Future Technology And Electric Cars Will Head To Cadillac First, Other Brands Later
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Once upon a time, Cadillac and Oldsmobile often ushered in the best General Motors had to offer. Flash forward decades later, and the strategy has changed. GM used Chevrolet to bring its first mass-market electric car to market, that being the Bolt EV, and its self-driving car plans revolve around the electric car.
That’s about to change, Bloomberg reported on Monday.
The publication spoke with Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen, who said Cadillac will once again be GM’s darling brand for future electric powertrains and new technology, including self-driving tech.
“Cadillac in the future will be the technology lead brand for General Motors,” de Nysschen said. “Technologies will debut in Cadillac first and then cascade down to the other brands.”
The strategy will be one way for Cadillac to carve out its own differentiation factor from the German luxury brands, which have a heritage in performance and engineering. Cadillac will soon be the luxury brand known for technological prowess, if de Nysschen and GM have their way.
Developments on the self-driving car front will continue with the GM Cruise AV, based on the Chevy Bolt EV, but the learnings will find their way to production Cadillac cars first. Meanwhile, the Cruise AV will serve as GM’s ride-sharing autonomous car.
de Nysschen again clarified that future Cadillac will still house steering wheels and pedals, unlike GM Cruise’s fourth-generation self-driving car. He said Cadillacs will always offer the luxury of choice between driving the car and letting the car do the driving. Cadillac is the only brand to offer true hands-free driving technology with Super Cruise.
Cadillac will reveal the first of a wave of new products at the 2018 New York Auto Show, the 2019 XT4 compact crossover. The CUV will be the first new Cadillac developed and launched under de Nyscchen as the brand looks to regain its footing in North America.
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“Cadillac in the future will be the technology lead brand for General Motors,” de Nysschen said. “Technologies will debut in Cadillac first and then cascade down to the other brands.”
Just as it’s supposed to be! This was how Cadillac garnered the title of “standard of the world!” Time to reclaim that title!!!
It should have been that way in the first place
I am not really sure this is a ground breaking revelation. Cadillac always has and should be GMs tech pioneer. The fact that JDN comments on this like its a new business case for Cadillac is troubling as it should always been the idea based on its legacy.
The thing is whether you love the German cars or hate them, they have a absolute plethora of innovative and amazing technology that Cadillac is not even close to right now. Not saying that GM cannot do it but before they talk about being at the tech forefront they have some catching up to do.
They sure do.
It will take Cadillac at least another 5 years before they have an electric model.
Hopefully. If they really really push themselves.
They only have one phev but it’s made in China, and a car model that doesn’t sell, gas or phev powered.
Cadillac is always 5 – 10 years behind the luxury curve.
The same with cuvs.
Finally 5-6 years behind the Germans they have only 1 new cuv at the end of the year for a whopping total of 2 cuv models.
They have a coffee house in NYC but Cadillac is still fast asleep.
And if you snooze you lose Cadillac.
Wake up!
Their ancient gas guzzling gas engines are not wanted in Europe.
So if they want to sell more than 2 cars a year, they need to have electric vehicles.
Tesla already knew this 7 years ago.
But yet the only electric GM car at this moment is again a Chevrolet.
So an electric Cadillac will be Chevrolet powered again, and not lead by Cadillac technology.
And please, design a Cadillac without all the fisher price plastics for once!
I’m afraid Cadillac is about to flood the market with Lexus-like, car-based, FWD crossovers just in time for the market to shift again. Cadillac needs to be inventing the next category, not planning a big assault on the one Lexus created with the launch of its RX in 1998, some 20 years ago. Based on historical trends, it’s about time for the crossover to no longer be the darling of the industry.
And specifically what ‘absolute plethora of innovative and amazing technology’ are you referring to that German cars have that Cadillac doesn’t?
To save me from having to write an entire book regarding this just Google the 2019 Audi A8. That car alone has several features that Cadillac dose not.
Cop out response. Your feedback can go both ways;
-Omega Platform significantly lighter but as capable and solid as its class competitors with honeycomb architecture
-Four Wheel Steering
-Digital Rearview Mirror for greater field of view
-Haptic touch CUE system that um, Audi has recently announced it will adopt to eventually replace its rotary dial MMI. Cadillac had it first.
And call it out, the A8 in basic form is a FWD car; not RWD. AWD allows it to play in the field.
There’ s more, but it boils down to what a person chooses to acknowledge. No manufacturer is going to match on every feature.
Blind Bias isn’t a good look.
Well lets start with the A8 features and compare it to the only current Cadillac that is even close to the competition, the CT6
A8 has true level 3 autonomous driving, self parking system with no one needing to be in car, heated armrest, heated and massaging footrest, LED matrix headlights with lasers, OLED taillights, fragrance system, side impact sensors that raise the side a few inches when it senses a side impact, 40 some cameras and sensors with industry first laser scanner that works with the TRUE autonomous system, virtual cockpit with 1920×720 resolution, an advanced 4 wheel steering with own rack, writing screen recognition, rear seat tablet to control all rear and front heating and seat controls, customized ambiat lighting, 3D 1900 watt 23 speaker Bang and Olfeson, side door sensors that prevent the door from being opened if it senses a bike or car is coming down the street, soft door closers that automatically latch the doors shut (even Lincoln offers that)and there is more. None of these things the CT6 can get.
The rearview mirror is no big deal now and was first shown and introduced by Nissan before the CT6 had it. And I certainly would not brag about CUE which was a disaster that was just fixed last year..About the only thing you mentioned and I agree with is Omega, that is a ground-breaking design and is a industry first as far as mixed use materials.
Highlighting ‘soft door closers’, heated armrests to warm forearms and elbows and a fragrance system as available’ innovative and amazing’ technology,… okay seems more ‘rich folk’ gimmickry and definitely not firsts as others have offered long before. Bang & Olufsen vs. Bose (Tomatoe vs. Tomato).
But to each his own in whatever catches attention of being ‘innovative and amazing’. Ooohs and Ahh gimmickry doesn’t necessarily equal ‘amazing’ technology.
When manufacturers have competing technologies that until proven otherwise equally suffice to satisfactorily address a safety matter it’s grasping for straws to make a point. Nice that A8’s raises up for side impact. In testing to date has it proven to be any more safer than competitor’s offerings with less complexity and lower repair cost but same protective capability? If not, who got taken to the cleaners?
CT6 tops out where these rides are just getting revved up in pricing. It’d be another thing if the price was on par with others and yet it’s feature set was seriously lacking. If anything a handsome and well engineered ride with sufficient features at a lesser price point.
For that matter, MB’s S-Class commands a serious premium and doesn’t offer some of the ‘features’ of lesser costing rides.
I like the CT6. To be honest it is the ONLY GM car I would buy right now. I like its style and its price. The point I am making is yes,,while there is a lot of stuff I mentioned that was done by others or can come across as a gimmick, these are amazing creature comforts that you do not get in the lower end cars. But some of the headlight tech that Audi and even GMs old Opel division offer are better then Cadillac. I will not deny that GM made huge strides with giving the CT6 better tech then the rest of Cadillac’s dated lineup which have no better feature content then a Toyota or Chevy. I was happy to see Night Vision return and them to offer a actual rear seat packages and the surround recorder. But they still have catching up to do like I said earlier. I am sure GM can do it but as its been said many times before Cadillac needs to become more daring and innovative like it once was in the past.
Some of the 2019 A8 technology does sound gimmicky (foot massagers?) and prone to malfunction, but some of it does appear to be worthy of a top-notch luxury car. Forbes has a very positive review of it (I don’t know how to put the link here, but it’s easy to find), and from their description it sounds like the ride quality aims for what Cadillac used to be.
2019 will be Cadillac’s first electric car. Cadillac will get these majority of electric cars. Cadillac flagship model will be all electric, it will have two door’s.
You mean 2023, as in 5 years too little too late.
Cadillac will be again a great Premium Luxury brand; Johann knows how do it.
I sure
There’s nothing in Johan’s background or efforts thus far, which suggest he’ll make Cadillac a successful brand again. He happened to be head of Audi USA at a time when German-badged luxury sedans had become faddish, and when Audi of Germany was putting out some good vehicles.
JDN is basically a dealership/marketing guy who happened to be in the right place at the right time. Personally I think he’s going in the wrong direction trying to make Cadillac a BMW clone. We’ll see if he succeeds, but his alleged success at Audi can be explained by other factors.
We all know you hate the guy, but Jesus Christ! At least finish your research.
I don’t hate JDN. I just don’t think he’s the right person to head Cadillac. My preference would be an American who understands what Cadillac has meant to Americans for several generations.
Someone with an engineering background rather than marketing. Someone who understands what “The Cadillac Ride” means, and why it was so successful. Not someone who thinks that BMW is the epitome of luxury cars, and thinks everyone wants a sporty hard-riding, cramped, feel-the-road, bad-in-snow RWD “driver’s car” for their luxury cars.
Cadillac should have someone who puts refinement and reliability above over-engineered gee-whiz gearing and handling. Someone who understands that luxury-seeking Americans don’t need cars that do 150 mph on the Nurburgring Nordshleife, they just want a nice comfortable-riding, reliable, refined, roomy, attractively styled luxury auto worthy of the Cadillac name. Based on his background and his interviews, that person is not JDN. But I don’t hate him for being who he is. GM simply made a mistake by putting him in that position.
That’s the impression you give us though. You take a dig at him every chance you get, blame him for the hand he’s been dealt, judging him without even waiting to see his own products & clearly not bothering to research him. Perhaps “Hate” is a strong word, but you made it loud & clear you don’t like him … At least give the guy a chance.
First things first, the “cars that do 150 mph on the Nurburgring Nordshleife” were designed, approved, engineered & built by Americans. Your anger is better directed at Bob Fergusson (previous CEO) & the board who thought appointing an American Lobbyist who’d rather listen to his beancounter over his veteran engineers & product planners the leadership position of a car company was a good idea.
Second, JDN is not a “marketing guy” who happend to be there during the “faddish”. JDN began his career working Supply chains in South Africa before joining Audi South Africa which he came the CEO of shortly after. He then became the CEO of Audi Japan to replicate his South Africa success & later became Audi of America CEO to do the same thing. He an Audi veteran who worked there & survived for 18 years under Ferdinand Piëch’s reign of terror.
Third, the current Cadillac line up has little to do with JDN … Even the CT6 & XT5 were almost done by the time he arrived. He just changed the names. The CT6 was originally set to be named “LTS”. The XT4 & CT5 will be the first cars to be built under his management & carry his vision.
Fourth: German Cars are not a fad. Cadillac wrote the first chapters of the luxury cars book, but the Germans & the British picked up from where Cadillac have left off. Obviously, the British didn’t learn anything from Cadillac’s mistakes leaving the Germans alone to carry the torch. The Germans now own the luxury car market & Cadillac is lucky to have a window in China. Tesla on the other hand? That’s a fad.
IceDree, what part of “I think he’s the wrong person for the job” translates into “I hate him”? That’s illogical as well as incorrect.
As to him being a marketing guy, here’s a snippet from GM’s own bio about him (gm.com): “… de Nysschen holds an MBA in marketing and finance from the University of Pretoria and a bachelor’s degree in commerce and economics from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. A motorcycle and performance automobile enthusiast…”
My comment regarding the desire for cars that can do 150 mph on the Nurburgring Nordschleife is appropriate FOR JDN, in that he’s “a performance automobile enthusiast” per his GM bio. He also has said in numerous interviews, including one last September in the New York Times, that he wants ALL Cadillacs to be “drivers cars” which is code for “performance” or so-called “enthusiast” cars. Meaning that track times are more important to him than The Cadillac Ride, of which he is unfamiliar anyway, as a South African who thinks BMW’s are best.
When JDN was at Infiniti of Japan, he was well-known for wanting to make them the BMW of Japan. They guy actually has a very simple playbook, move the HQ (Detroit to Herndon VA for Audi USA, Tokyo to Hong Kong for Infiniti, Detroit to New York City for Cadillac), rename the vehicles with a simple and repetitive letter number scheme (for Infiniti it was make all cars start with Q) imitate BMW as much as possible (including specs and styling), and create super-duper versions of a mainstream sedan.
That latter idea JDN tried to develop at Infiniti as the “Eau Rouge” (named after a famous European racetrack) which was canned after JDN left Infiniti, and in the 640 hp CTS-V for Cadillac. It’s not true that JDN hasn’t made his mark on Cadillac yet. Interestingly, after JDN left Infiniti and they decided not to further develop the “Eau Rouge”, JDN publicly derided Infiniti and their Japanese engineers for being more interested in luxury than performance. As if he knew more about the Japanese luxury market than the Japanese themselves. So yes, we do know where JDN intends to take Cadillac, and it’s in the German/BMW direction, not the American (i.e. historical Cadillac) or Japanese direction.
It remains to be seen whether German cars are a fad. It seems to me that hard-riding “performance” vehicles are not well-suited to the affluent market, except in terms of “bragging rights” which eventually will be viewed as silly – like an old guy with hair dye. Germans have only had the number one luxury brand in the USA since 2011, which is Mercedes Benz, with Lexus just a hair behind. And the upcoming Audi A8, even as interesting as it looks, is not a feel-the-road “driver’s car” but is intended as a large comfortable-riding car, the kind of car Cadillac used to build (and dominated that market).
So even the Germans might be moving away from “German-like” track/sports luxury cars, toward the type of cars that Cadillac used to build. Yet JDN is not only intent on imitating German cars, he’s intent on imitating prior generation German cars, the so-called “drivers cars”, built to prior generation German class specs. That’s not a recipe for Cadillac leadership or success, IMO – but we’ll see. BTW, I do expect the FWD Cadillac XT4 to sell quite well, but I don’t think it’s where JDN ultimately intends to take the brand. It’s not “performance” enough for his taste, IMO.
Drew,
Non-M car BMW’s are not “hard riding”. You ought to drive one sometime. It might be eye opening.
I too think Cadillac needs to look to their own past for inspiration rather than looking at BMW’s present but I don’t extend that recommendation to suspension tuning. A Cadillac with the finely calibrated suspension tuning of a BMW, which almost magically is both comfortable and engaging to drive, should absolutely be the goal.
I wonder if Drew has even driven a CTS or CT6.? It is entirely possible to have both a very smooth and comfortable cadillac ride and excellent handling. The magnetic ride control makes it a reality. I experience everyday on my 120 miles of commuting. Previous car was a A6 Premium and the CTS is a better riding and handling car. Cadillac has that calculus solved. They win the chassis engineering award. But….they are not even close in interior quality.
I was just taken to the Stuttgart airport in a 2018 A8 VIP car and it is on a different planet then the CT6 in terms of interior design and execution and made my CTS seem like a rent-a-chevy.
That being said, the CT6 is a major step in the right direction, but it lakes sophistication and the understated elegance of the A8. I would say the CT6 is very close to the 2017 A6 and I think that is a much accurate comparo as Cadillac has yet to release a car in the A8 class.
P.s. I hope they never put a scent jar in the Caddie, that’s just tacky.
Other Dan, apparently a comfortable ride is a relative experience. Compared to today’s jarring rides, maybe to you a CTS or CT6 seems smooth and comfortable. Compared with Cadillacs of the past, it is not. That’s especially disappointing the in the current “flagship” CT6.
Don’t take my word for it, how about JD Power’s review of the CT6? Published on October 15, 2016, on page 11 under “Driving Dynamics” is the quote: “Normal, Sport, and Snow/Ice driving modes adjust the car’s response, but even in Normal mode the CT6 feels too taut and stiff. Choose Sport mode and the steering is excessively heavy while the suspension delivers an almost brittle ride quality. Cadillac would do well to calibrate a Comfort driving mode, one supplying gentle throttle tip-in, light and effortless steering, and the wafting ride that affluent passengers may prefer.”
GM’s MRC is an interesting tool, unfortunately they use it to make an excessively stiff car bearable, rather than to give a car of normal (for today) stiffness a nice cushy “Cadillac Ride”. So instead of using it to improve ride quality, they are essentially using it to improve “handling” while keeping ride quality bearable.
I’m not saying that Cadillac couldn’t use MRC to yield a better ride, the type they used to deliver, they just don’t choose to do that. Apparently you haven’t been in any smooth/comfortable riding Cadillacs if you think the CTS and CT6 deliver on that. But it’s obviously not a goal at today’s Cadillac, which chooses to ignore its own history, in favor of copying BMW.
I think my brother’s mint condition 1973 Caddilac DeVille in Viridian Green Firemist, that I have driven often, counts as a classic “Cadillac Ride” experience. Do you agree? So did my Granpa’s 1982 DeVille.
I don’t know anything about you, but I’m 100% sure that I’m Cadillac’s target demographic for the CT6 (5) and above (BMW, MB, Audi, and Jag’s as well). I can only speak for myself when I say that if Cadillac regresses back to the marshmallow ride (some call it smooth) of the 1970’s, I think they will be the laughing stock of the luxury car world and will die.
My last three cars; BMW 330Xi, Audi A6, and Caddilac CTS. I also drive MB E class almost every month when I travel to Stuttgart. I’ve driven harsh supercar around The Ring and I live in Colorado where the roads are both smooth and straight (I-25, E470) and total scheisse and curvey as hell. I think I’m fairly qualified to judge luxary car ride quality and to compare German cars to a Caddilac and I assure you, the Cadillac is a much different ride quality and drive experience than all of them.
You have your opinion formed from your web research and the opinion of others; I have mine based on ownership and driving +20K miles a year. I guess that’s the difference.
I for one am glad JDN is running Caddilac. I’m not thrilled with the move to NYC (I visited Caddilac House – not impressed).
I love the Escala concept and think the interior design is heading in the right direction, but instead of relo of HQ, they should take a hard look at the dealerships and ower experience. 95% of the dealerships are just plain dull and tired and uninspiring places. A bolt-on Caddilac dealership next to another GM brand is just not a formula for success in the luxury market.
Here’s the inconvenient truth…if you’re looking for the old Caddliac ride, you’re not really a luxury car buyer in today’s market. Most luxury cars outside of RR and Maybach will never ever have those rides dynamics again.
“Other Dan” wrote: “Here’s the inconvenient truth…if you’re looking for the old Caddliac ride, you’re not really a luxury car buyer in today’s market. Most luxury cars outside of RR and Maybach will never ever have those rides dynamics again.”
Based on what? Your crystal ball? You say you are the “target demographic” for Cadillac. Which is soothsayers? Whatever you imagine yourself as target demographic to be, it’s obviously not very big or profitable. Not the Cadillac of greatness, that ruled the US luxury market for so long, and was the subject of so many songs. Look at the sales trend and market share. Perhaps you love exactly what Cadillac builds today, but this is a business, and as a business the numbers say it’s a failure – especially when compared with its own history.
Today’s stiff rides (relative to the past) for luxury cars are simply a fad brought on by the Germans. Same for the low-profile, large wheeled tires of today. Fads come and go. Human physiology has not changed from the days of the plush Cadillac ride. Most people today don’t even know what’s possible, so they don’t know what they are missing. Cadillac dropped the ball in part because they didn’t sell The Cadillac Ride as a benefit. They allowed the professional auto press to define the hard German ride as “better”, and the public was figuratively taken for a ride.
However, the trend could easily turn from here, but it appears that today’s Cadillac management will be lagging instead of leading, particularly as they have doubled down by letting JDN rule the roost in favor of nothing but “driver’s cars” as he hopes to make Cadillac in the future.
Here’s something for you to chew on, regarding the recently discussed, upcoming 2019 Audi A8. From the Forbes review:
“To improve ride comfort, Audi has introduced a 48-volt electromechanical suspension that adapts to changing road conditions in milliseconds, thanks to its potent processing power and the lack of hydraulic fluid (liquid-based systems react slower). In its most advanced state, the dampers use cameras to ‘read’ the road in front of the sedan and make suspension changes in real-time. With the ability to lift individual wheels, and the chassis, several inches independently, the A8 is literally able to proactively ‘float’ over speedbumps and potholes — it’s like riding on a magic carpet.”
Interestingly, the “magic carpet ride” is a phrase that used to be applied to all Cadillacs, until some geniuses decided that Cadillac should copy the harsh German “feel the road” ride. Of course “sporty” Cadillacs like the ATS, which go even further than BMW in delivering a harsh ride, have never sold well. Yet JDN is planning to make all future Cadillacs “driver’s cars” (per the September 2017 New York Times interview).
Perhaps the A8 – which has a boring design (and the front end looks like a fish puckering up to deliver a kiss) – will win over luxury buyers with its comfortable driving dynamics. And that trend may filter down to other luxury buyers at lower price points. If so, once again Cadillac will be going in the wrong direction, pursuing the old German driving experience, on the mistaken belief that “The Cadillac Ride” would never come back.
If Cadillac did return to the core values that made them the dominant luxury brand in the US market, for over 50 years (no not replicas of old cars, modern cars with Cadillac core values), they could once again lead the trend instead of lagging it as an imitator. If they offered plush rides in all their cars again, they could be ahead of the trend that could be happening with the upcoming A8.
I’d like to see not only Cadillacs with former core values of reliability, refinement, bold angular styling, roomy comfortable ride, etc – but they should also boldly sell these features instead of acting embarrassed by them, regardless of what the professional auto press “enthusiasts” want. I could imagine a commercial with someone like Clay Matthews III, saying “After a hard hitting game, I appreciate the experience of my smooth comfortable Cadillac”. With video showing him in a hard-hitting football game, then enjoying his smooth roomy Cadillac. Not everyone needs to feel like they are a zig-zagging NASCAR driver, while going from here to there in their luxury car.
The solution you present is exactly what cause the marque to become an also-ran in the luxury car arena.
If they can’t get their quality ratings up what diff does it make what the put out.
As it should be for General Motors . That is a page from the past that actually worked and helped not only Cadillac’s image but helped sell cars too .
GM needs to start to treat their luxury brand better , other car makers do and just maybe JDN will help start the turnaround Cadillac needs so badly . It’s also AMERICA’S luxury division .
i would gladly give up 90% of this technology for great design. give me an honest vehicle. something reliable, well-built and beautiful with very good performance. something that i’ll be happy to have 10, 20 years down the road.
on the other hand if i’m leasing, pack as much technology as that car can handle because in a few years, it’ll be comparatively obsolete and i’ll move on to the next big thing being hyped.
Steve,
You have a very valid point. It’s been noticed recently, and written about, that an unusually high percentage of not-very-old, high-end luxury cars like the Mercedes S-Class are sitting in salvage yards because their trailblazing high-tech componentry has failed and is too costly to repair. This renders the entire car useless. Whereas cars like the S-Class with its one-time tank-like construction and over-engineered parts would, in the past, seemingly last forever, now they’re being salvaged early because of failed/obsolete electronics that cost more to repair than the cars’ not-so-well-heeled third owners can afford to spend.
I wonder what fate may lie ahead for the current ultra-tech S-Class in 15 years. By their very nature, a used S-Class tends to be purchased by status seekers who could never afford a new one and will be unable to pay a $14,000 repair bill to restore functionality to a critical electronic system.
Perhaps Cadillac would be wise to build cars more like Mercedes used to make (Engineered Like No Other Car in the World) than like the tech-laden cars they make today.
Steve, great point. Cadillac became the #1 luxury car in the USA for 50 years (post WWII through 1998) in part by being RELIABLE and REFINED. When you offer “the latest technology”, you risk something like the troubled, brand-impairing V8-6-4 engine.
Let the Germans have the overengineered cars, where sheer number of gears matter to those wanting “bragging rights”, never mind if they are jerky and unreliable, and the high number of gears doesn’t really matter to the typical customer in terms of driveability.
It actually would make more sense to try out the questionable technology on other GM brands first. Then add it to Cadillac if and when the bugs are worked out. To my thinking, reliability is a luxury feature. If you are rich and pay the high price for a Cadillac, you should expect fewer trips to the dealer for repairs, not more. Again, if Cadillac wants to separate itself from the Germans, offer the reliability that they don’t have, as they are constantly chasing the latest performance technology, whether it’s actually helpful in a luxury car or not.
Luxury car business is an evolving door. Cars advance each generation, you can not expect cars to be stale for each generation. Look at the 70’s and 80’s gen. Cadillacs. Although, some were beautiful, they made no advancements to nothing especially the reliability and quality. Cadillac started to add fancy features and technology in the early to mid 90s.
If people don’t want all the fancy doo-dads, Cadillac will be happy to sell you a base model. A good percentage of trims people own are Luxury models which has a good amount of features. So, you do have a choice of base, Luxury, Premium-Luxury and Platinum.
And people who own pre-own luxury cars like the S Class, A8 and etc should do research and home work before buying especially for those who don’t have the income to afford to get them fix in the first place.
Actually I think Cadillac should not offer “base” models, the way they do today with models like the base ATS and CTS, both which have vinyl seats and halogen headlights. Of course luxury is an evolving process as technology becomes available, I did not mean that Cadillac should be making cars with 1970’s technology.
Cadillac should have minimum standards to call something a Cadillac, thus they shouldn’t offer base models with cheap stereos, etc. They also should not be offering low-powered Cadillacs like the current base CT6; especially if that’s Cadillac’s flagship, they should not be offering stripped versions of it. Give every CT6 the benefit of rear wheel steering, a strong engine, maybe even all get the Panaray speaker system.
On the other hand, I don’t think Cadillac needs to be the first with an unproven 12 gear transmission, or something like that. They already seem to have problems with their 8 gear transmissions. Maybe try those out with other GM brands before giving it to Cadillac, just to make sure it works reliably and in a refined way, worthy of the Cadillac name.