The 2021 Cadillac Escalade will not be available in China via official channels.
The possibility of the Escalade, along with other GM full-size SUVs, being sold in China was raised by GM Executive Vice President and President of GM China, Julian Blissett, during a press conference at the 2020 China International Import Expo (CIIE). “We are studying various market plans for these models, including online sales, leasing and others,” the executive said at the time, though he stopped short of revealing full details or indicating a release schedule. It now seems that studying market plans is as far as the idea got.
“We used the CIIE event last year to promote GM’s capability in building a variety of products for diversified demand in the market,” Cadillac China spokesperson, David Ni, told GM Authority in a statement. “Currently there is no plan to import the Escalade to China. The Cadillac products we sell in China are all localized.”
The Cadillac products Mr. Ni is referring to are the Cadillac XT4, Cadillac XT5 and Cadillac XT6 crossovers, along with the Cadillac CT4, Cadillac CT5 and Cadillac CT6 luxury sedans (the latter was discontinued in North America but still popular in China). In other words, every vehicle (plus the CT6) the GM luxury brand sells in the U.S. with the exception of the Cadillac Escalade. All of them are built at the Cadillac Jinqiao plant in Pundong, Shanghai. The factory was opened on January 21st 2016, and also produces some Buick models for the local market.
Crucially, the Cadillac Escalade is only built at the GM Arlington plant in Texas. This is very much a factor in GM’s decision to not offer the Escalade in China, since the Asian country prefers cars sold within its borders to be built there too, either by local or by joint-venture companies. Vehicles that are not built locally in the country but imported from elsewhere are subject to a very hefty import tariff. As we write this, not a single GM China plant has the ability to build vehicles on body-on-frame GM vehicles, such as the Escalade, along with its various stable mates based on the GM T1 platform.
Selling the Escalade in China would have made good business sense because the country’s wealthier citizens are increasingly showing an interest in buying large utilities and luxury vehicles in general. China is also the only country in the world outside of North America to have expressways and urban highways compatible with the Super Cruise semi-autonomous driver assistance system, which is one of the Escalade’s several highlight features.
It’s possible that the fifth-generation Escalade will in fact be seen on these and other Chinese roads, even if GM China has nothing to do with it officially. Chinese Cadillac dealers have imported previous generations of the vehicle directly from the U.S. in response to customer demand, and may do the same with the current model.
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This post was created in collaboration with our sister publication, Cadillac Society.
Comments
Now where is the announcement that the ChiCom made Envision will not after all be sold in the US? GM, total sell outs!
“the Asian Country prefers [DEMANDS] cars sold within it’s borders BE BUILT THERE TOO….Vehicles that are NOT built locally within the country but imported from ELSEWHERE [i.e. Arlington Texas] are subject to a VERY HEFTY IMPORT TARIFF.”
Do you get it YET indoctrinated globalist millennials??? The CCP is “gonna eat our lunch” as your new God Dementia Joe Biden was quoted saying after his recent lengthy apology & concession call to the CCP Dictator.
Do even the clueless out of touch to their customers GM bra$$ under Queen MaryB in that Ivory Tower in Detroit get the CCP Plan?!!!? Build the Buick Envision ANYWHERE but China you idiots!!!
hope is, the US will finally start to get the world to boycott Chinese products ,they protect there economy but don’t follow patent laws ,steal tech and make it there cheaper. Walmart is the USA biggest company yet sells 92 %of there products from china,they support china. and Chinese jobs! americans should boycott walmart til they buy products from US or at least countries of allies.Americans want to save a dime at there own expense!
Well said DB. Walmart & Bed Bath & Beyond are huge CCP China importers. BTW there are MANY other options for 1000’s of household products NOT made in CCP China. Take a few shopping minutes to find them. When CCP comes back to earth, IF EVER in our lifetimes, then by all means have at their cheap crap.
So it was never official the Escalade was going to China in the first place?
> Vehicles that are not built locally in the country but imported from elsewhere are subject to a very hefty import tariff.
That’s not really true. There is a system of export credits where you can swap the value of an exported vehicle with the tariffs and duties on imported vehicles. Otherwise GM would never have considered the Escalade at all.
There are other issues, like the fact that the Escalade exceeds the width regulations for cars in some provinces – you need a truck licence to drive it.
Grow a pair GM.
Another wasted opportunity. Not only China has the better roads than the US also hosts the second most millionaires right behind the US and they multiply constantly. And you’re so impotent and afraid to enter that market with a luxury vehicle ,while Chinese dying to buy any status symbol luxury item and while other car brands produce larger, more luxurious China specific versions of their vehicles. Whatta loser company. I don’t believe this company will ever turn around its business whether transition to electric or Mr. Fusion.
Meanwhile Mercedes, Bentley, Land Rover and other luxury vehicle makers import hundreds of thousands of vehicles to China and sold out. Somehow they don’t care about high import taxes.