out and says the XT5 is the last FWD CUV.
If you will recall, last year in a press conference, and later with stockholders, he stated….”FWD is not in Cadillac’s future. The XT2 and XT4 should be RWD/AWD. as well as the CT2, CT3, and CT4…
Why do we have to wait that long….does it take 10+ years to develop a vehicle?…if that’s the case that just plain sad.
NSX and LFA took that long. Not saying supercars and SUVs have the same development cycle, but it’s not like a company can churn out a worthy new vehcile in 12 months. As soon as a new model is developed and out into production the team has already been working on extending the model range, and working towards the mid cycle refresh that’s 3-4 years away, and the drawing board for the next generation that is 5-7 years away.
The midengine sports car platform (I won’t say Corvette*) has been tinkered with for over a decade.
If you are doing R&D for a segment you currently don’t have a platform for it takes a long time. And not just the vehicle design. You need to contract out all the manufacturing for assembly, tooling, dies and presses.
The C8, as well as the “Zora” variant will be mid-engined, AWD, and share many chassis components with the CS1/CS2/and CS3V. They will also share a 9/10 spd auto and a TC/WC manual…..
Sad vary sad
Well who here thinks if they offered a $300K SUV next year people would rush to buy it?
How many think that the resale on it would enhance the image of Cadillac?
Here is what you are looking at. If they started today it would take 5 years to make a proper SUV. Then you have to factor in how long it will be till Cadillac is ready to sell a SUV or even a car for $300K image wise.
While a Halo car is seen to build image the truth it really just enhances the image that is already there. That is why past attempts at a high end car have failed.
Cadillac needs to get all the tools and models in place to enhance their full image before they pull this crap off.
Also they are speaking of 10 years. To imagine this I would suspect that this model is not just any old model as not just by the price but by the time. I suspect this will be something pretty advanced and something that could not be built by anyone at this time. Lets just say it will be powerful and not run on gasoline only or it at all.
Expect this model to be some Mars shot as we have been to the moon and this one will be a model that will go where no one else has ever gone.
Right now if you tool the present model and added some tech and even put in some hybrid system it would never sell for $130K let alone $300K.
You really have to think about this as this is not just some expensive model. It has to be something different and something that a more enhanced Cadillac will sell. You are not just looking at some model with a few extra HP and some added wood trim here.
That’s all a given. What I’m saying is that if Cadillac doesn’t round out the SUV/CUV lineup with world-class vehicles, that reputation WILL stick. I expect buyers to be disappointed that they have to go over 100k to get a Cadillac that properly competes with the X7/GLS/Q9. If XT2-XT8 is a gussied-up version of something GM, that association will cause ill-informed (most) car shoppers to think the XT9 is a gussied-up GM, even when there isn’t any counterparts.
That’s exactly what’s happening to Lexus. Nobody thinks about Lexus has a competitive lineup of RWD/AWD vehicles, they see the ES, RX, and NX and think “Lexus is gussied-up Toyota”. A few inconsistent models will tarnish a brand’s reputation, especially when they’re the most affordable (which they usually are) and most commonly seen.
Yay hopefully it would be much sooner than planned…hopefully the XT9 will get here in 2023 and the CT9 will bow in 2025.
April fools!
This must be a joke.
Cadillac competing with Bentley and RR?
Oh my, the best laughs of the day!
But… I didn’t want it to be a joke.
It’s not an April Fools joke if you look at the date which it was published on 3-31-2016 on Auto Guide and GM Inside News.
This is a legit story.
Yes this is definitely an April fool’s joke.
So who got caught?
Actually, it isn’t! Even though this vehicle is many years off (2029).
There’s already two April fools GMA made lol
OK , so we fell for it . 🙂 Or , someone is smoking a bit to much of their medicinal cannabis !
“Winky face.”
Cheers,
-Sean
Now this is one of quality. Well Played!
Awesome, Buick green lit an all electric Alpha-based Avista-inspired Porsche Macan fighter, and now this.. what a weekend.
2029 too long to wait.