Cadillac Committed To Long-Term Growth In Australia

Cadillac claims it is in the Australian market for the long haul, according to recent statements by the luxury brand’s executives, contrasting its intentions to stay in the land of kangaroos and koalas to Opel and Holden.

The luxury car brand cited the effort and expense it has been willing to put into right-hand-drive configurations of its cars as evidence of its long-term plans “Down Under,” according to a report by Drive.

While Cadillac says it is “here to stay,” the latest effort is one of several attempts to bring Caddy vehicles to Australia’s shores, with all previous efforts during the past decade and a half failing. Vehicles were actually sent to Australia in 2008, but were instead delivered to New Zealand in a last-minute change of plans caused by the GFC or global financial crisis and GM’s slide toward bankruptcy.

Now, the brand’s vehicles, spearheaded by the Cadillac Lyriq, are slated to be offered in Australian showrooms later this year. Cadillac’s Australia and New Zealand managing director Jess Bala says that “the passion from within GM around the Australian market is palpable,” and that “everything just aligned to make this really the right point in time to bring Cadillac to market in Australia and New Zealand.”

Cadillac originally said it would launch only EVs in Australia, but recent comments by Bala have left open the possibility of an eventual offering of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles or PHEVs as well. This mirrors General Motors’ overall course correction regarding plug-in hybrids, with new plans to launch PHEVs in North America after originally abandoning the idea. Other automakers, including Ford, are also refocusing on hybrids.

For now, Cadillac remains committed to an EV-only Australian lineup, explicitly “targeting those Tier 1 European luxury brands” with its strategy, according to Bala. The Tier 1 brands in question include Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Volvo, Lexus, Porsche, Land Rover, and several others. Bala noted Australia is “one of the most saturated markets in the world,” but expressed confidence in the “amazing opportunity to really stand the Cadillac brand out on its own” because of its “amazing vehicles.”

GM has been preparing for the return of its core brands to Australia and New Zealand since 2015, when it began making significant investments in right-hand-drive vehicle production lines.

Subscribe to GM Authority for more Cadillac news, GM electric vehicle news, GM business news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.