When Cadillac still used its old wreath and shield emblem, the brand’s logo was positioned in the center of the grille. The second-generation Cadillac CTS, the third-generation Cadillac Escalade and other vehicles from this era and prior all featured the logo in the center of the grille, but after the introduction of its simplified shield emblem, the logo was re-positioned to the upper portion, prompting some criticism from Cadillac fans.
Our sister site, Cadillac Society, recently spoke to a handful of Cadillac designers about the reasons behind the change and why the brand’s vehicles will likely continue to feature the logo in the upper portion of the grille.
The designers said overall design composition led to the decision to move the logo to the upper part of the grille. With the logo located in the center of the fascia between the two headlights, it helps create a natural horizontal line between the headlamps, visually connecting the two headlights for a more balanced, harmonious appearance. If the logo were positioned in the center of the grille, this alignment between the headlamps would be removed. The logo would also look like it was “falling” the designers said, as it would be located in the center of a large grille with no other major styling elements around it.
As Cadillac Society points out, this philosophy remains true so long as the fascia of a vehicle incorporates headlamp housings that are higher up on the vehicle’s front end. That characteristic is a common trait on with Cadillac’s latest design language, though, which uses a high mounted, horizontally-oriented headlamp housing for the primary lighting elements, along with a vertical accent light, which contains the Daytime Running Lights, turn signals and signature accents lights. As long as Cadillac continues to use this style of headlamp, the logo will likely remain where it is.
For greater perspective, Cadillac vehicles that fell under the first iteration of the brand’s Art & Science design language, like the first-generation Cadillac CTS, had much smaller grilles and smaller, vertically-oriented headlamps. The small grille was directly in line with the headlights, so those vehicles followed the same philosophy with regard to logo location and design composition as today’s Cadillac vehicles.
It will be interesting to follow along with how Cadillac implements its badge on future vehicles, especially with the automaker recently teasing a re-styled, light-up version of its logo on its electric crossover concept.
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This report was written in collaboration with our sister publication, Cadillac Society.
Comments
As a designer and artist myself, I totally agree. Not that it matters😬
Yawn.
Quoted from the article: “With the logo located in the center of the fascia between the two headlights, it helps create a natural horizontal line between the headlamps, visually connecting the two headlights for a more balanced, harmonious appearance.”
Isn’t that the job of the chrome or black trim along the top of the grille? So Cadillac is correct here and all the other brands have it wrong? I, for one, was selling the Cadillac’s in 2014 when they made this change and it started with the CTS and ATS. I didn’t like it then and I still don’t care for it now. Just looks like the person installing the emblem onto the grille came in drunk that morning. Stupid.
On another similar type of thing, I was driving yesterday and came up behind a brand new XT6. I really do like them and think they look terrific. However, I was behind it and had the chance to keep looking at the stupid “400” stuck to the rear hatch. So on the left it said “XT6” and on the right it had “400”. I said it before and will say it again. Totally stupid. Nobody will understand that. Everyone will think it’s the HP. If I were lucky enough to be able to afford a new XT6, the first thing I’d require to make the deal would be for the dealer to remove BOTH the XT6 and the 400 badge. Otherwise, it would be a deal breaker.
A clever idea, huh…lol. More confusion from, Cadillac.
I never buy a car with the Dealers name plastered anywhere. They either take it off, or, I walk.
I’m paying too much money to not get royalties for advertising the dealership. Won’t do it! Plus, It clutters up the design.
Off subject – I also won’t buy a car where the dealership does not let me take it for a drive by myself.
I don’t need some sales person sitting in the passenger seat, quacking away, while I’m trying to figure out if it’s the right vehicle for me.
My 2 rules…if you want my money👍
I thought I was the only person who does both of those things.
Drive it by myself.
And the first thing I do if they will not is remove any dealer logos.
I look at it this way, the dealer did not give me an advertising discount, why would I do it for free, and they are in the way logos !
I’m sure we’re not the only ones?
Sometimes, I sit in traffic and see the dealer’s stamping is on the rear of the car(along with all the (manufacture’s badges) and on both the front and back license plate surrounds. Some people don’t care, and that’s ok. But, not for me.
Also. Yeah. Give the car to me for a while without constant babbling in my ear so I can think and figure out the likes and dislikes and weigh my options without the “sales” chatter.
The last 2 new cars I bought: a Cadillac CTS. They let me take it home for the night. I bought it.
The Golf R, they gave it to me for the whole weekend. I bought it.
You aren’t the only ones for sure. I recall back in the day (all the way back to 1988) when I first got into sales at the Buick, Cadillac, GMC and Honda store. At that time, they would still drill two tiny holes and the (metal) dealer tag/name would be riveted on! Shortly after, due to that being a source of rust in the Illinois weather, they went to plastic name tags that applied with two-sided tape. At least you could easily remove those. Because I worked there, I did leave mine on, but it HAD TO BE in the best place and put on straight! I can’t tell you how many times I’d see those things on crooked.
Now fast forward to today and living in California. Out here, they don’t seem to use those name tags. However, they sure like the license plate surrounds. Those I hate and I never leave them on my car. Too cluttered and like the rest, they don’t pay me for advertising.
Yup!
In all my decades of buying new cars only once did I ever have a dealer’s logo on the trunk and that’s because it was just a Chrome sailboat with no name attached to it.
The article literally explained why the location of the emblem makes sense for Cadillac, they never spoke on what makes sense for everyone else or “what’s right or wrong” for “other companies” to do. It’s the right thing for Cadillac, and if you take a glimpse at the CT6 for example you’ll see how ridiculous it would look for the emblem to be centered smack dead in the middle of that massive grille.
It speaks volumes that something so minuscule and insignificant is even a complaint from Cadillac fans (boomers). This is by far, the most bitching and complaining customer base of all auto manufacturers. A bunch of old rambling cry babies that find an issue with nearly everything this company does or doesn’t do. My props to the Cadillac team for even addressing these ridiculous critiques and spending the time to provide an answer for something as unimportant as the location of the uncentered Cadillac emblem. Smh.
Secondly, the 400 badge is nothing different from the badges on Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, BMW, etc. who currently are doing very well in sales here in the states and haven’t had any complaints bout their nomenclature or the lack of understanding behind them. In actuality, Americans have become to understand them more over the years thanks to the imports being the normality. The “400” badge on the rear of the XT6 looks great. Not only does it make more sense, but I think it looks premium, and helps differentiate Cadillac from the rest of General Motors brands. People will complain no matter what you do, especially the boomers. That’s how I feel about it.
What does the 400 stand for anyway? I’ll have to look the next time I see one.
Too bad this did not translate to the Altima profile. Caddillac – taking one giant leap forward and 4 leaps backwards.
Go back to Ford Authority, bud.
Nah, like most of the products the site is out of service….
Failed On Race Day…….
Regarding the CT5, it does not matter where the badge is placed because this car is as homely as a mud fence.
Unfortunately for Cadillac they stuck too many consumers with the 8 speed transmission.This lawsuit covers almost G.M’s complete fleet of vehicles from 2015 to 2019..(trucks,suv’s cars) ..everything with the 8 speed automatic transmission.As these consumers trade their vehicles to another manufacturer over the next 1 to 5 years, it doesn’t really matter where G.M. sticks the badge .
I’m one with a POS 8 speed, and will be shopping next time rather than just picking another GM product.
They have fix now. Just need to get the new Transmission fluid flush, if that doesn’t help they will also replace the torque converted if it was damaged from the previous fluid.
I would imagine GM is going to fix most of these free of charge with the lawsuit pending.
GM is not the only manufacture with issues with Transmissions, honda, FCA, Ford to name a few.
I’ve tried their “fix” and their “fix II,” but it appears mine was damaged in the 2+ months I had to drive it each time waiting on service because the “fix” transmission fluid was being rationed due to high demand. I was outside of warranty (60k miles) when my issues started, so I’ve been 100% out of pocket thus far, and almost certainly will be with the likely rebuild that’s coming.
Currently, my 1-2 and 2-3 shifts are so hard they chirp the tires. I have to be extremely careful accelerating on a curve and/or when roads are wet for fear of the rear losing all traction and the truck spinning. Ironically, it only does it once it’s warmed up – the first 15 minutes of my commute is smooth…exactly opposite of the standard 8L90 complaint.
The truth is they did it just to give the anal obsessive compulsive people something to get gripe out about.
Hey it was just a stylists choice and what their vision was. It does not make the car better or worse. Just another non story.
@C8.R:
I get what you are saying, but can I ask you this: In your home, if you had a wall with some pictures on it and one day you come home and your other half decided that one new picture needed to be added, but they placed in totally out of symmetry, would it not bother you at least a little? Would you not ask them why they placed that one picture as such?
Yes, kind of a silly comparison, but for me the Caddy emblem being moved up higher as such just never looked correct. But what do I know. I may also be the only person on this site who doesn’t like the over-sized screens sitting on top of the dash, so maybe I’m one of the very few who cares about where the emblem is located. lol
These designers must be left overs from Johan’s tenure . The top of the grill surround has a bigger visual tie in to the headlights . With the current trend of automakers enlarging their grills , I think Cadillac needs to lower the crest a bit .
Then they can copy others and hide sensors behind the logo helping to hide the cameras and keep them clear .
Also hope Cadillac keeps the emblem as is and not get rid of it’s colors by going totally chrome like the fender badge and center caps on the wheels , and lighting the front badge would look tacky IMO .
Is this seriously worth an article?
Not really!
NO! Next week’s design insight moment: The relationship between exhaust trim size, taillights, and their associated alignment.
🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
And then…why the roof is on TOP of the car.
Gotta educate the masses😂
Front and center. Don’t hide it, make it stand out. I work two jobs to drive Cadillacs. The emblem means something to me!