Cadillac CTS Sales Fall 17.57 Percent To 1,426 Units In August 2016
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Cadillac CTS deliveries in the United States totaled 1,426 units in August 2016, a decrease of 17.57 percent compared to the 1,730 units sold in August 2015.
In the first eight months of 2016, sales of the CTS have dropped 17.70 percent to 10,645 units.
Sales Numbers - Cadillac CTS - August 2016 - United States
MODEL | AUG 16 / AUG 15 | AUGUST 16 | AUGUST 15 | YTD 16 / YTD 15 | YTD 16 | YTD 15 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CTS | -17.57% | 1,426 | 1,730 | -17.70% | 10,645 | 12,934 |
In Canada, the CTS recorded 141 deliveries in August 2016, up 271.05 percent compared to August 2015. In the first eight months of the year, sales of the midsize sport-luxury sedan totaled 551 units in Canada, up 15.03 percent compared to the first eight months of 2015.
Sales Numbers - Cadillac CTS - August 2016 - Canada
MODEL | AUG 16 / AUG 15 | AUGUST 16 | AUGUST 15 | YTD 16 / YTD 15 | YTD 16 | YTD 15 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CTS | +271.05% | 141 | 38 | +15.03% | 551 | 479 |
The GM Authority Take
The CTS’ 17 percent sales volume decline was much greater than the midsize luxury sedan segment’s cumulative 3 percent slip, a circumstance that’s somewhat concerning. However, it’s worth noting that the CTS remained squarely in fourth place behind the three German rivals and ahead of Lexus, Jaguar, Infiniti, Volvo, and Acura.
Further Info And Sales Resources
- General Motors August 2016 sales (U.S.)
- Cadillac August 2016 sales (U.S.)
- General Motors Canada August 2016 sales
- Cadillac sales numbers
- Cadillac CTS sales numbers
- Cadillac CTS information
- Cadillac news
Reporting by Francisco Cruz. GM Authority Take by Alex Luft.
Sadly the CTS suffers from the same penalty as the ATS –lack of conquest sales relegating consideration to GM owners, primarily the “old” Cadillac owners who are put off by the price tag of the CTS.
As contrasted to the ATS, the CTS is a much more gratifying auto to be in, especially if you are relegated to the backseat. Ride is great, handling great with mag suspension, and as contrasted to the ATS, CTS owners do not rate its reliability poorly–in CR. Additionally Car &Driver best 3 years running.
Sadly this is an excellent auto that will continue to languish in the sales area.
I’m afraid you’re correct. These stellar RWD-based performance luxury sedans are not resonating with traditional Cadillac buyers, nor are they yet perceived as “good enough to warrant higher pricing” by those who buy foreign. I confess: it hurts a bit to see such valiant efforts go virtually unrecognized by the market; only to see the appliance-like XT5, Buick LaCrosse/Chevy Impala-based XTS, and unrefined, pickup truck-based Escalade upstage these two great sedans in sales! Despite their flaws, these are the best Cadillacs ever produced!
My biggest fear now is that such purchasing trends will warrant Cadillac an opportunity to return to their “Old Cadillac” strategy of heavily utilizing corporate platforms and powertrains to build their products. While this may better consolidate costs for vehicle development, in addition to courting traditional Cadillac buyers with lower pricing, I’m afraid this’ll crush any opportunities for the brand to become more exclusive, thus devaluing the brand and taking away precious content and performance! Can Cadillac produce good corporate-based cars? I believe they can! The XTS, while I personally don’t like it, is a good example of a corporate-based product: it fulfills the duty of providing large, spacious and smooth-riding Luxury sedan at a good price! Unfortunately at the expense of taking away appeal value!
Sadly the interim plan will need some concessions to the “old regime” Cadillac buyers because there are not going to be many conquests in the short /medium term! Frankly I’m not really sure there will be any conquest inroads for possibly 10-20 years. Not really sure GM management or stockholders have that long term investment view!
Why would it be “sad” if Cadillac stopped trying to imitate BMW? BMW already exists to meet the “all RWD, all sporty/hard ride” market. I found this interesting comment from “Ken” on Automobile News from 2014, and it’s still very true today:
“Ken” wrote (in 2014):
“What does the Cadillac brand represent? Despite GM’s attempts to make the latest Cadillacs handsome and technically gifted, they don’t command the presence of the old Cadillacs. In 1974, GM’s luxury division knew and owned its place in the world. The definition of luxury was a long wheelbase, a gelatinous suspension, wheel spats and an enormous engine behind which was passengers lounged in comfort. Why? Because Cadillac wrote the book. But the world shifted when the price of gas shot skyward. The car brands selling athletic cars with compact dimensions, firm suspensions and small engines were about to have their day. Sports sedans came into popularity. Cadillac then drifted into an identity crisis that remains to the present day.”
I would add to Ken’s comments that when Cadillac went to FWD cars, they found even more passenger room once freed from RWD’s space-robbing drive shaft. Not to mention significantly better performance in snow and wet pavement, as well as reduced production costs and better miles per gallon.
In my opinion – Cadillac is supposed to be about interior space, power, technology, elegance, luxury, comfort. When they gave a lot of that up to become a BMW wanna-be, they lost their long-time purpose without gaining many BMW customers. I’m not sure why so many people on this website are cheering for Cadillac to continue to imitate BMW and would find it “sad” if the company returned to making genuine American luxury cars instead of imitating German “sports sedans”. If you like BMW, you can always buy a BMW. Cadillac was the leader of a much different segment, and I find it sad that they have abandoned it.
Hmmm. . .
Price went up, sales went down. . .
Correlation methinks?
Oh no! A higher price could not be the reason. Look, any moron could connect the dots in this case. Raise the price to the level that Cadillac has for many of its models including the CTS and ATS V models and you are driving off the potential customers. Conquest customers to me mean the younger generation or some of the old muscle car crowd like me. Knock off 10 grand off the MSRP for the CTS-V and allow some additional incentives such as free maintenance for the 3 years or more and you will get me in one. Otherwise, I will go elsewhere.
Then go elsewhere. The CTS-V especially is not over priced and is actually a very good performance value.
Cadillac has not ‘over priced’ all it’s models. The XTS and Escalade have remained pretty consistent relative to their predecessors.
The new redesigned XT5 is very good value as is the new CT6.
Your gripe only applies to the ATS and CTS.
Cadillac has made a decision to not sell their products based on being the lowest price but offering a good product at a good value.
There will be short term pain in the way of lower than ideal volume but that is offset by higher transaction prices.
Even with this policy Cadillac had a year over year increase in 2015 and I suspect that before the dust settles on 2016 they will have a slight year over year increase as well. That will repeat for 2017 and volumes should begin to increase for 2018.
CTS-V destroys the competition, M series I am talking to you and is priced accordingly so compared to its German counter-parts that are 10-15 grand more with less torque and horsepower, not to mention comfort and they are track ready from the get-go. You do get a 3 year 36,000 free maintenance on 2017 models. Where else you going to go unless you want to pay more and settle for less.
I’d guess there’s more to it than price. It’s a nice vehicle – but on the street, all I see is Escalades. New ones (no wreath). I’ve seen one (!) new SUV, but lots of Escalades, Yukons, Y Denalis …
could be the hockey-happy hood I live in. Usually in black or white.
I’ve seen a ton of new Escalades, a handful of both the CTS and ATS, about 5 CT6s and some XT5s. In another post I commented that I saw a 7series owner cross shop and purchase a CT6 3.6. Caddy will get its customers and I can’t wait to own one myself. But it’s marketing is not good..that’s for a different discussion
(1) there back seats are small
(2) sedans arnt selling anymore.
(3) there designs are dull.
2 outa 3 ain’t bad.
Misspelling three out of three sentences is. . .
I pretty much agree with all the previous comments, with one exception: My 2016 ATS Premium RW has been bullet proof so far; have had it for nearly a year. Tremendous driving and handling car, and nice to drive a car that isn’t like the “me, too” BMW 3 series that seem to be a dime a dozen anymore.
Good for you on ATS because my $55k 2014 Premium AWD had a reserved bay at my Cadillac dealer.
Know most folks here boo hiss CR but every year ATS has been produced, the owners have rated reliability poor. Glad you are not in this group or mine!
I totally agree with the first three or four writers. Cadillac needs to return to its original themes. Quality and value with performance and luxury!!! Change doesn’t always go above “tradition”! Its like they removed the leaf from around the crest. Why! What savings did this provide? They need to just stop doing things that ruin the name plate of a great automobile I have a 2010 CTS and I am glad I do. It is #3 one for me. And at 72, I couldn’t afford another one.
When is GM going to start to hear the customer or ask the customer?
Quite right Paula, but the “sports car ride” buffs here don’t want to hear the truth. As I’ve also said, Cadillac tried to remake itself into something that it was not in its first 100 years (i.e. until 2003), a Euro-wannabe “sports RWD” brand, that even “outdoes” the Germans (i.e. even harder ride, higher HP, “better” handling). It’s just not selling, and that’s not due to the CTS appearance, which is excellent. American Cadillac buyers want a roomy, cushy ride and don’t want to get stuck in snow. That’s why the XTS (and DTS/Deville before it) sells so well. And Americans who want “sporty sedans” have plenty of European options. When will GM get this? Cadillac needs to concede the “sporty sedan” market to the Germans and sell the public on the attractions of an American ride – the Chinese already get it, and the lemming Baby Boomers would get it if someone would lead them by the nose and show them the benefits (i.e. a plush ride that doesn’t jar their old bones like the Euro-sport ones do).
What GM should have done was to keep Cadillac a plush-luxury brand, and then create/expand the Corvette brand beyond the Stingray, to appeal to the “sporty ride” segment. Corvette already had the “sports” credentials that Cadillac never had. The change-over point in Cadillac’s history seems to be 2003, when Cadillac released the Stingray-based XLR, the first Cadillac with the Euro-sport naming convention (i.e. 2-4 digit letter/number combinations). What they should have done instead was to expand their Corvette division into sedans and SUVs, to see if there was a market there for an American “luxury sports” line, rather than ruining Cadillac and killing sales.
I don’t doubt that the CTS is a good car for what it is, but IMO it’s not a Cadillac except in looks. No mid/large Cadillac should have only 35.4″ of rear legroom, for example. Something under the Corvette name might get away with that. Corvette also means insane prices, more profit for GM if they can swing it. And what about the ATS? The Cadillac ATS is the same length as the Toyota Corolla, which is ridiculous for a Cadillac in the first place. BUT the ATS has rear legroom of only 33.5″, while the Corolla has 41.7″! I realize these cars do not compete in the same segment, but who would have guessed a Cadillac would come up 8″ short of a Corolla in rear legroom? A Corvette, maybe, but not a Cadillac.
Oh well, probably Cadillac keeps making these “sporty” cars that very few people buy, ignoring their own history and potential for much higher sales. No wonder GM went BK in 2008; the new shareholders are not being particularly well-served by current Cadillac management. But hey, maybe Cadillac can bring in still more foreign born executives who want to copy Euro-cars. That’s the ticket – if something doesn’t work, just do more of it.
Cadillac needs to ditch the slab-sided profile and stop being BMW wanabee…..I miss the real Caddys from the golden years.