Just a few years ago, the Cadillac Europe vehicle lineup was relatively broad, as the luxury brand offered a range of models that included the ATS-V, CTS-V, XT5, CT6, and the previous-generation Cadillac Escalade (2015 through 2020 model years). Now, however, there’s only one Cadillac model on offer in Europe – the Cadillac XT4 crossover.
It’s a rather sad state of affairs compared to the range of models seen in years past. As it stands now, the rest of Cadillac’s current vehicle lineup, which includes the CT4, CT5, XT5, XT6, and next-generation 2021 Cadillac Escalade, are all missing.
The Cadillac XT4 launched in the U.S. and China for the 2019 model year, but didn’t launch in Europe until October 10th of the 2020 calendar year for the 2021 model year. The reason behind the delay is the engine – given that the European car market is dominated by diesel powerplants, Cadillac Europe needed an oil burner for the mainstream luxury segment. As such, Caddy developed the all-new turbodiesel 2.0L I4 LSQ specifically for sale in Europe.
2.0L I4 LSQ diesel engine for Cadillac Europe
Specs for the LSQ include 170 horsepower and 380 Nm (280 pound-feet) of torque. The Cadillac Europe XT4 also comes with a unique “350D” badge on the trunk as a nod to the torque figure, per the brand’s latest naming convention. The LSQ is Euro 6 emissions compliant.
As it’s understood, the rest of the Cadillac model range was never developed with the new diesel engine. And although it would be possible to do so, such an undertaking would require additional resources and financial burdens for validation and testing purposes.
For the moment, Cadillac Europe does not have any immediate plans to expand its model lineup, or to offer the LSQ engine in any other model past the XT4 crossover. That said, the luxury brand may leverage its upcoming deluge of all-electric models to expand in the European market. To note, the first Cadillac EV out the gate, the Lyriq crossover, is scheduled to hit the U.S. in about 24 months.
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Comments
Interesting take.
First the current state is called “sad” because there is only one current offering.
Then the former offerings are listed.
Then the fact that appropriate powerplants were not available for those models is given as the reason of low/no sales. Logical.
One appropriate offering is certainly better than several with limited appeal, I should think. In Europe, electric will be the defining factor. I’m sure Cadillacs future electrics will be offered eventually.
I am still of the opinion that you cannot be a Tier One Luxury Division with literally zero presence in Europe.
GM is about to miss a Golden Opportunity with the Huge Shift to EV’s in the European Market.
They are always so short sighted with the Cadillac Brand hence why Cadillac is where they are right now.
Just what makes you say that Cadillac is missing an opportunity? How often have there been items discussing all the new EV’s in the pipeline?
The opportunity is that Cadillac allegedly is shifting to an EV maker and Europe will only allow EV’s to be sold very soon and GM/Cadillac have no Network in Europe. Not sure what your question is sorry.
I always laughed at GM that there were almost no dealers in Europe. It’s not something surprising of Course because noone wants to cooperate with such a chaotic irresponsible company and lose money. However I had last hope when dealer (Cadillac/Infiniti) in leipzig was opened – the one that looked finally up to premium brand standards. Now after whole Infiniti is axed, this dealership (and a few other dealers in Europe) is left with one single Cadillac vehicle! Who the f*** runs GM/Cadillac?!? Barra You and Your predecessors are responsible for damaging the Last remains of Cadillac reputation in Europe. Why didn’t You kill it completely when there was time to do it? You have members of Your family working for Cadillac Europe or what? What will You do to help those few dealers that are left without basically any cars to sell, that invested money and hired people?
I love Cadillac, but when i talk to Euro techs or German car owners they basically spit on the brand. EV might change that but Caddy is pretty much a joke in the Euro car buyers mindset.
I’d wager that Cadillac is not considered a Tier One Luxury Brand here in North America. No large sedan, no coupe(s), sedan offerings that are segment dropouts – only luxury brand I can recall that pushed it’s followup models (CT4/5 downmarket) – and CUVs that are wall flowers at best.
It’s pretty much a joke here as well.
Ask your friends what they thought about Audi in the 80’s and 90’s.
You gotta Pay to Play and GM was never willing.
Even us US Cadillac owners think Cadillac is a joke !
Cadillac is always trying to save a buck, and with Cadillac it costs then 100 bucks !
This is the fault of General Motors CEO Mary Barra as she should have known what was necessary and Cadillac just can’t compete; it would be different if there were hybrids except Barra had a distain for hybrids.
It all boils down to target marketing. And GM has only itself to blame for poor sales performance and missed opportunities.
Mary Bara is to blame. She has no taste and style, but is woke.
What’s the point?
1 model and a handful of dealers for all of Europe.
The brand has zero legacy is unknown to 99.9% of the population and has to compete with strong well known and loved luxury brands.
And is it an exciting new revolutionary electric car?
Nope, a dated overpriced diesel full of cheap plastic.
An ice engine that will be banned in 10 years time.
All the money spend in the development of this engine is a total waste!
They should have waited 2 years, and do a full relaunch of the brand with only electric offerings.
This will only make them look like fools, running a cheap budget brand.
Of course Cadillac of Europe is a lightweight, they have no consistency. IMO at least have a KD factory on that continent so when a car arrives from the States the Europeans can customize their cars for buyers. It’s no reason why the CT4,5 and even CT6 isn’t available there. OTOH GM profits do come from S/A, N/A and Asia but they still have an opportunity in other markets.
Delusional GM miss management thinks Cadillac is a global brand….
Delusional GM miss management thinks Cadillac is world class using jacked up Chevys as there core.
Delusional GM miss management thinks Cadillac is a tier one brand, even after being cost cut to mediocrity!
Delusional GM miss management thinks Cadillac is viable! Avery one here knows its in a death spiral of cost cuts and homogenization and is nothing but a styling punch line!
Delusional GM miss management thinks Cadillac needs to end Alfa like they killed Omega to be successful..
I live in Spain and there are only two dealers that sell Cadillac in the whole country. And those dealers are also multibrand!!! There is also absolutely no publicity for Cadillac. That makes that 99% of the population isn´t even aware that Cadillac is for sale in Europe. In the rest of european countries it´s not different. I don´t see how GM expects to sell Cadillac that way. Diesel sales are also going down in Europe due to circulation restrictions in most major city centers that are oriented to privilege EV´s and hybrids. For example, this month hybrids and EV´s outsold diesels. Even gasoline engines are growing up in sales due that they have less restrictions than diesels. European market is changing so if Cadillac wants to be competitive in Europe, besides the intention of selling cars like the Lyriq or even better, the Celestiq, Cadillac needs to have a decent dealer network and publicity. The same goes for Chevrolet, who unexplainably left the euopean market and sells only the Corvette in a couple of multibrand dealers with zero publicity.
This is really sad, specially when a decade ago, GM was number 1 sales company worlwide and competed directly with Toyota and VW who keep being sales worldwide leaders. As an owner of an Opel Ampera/Chevrolet Volt, one of the best cars I ever owed and european car of the year in 2012, I just can ask: What the hell happened to GM to become just a poor shadow of what it once was?
The current batch of inept disappointing soulless bureaucrats ruining GM is what is happening to make GM the impotent shadow of what it once was! That your answer….
what happened? poor management decisions and specifically Mary Barra
So Europe Cadillac is in a “sad state” How about USA Cadillac? They discontinued the only unique car they had: CT6
and now there is nothing that makes Cadillac unique from the rest of the GM line. They are forcing me to buy Kraut or Jap to get a full sized sedan.
Well said….. Once the Alpha cars are scraped there will be nothing left of Cadillac. Sorry GM not going to go from a CT6 to Chevy in “Disguise” SUV that you say is a Cadillac…..