Cadillac Will Shift Back To Real Model Names In 2022
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For those Cadillac fans out there frustrated by the premium brand’s current alphanumeric model naming conventions, good news – Cadillac is tipped to return to “real” names by 2022.
By “real” names, we mean names that aren’t some assembly of letters and numbers, like the Cadillac CT5 or Cadillac XT4, but rather, an actual name, like the Cadillac Escalade. According to recent reports, the alphabet soup naming convention of today will be phased out as new models are introduced in the future.
The news comes to us from an interview with Reuters, in which Cadillac chief Steve Carlisle indicated that Cadillac will use names for its future electric models, ditching the current alphanumeric naming convention used today.
“Escalade is an awesome name,” Carlisle told Reuters.
Cadillac went to a letter-based naming convention in the early 2000s with the CTS and SRX, while the current alphanumeric structure (CT# for sedans, XT# for crossovers) was adopted in 2014. The Cadillac Escalade is currently the only Cadillac model that doesn’t follow this alphanumeric naming convention.
It’s believed that the upcoming all-electric Cadillac crossover previewed earlier this year will be the first out the gates with the new naming convention.
In an interview with Car and Driver, Cadillac spokesperson Katie Minter said that the names could also pull from Cadillac’s heritage.
We certainly would prefer real names over alphanumeric names, as the former would offer a chance to make a model stand out from the crowd and give it more attitude, rather than labeling it like some sort of appliance.
What classic Cadillac names would you like to see make a return? Let us know in the comments, and make sure to subscribe to GM Authority for more Cadillac news and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Source: Reuters
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Here we go again!!! But then in one way, I’m on board. I liked JDN except for his adoption of soulless alphanumeric nomenclature.
CTS and ATS were anchored and well known only to be up-ended with CT5/4. Totally useless.
With regards to using classic names, ‘DON’T. Why? Those nameplates were harmed beyond repair with below par vehicles in the 80’s/90’s. If Cadillac did bring the marques back, the vehicles would have to be executed beyond ill-repute. Something that I doubt the brand can do any longer.
Hard pill to swallow, but the North American market isn’t a priority for Cadillac anymore; China is. I strongly suspect that bringing back the nameplates is more so for the latter. We are just along for the ride.
None of this matters as long as GM is unwilling to invest the resources it takes for Cadillac to be Standard of the World again. As you said, execution is key
People say Cadillac should stop competing with the Germans, but they forget how the Germans took over in the first place:
During the 80’s and 90’s, GM cheapened Cadillac into gussied-up FWD Chevrolets. Real names didn’t save them. The Germans cleaned house anyway.
Unless the cost-cutting and rushed product ends with the XT4/5/6, real names won’t save them this time either.
@Curtnik.
+100
At this juncture, real names are such a small insignificant step. Product and brand perception are primary and thus far, Cadillac is riding the CUV wave with ok product at best. But its current offerings are not of the caliber that would return it to Standard of the World.
Well put. I agree.
Elmiraj Velocé
This is fantastic news but their timing sux!
With the upcoming roll out of the CT4/5 they “could” rename them and once they go their mid cycle refresh perhaps name them CT4 – LeMans, CT-5 Seville, then drop the CT crap when replacements come. They need to start now IMO. Could this mean the CT6 is actually to be renamed and kept???? I really hope so… this encourages me that “someone” is listening and reading the social media post…
In terms of the CT6, MotorTrend (the king of panic-inducing auto “news”) had a story on the new Escalade where they asked Mary Barra about the CT6. Here’s a portion of it:
“As Escalade leads the Cadillac portfolio, how important is the CT6 as a flagship sedan in a truck world?
Cadillac is redefining its lineup and what constitutes a flagship, Barra says. The CT6 retains importance, largely due to its tech, the Blackwing engine, and Super Cruise. ‘I’ve never seen a feature on a car have so much customer interest,” says Barra of Super Cruise. “Over 90 percent of customers are saying, ‘I either wouldn’t buy another car without this or I would strongly prefer it.’ Rarely do you have that strong of a reaction.’
The CT6 remains strong in China and is built there for the domestic market. Asked if the CT6 could become a China-only product in the future, Barra said she continues to evaluate what the market wants and needs and what makes sense over the long term.
For now, there are orders to be filled and enough inventory to sell the CT6 through the end of 2020 in the U.S. GM will stop building the recently refreshed CT6 in the Hamtramck plant next month. GM could decide to shift assembly to another plant, such as Lansing Grand River that makes the CT4 and CT5 sedans. ‘We can look at what makes sense,’ Barra says.”
“https://www.motortrend.com/news/2021-cadillac-escalade-debut-february-4-lead-oscars/
Take from that what you will. If the CT6 by some act of God survives (as its arguably the best car Cadillac has built in the last 50 years), maybe they can rename it:
Cadillac Elmiraj?
I like Escala, but too close to “Escalade.”
Thanks for the link. I may buy one and if I do I’ll get some Fleetwood emblems on line and replace CT6 with them…. its what is should always have been called. Fleetwood went through some bumps but its not “cimarron” or “catera”.. it has strong heritage and name rec… I really hope they keep this candle burning…
Me too xjug, its a hell of a car, probably one of the best in the entire GM lineup since the 70’s. I would absolutely love to buy a 2020 Platinum with the Blackwing V8, I don’t have anywhere near that kind of money though. I’m content with waiting about 8-10 years, let depreciation hit, see how reliable it is, and then pull the trigger. If I were you I’d definitely buy one, get some custom Fleetwood badges, and call it a day!
You already know, “Fleetwood” or “Brougham”!!
I’ve always loved the El Mirage name and Ciel.
I just hope if Cadillac does bring back classic names like Deville and the likings, that they are on vehicles that are worthy of the name. Because you can bring back wonderful names like the Fleetwood, but if the car looks hideous and doesn’t have Fleetwood dimensions, then what’s the point?
The names need to match the product. Lincoln had done a nice job on finally going back to their roots, and I am very happy and excited that Cadillac is finally doing the same.
About damn time I say!!
i don’t care about names but that is a lot of flip flopping. is cadillac still using “standard of the world” in its marketing materials? can anyone really say that with a straight face?
Trivia Time!
CTS = Catera Touring Sedan
DTS = Deville Touring Sedan
STS = Seville Touring Sedan
Cadillac has denied this, but I know a bit of behind-the-scenes info……
CTS was ALWAYS Cadillac Touring Sedan, FYI
No it was Catera.
Proof? Otherwise you’re wrong.. and keeping a loser name like Catera would be yet another stupid move…
@Law Guy: You are 100% correct. I was selling Cadillac’s at the time they went from the names to CTS, DTS, STS, etc. That was exactly what the product books said and the upper management sent out.
Yep,
Still have a CTS.
Had a 2005 SRX.
Had a 2006 STS.
Mom still has a Deville.
We knew what they meant.
I would like the name Eldorado return
Yes this name Eldorado, GM guy.
Very hard to put the Good Ship Cadillac on a new heading but this name change info is the first good news I have heard for a while from Cadillac. Now maybe buried In the deep inner sanctum of Cadillac there is life force that still burns from the magnificent body styles and unforgettable names of the past. Who is working in there anyways. Are there any true believers who were banished in favour of all these “let’s compete against the German manufacturers set” still around
Maybe they will emerge and be heard. As much as I like the performance of these cars I cannot get excited at all with the styling of any of the cars. (The SUV’s are another story)
After so many years of building the wrong Cadillacs, my opinion, will we see some new stying direction? I have hope but faith is on shakey ground. Time will tell.
Yes. As a coupe.
Ahhhh! The Eldorado….Now they were beautiful.
Eldorado! Perhaps I would use it for a ‘top of the top’ trim like Mulliner at Bentley or Autobiography at Land Rover.
To think that the CT6 was originally supposed to be LTS. I think it would’ve fit in well with CTS and ATS.
Actually, LTS was a later name choice. I read somewhere that the CT6 was supposed to be dubbed, DT7 and should have debuted for the 2013 model year, but was delayed due to the GM bankruptcy.
Come on Cadillac!
I’m getting hammered at my Holiday gatherings by the Lincoln Lovers!
“WhErE,s YoR bLaCkWiNg”
“DiD yOu HeAr AbOuT tHe XtS¿”
“tHeM V’s aIn’T V’s NoMo”
“iS SpAgHeTtIoS sTiLl nAmInG yOuR CaRs”
Throw me a freaking bone already
Good one!
I love gibberish. Especially when it makes sense?
Now I have to prove I’m not a robot.
I’ve complained about this before, but on my iPhone, looking at fuzzy 1990’s pictures to prove I’m not a robot is
annoying ?
– Who makes these decisions?
– Why wait until 2022 when you have multiple new generations of cars launching pretty soon? They could’ve renamed the XT6 before it went on sale, same with the CT4 & CT5.
– What names do they exactly have in mind? They ran all of them to ground & they’ll bring unnecessary baggage.
– Will Steve Carlisle even be round by 2022? Highly unlikely.
Sigh, another throw everything at all the wall & see what sticks.
Good points. But 2022 is only one and a half model years away. But I do agree that the CT4 and CT5 should have been (or still could be) named with proper good names.
Yup.
They keep putting new dishes in the cupboard hoping to make the food taste better.
Just make good/ great food, and the name doesn’t matter. Although, if (IF) they follow through with going back to real names, I’m all for it. Even ceiling fans have names!!!
STICK WITH A PLAN FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS…GM. You are confusing buyers with your ship pointing in a different direction every 5 years.
If you don’t know where you’re going or who you are, how do you expect the buying public to know what the (F) you’re doing or what you stand for?
Can you imagine a person you know, changing their look and name every 5 years? Would you even know which “one” of those was the real person?
As I’ve stated before, GM is Bipolar.
And, yes. I grew up a GM fan. But…….???
Once again we have proof that no one at Cadillac knows wtf they are doing. Although this is a good idea the execution will be a big strikeout if they attempt to resurrect the dead.
True.
Going backwards does not lead you forward. New names are needed.
Not everyone needs to be called BOB, again. Especially, if BOB made some mistakes along the way (Cadillac’s) cheap/ joke 80’s and 90’s products.
(Sorry to all the Bobs)!
Also, I love some of the names from the past that were meaningful, and applied to great design and class- leading product at the time. But, most of those names are only important to dead people!
New names, to create a new history…please.
NOT A ROBOT- GM Authority?
The problem is names or numbers don’t matter if the product is not right.
Product defines the name or number not the other way around.
The big problem is Cadillac has been run by committee through the board for too long. The board puts a puppet in place to try to sell tarted up Chevys as Cadillacs.
Cadillac has really only had one true leader in JDN and he had them headed in the right direction. But then they go back to the same old formula of failure.
The other issue is the name equity of the past models have suffered greatly. Fleetwood really was diminished in the last years of used as just a fancy Caprice.
Same for the other names.
Cadillac needs to be set apart more than just adding more options and chrome to a Chevy. This formula killed Pontiac.
This is the problem they don’t stick with anything- Escalade!! The one thing that they stuck with is still a success. 3 Series C- Class A4 Lexus ES.. Need I name more they need to figure it out this is clearly a brand in crisis. I have personally owned each CTS generation including an ATS. The CTS IMHO was building name recognition it was known for being a well handling sport sedan. 2003 -2019 16 years of brand cache. MB/BMW/Lexus go much further back it takes time to build a name that a company can leverage and consumers get behind. I’m loosing it with GM and how the are fat fingering this brand. I promise I will not purchase an Eldorado, Fleetwood or Deville when my lease is up Cadillac!!!
I agree, I own a 2016 CTS and that name has some brand equity, though not to the level of Escalade. The CTS was a relatively good seller during its first and second generation runs.
I don’t mind the current alpha-numeric nomenclature, but Cadillac needs to decide on a strategy and stick with it. A really good name won’t help sell a car much, but a really bad name will certainly hurt it. “Cadillac Stink Bug” is a bad name, for example. I think the CT6 is a great car and I believe it has many fans on GM Authority. Some say it’s the best sedan Cadillac has ever produced. If that exact same vehicle was called “Deville,” would it change our perception of it? I don’t know but maybe some marketing experts can weigh in?
I don’t think using heritage names will matter much to current buyers because, as someone already pointed out, “Fleetwood” or “Deville” only mean something to dead people.
Eldorado!
All I can do is smile now. This is by far the best article on here I’ve read in some time. Maybe people at Cadillac are reading some posts and thinking. Now, let’s get some good names on some great cars!
I really could care less what GM calls any of there vehicles and I still can not believe that someone at GM thinks the name makes the vehicle.
What the h3ll is going on !!
Make a vehicle that people want, I bet you don’t even have to give it a name, people will be like, ” I want that thing ”
Cadillac you are dreaming if you think, you can make a EV in the same quality and reliability, and customer support, as you have done with Cadillac in the last 20 years, that a name will help !
It will not matter if you don’t build a vehicle your Customer wants, or potential customer wants.
Here is Cadillac, ONE MORE TIME,
Yeah the last great onslaught was supposed to be great, BUT,
you just,
Wait, and wait, and wait, and wait, and wait, and wait,
The next onslaught will be great.
It seems that Cadillac is still searching for its identity, after couple back and fourths I thought they finally figured it out but no. IMO there is nothing wrong with alphanumeric names and the current one is easy to identify a vehicle (unlike Lincoln was with its MK’s). Real names won’t make it better, it’ll just confuse people again and take long time to rebuild. Almost all luxury cars use alphanumeric names and are very successful. I have had 4 CTS’s and the only appealing Cadillac sedan right now is CT6, I’d rather have Cadillac to focus more on its products at this point then names.
Just imagine if Bentley or Rolls Royce started naming their cars alphanumerically? The prestige of the brands would be lost.
Would you rather be driven or get behind the wheel of a Rolls Phantom, or a Rolls ZVT? Alphanumerical names just doesn’t sound right on a Rolls, this is exactly the same situation that Cadillac has been in for the past 2 decades. When you go away from your heritage, it makes the brand look weak. By copying your competition naming convention makes you look even worse and unoriginal as well. Customers notice this too.
As a die hard Cadillac enthusiast, this has been the best news I’ve heard coming from Cadillac in years! I’m still pissed that the CT6 is being discontinued, but I hope sometime in the near future with their EV’s, another long wheelbase sedan will make a return and be worthy of a true Cadillac name again.
This here is +10
Perhaps the CT6 will remain in the lineup but be imported from China. It’s gotta be hella expensive to ship from China though.
Just as you, I was a diehard Cadillac Fan. The outgoing ATS and the CTS in V-Sport and V iterations were solid entries and could do no wrong in my opinion. My stomach flip-flopped in disappointment when the CT5 and CT4 were revealed. At that juncture it became quite clear that Cadillacs’ leadership was disconnected. And then I was no longer a fan. If anything though, I’m eyeballing an outgoing CTS-V for purchase.
I yearn for the Eldorado name again on a Cadillac–but I doubt will see a two door product from Cadillac in the near future worthy of that name.
Yet that would be a dream come true. You walk into a Cadillac showroom and your eyes take in the gleaming cars. There’s a new Eldorado. There’s a Fleetwood. There’s a two door! Your old man dad says, “Shit I never thought I would see the day again when a Cadillac owned the road again and made me want to finally buy another one”. You look at him and see someone who knew the time when these cars were the….you know this…..”The standard of the world”. The cars, when they look fabulous just sitting in a showroom, when that day happens again, then we will have come full circle. Not holding my breath but that’s from being subjected to the run of designs that are clever but lacking style and grace.
Ok so enough of the California dream in’. They don’t have to conquer the world. Just make a styling and performance statement that talks to people’s souls. Not easy but it can be done.
Again.
As I am quite happy to hear this news, I’ve come back and read the article once again to be sure I wasn’t dreaming! haha.
I notice numerous comments talking about GM/Cadillac not sticking with things. I certainly agree with that and I can only hope that they bring out some well thought out names, but more importantly they must stick with them no matter what. Jumping around does nothing for loyalty and helping possible clients understand who and what Cadillac is. Please Cadillac, bring out great products, give them great names and stick with them.