The Cadillac Escalade is likely to arrive in China in the near future through the automaker’s newly established Chinese premium vehicle import business.
Cadillac Escalade at the China International Import Expo
GM has been bringing some of its American-made vehicles to the annual China International Import Expo (CIIE) over the past three years, gauging local interest in these products to determine if a business case exists to sell them locally. Executive Vice President and President of GM China, Julian Blissett, said last month that GM is now “actively preparing to build a new high-end import business in the country, which will allow popular models unveiled at CIIE to enter the Chinese market.” This will likely include models like the C8 Corvette Stingray, GMC Hummer EV and, as noted above, the Cadillac Escalade.
Chinese Cadillac dealers have previously imported previous generations of the Escalade directly from the U.S. in response to local customer demand, but this will mark the first time the vehicle will be sold there officially. Blisset said in 2020 that the Escalade was being evaluated for the Chinese market, though a GM spokesperson later confirmed the plans had been taken off the table, with the automaker electing to focus on the vehicles it produces locally in China. Now, with GM now more interested in launching a premium vehicle import business there, the Cadillac Escalade once again looks as though it may be headed for the Chinese market.
The Cadillac Escalade is only built at the GM Arlington plant in Texas, so imported models will have a long way to travel. There are currently no GM plants in China that have the ability to build body-on-frame GM vehicles like the Escalade, so manufacturing it locally is not an option at the moment. While imported vehicles are subject to extremely high import tariffs in China, American GM vehicles sold there will be marketed to wealthier buyers who are willing to pay a premium for an exclusive foreign product.
GM Authority will continue to follow this story as it develops. For now, be sure to subscribe to GM Authority for more Cadillac Escalade news, Cadillac news and around-the-clock, around-the-world GM news coverage.
Comments
Ni Hao
Racist much?
Ni Hao is how to say Hello in Chinese idiot.
I knew that was you weasel.
Chinamen will love it with all the room to hall their pangolins!
GM can’t satisfy the US demand for these. Dealers sit with almost nothing on their lots. Why worry about a Country that hates us when you have Americans wanting product. Doesn’t make sense.
Unfortunately, corporations follow the money, not the flag !
“American” companies like GM, GE, Whirlpool, and others, have US mailing addresses and some people in the offices. More and more, if you want your friends and neighbors to have jobs, you buy goods from companies based in Korea (Hyundai, KIA, Kumho, etc), Japan (Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, Bridgestone/Firestone, etc), Germany (BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes, Continental, etc), France (Michelin/Uniroyal/BFG), or Great Britain (Unilever, and I think Pillsbury).
Because GM is now at a point where when China says “jump”, GM asks how high.
I absolutely agree, I ordered an Escalade back in January. Have not heard a word from dealership while they have my 10K in deposit. Of course when you order it they say, oh we get allocation every Thursday, and we have a great allocation, won’t be long before we can place this order, blah blah blah. Meanwhile GM is peddling their flag ship to China? They need to take care of their loyal American base first. Mary wake-up!
Keep it up GM and I predict you will see a very harsh drop in future American customers! You can’t fill our orders let alone start to give orders to China! Tomg
Why the hate? gm is EXPORTING US made goods to a country that we have a trade imbalance with. A MASSIVE one. Be happy. gm is EXPORTING. The US used to export more than it imported.
Absolutely true. Chip shortages today will become yesterday’s problem in time. GM is only testing the waters now for things to happen in time. The market they are checking out is high profit, small volume. It’s nothing to wet your pants over.
It’s a business rather we agree how China is as a country or not. Most people will not care one way or the other if the Escalade, C8 and Hummer are imported to the far east except a few car enthusiasts who are not the majority of the buying market.
Also, another benefit is for vehicles like these to shine and admired even further as a ploy to down sale for less expensive models within the brand.
Can we PLEASE get a GM authority that’s “North American Sales” and everyone who enjoys reading about communist China can subscribe to that news letter. Thanks ahead of time.