GM Announces Pricing For The Cadillac XTS and Chevrolet Spark

WOW, I have to say I am really impressed as this is a great starter car for many and a great car for low income people. This should really help out sales.

Great Job Chevy, I think you truly have hit a sweet point that many people will like about it.

XTS is priced where I thought it would be, contiues where the DTS was.

The XTS will be a selling boom for Caddy to the retiring baby boomers. The pricing I think is just right for these people and with a better driving characteristic, it should also apeal to a younger set too.

The price is where the town car left off and the livery guys will be all over this. I suspect the MPG will be greater and operating cost will be down from the Town Car.

I saw where the Spark EV is reached 65% calibration. Word is they hope to get at least a reliable 80 miles or more per charge. The other Major goal is accurate readings on how many miles the car has left in it. The big complaint with the leaf and other EV cars are the reading of one so many miles left only to find it comes up short. GM hopes to avoid that. It will go into production they hope the first quarter 2013.

I can't wait to get the XTS as a press car. The Lacrosse is still one of my favs, the XTS will just be the next level.

Cool on both accounts...

hope they managed to give the XTS enough character difference from the LaX

The XTS will be a selling boom for Caddy to the retiring baby boomers. The pricing I think is just right for these people and with a better driving characteristic, it should also apeal to a younger set too.

Retiring baby boomers? You mean the generation that largely ditched GM starting in the 70s and never returned?

Actually, XTS pricing is rather sane and the feature set is worthy for the prices offered. The only thing I would have changed is that the XTS should be the next generation Lucerne and have Cadillac get a real RWD luxury car above the CTS.

The Spark is just fine. Maybe I am shocked by the pricing since I actually remember when cars that small retailed for under $10K. Oh well.

Yes... the people who go look at the ES and think "WTF did Toyota do to my car?"

Didn't the original Aveo start below $10,000?

The XTS will be a selling boom for Caddy to the retiring baby boomers. The pricing I think is just right for these people and with a better driving characteristic, it should also apeal to a younger set too.

Retiring baby boomers? You mean the generation that largely ditched GM starting in the 70s and never returned?

Agreed 100%. The baby boomers are buying imports for the most part, and are largely the reason GM went from 40% market share to 17% market share. Also the reason Cadillac went from #1 selling luxury car for 55 years in a row (in the USA) to 6th place last month. The baby boomers have been buying German and Japanese luxury.

And to dfelt's point, a better driving charateristic than what? A water bed? Look at cars near $50k, E-class, 5-series, A6, XF, GS350, Genesis 5.0 R-Spec, all those would have better driving characteristics than an XTS. The XTS will be luckly outhandle the new Acura RLX.

You seem to think 60 year olds are looking for the same driving characteristics you are SMK. People buy the E-Class and 5-series for the badge and nothing more. A6, XF, and GS sales are in the tank. Genesis hasn't really taken off at all as most of the sales are of the coupe not the lux sedan. How many Genesis R-Specs do you really think Hyundai will sell?

The Lacrosse doesn't handle like a waterbed... you are so insanely off base here I wonder if you are returning to your trolling roots.

Even if they are looking for just a smooth ride and no handling, I still think rear drivers can deliver better than the XTS. And the MKS is a little bit cheaper and Lexus ES even cheaper than that.

I think the old folks that bought the DTS will buy the XTS but I don't see the XTS hitting it big with baby boomers and younger, or anyone looking for good driving characteristics.

You've driven the XTS already then? Can you share your XTS driving experience with the rest of the class? I'm interested in how the air suspension plus magnaride setup performs. Please use the "Reader Reviews" forum to post your findings.

Either way, the XTS is essentially an upgraded Impala. Nothing inherently wrong with that. I still think that Cadillac needs a RWD flagship to bolster itself and the XTS is not the answer (in the long run). One thing I did not know is that the Genesis sedan is not a good seller: why is that the case?

Because in the end...its still a Hyundai.

It is suffering the same fate as the VW Phaeton. The genesis is ok inside, but the VW was even nicer and could be had with a W12.

One thing I did not know is that the Genesis sedan is not a good seller: why is that the case?

I think alot of this is due to the fact its such a stretch upmarket for Hyundai, with an unproven, new V8 engine hitting the market during a downturn. I think the sudden existance of the same-name Genesis Coupe and Equus also confused the situation for the buying public. I think they'll do better as time goes on.

Not unheard of, as I don't recall any of the Japanese companies fielding new luxury models doing all that well on the first generation, except Lexus.

The Genesis is a stretch up market for Hyundai, so sales have been slow, but improving. In time Hyundai will start getting better sales, the car is far better than a Taurus, Avalon, Acura, Lincoln, or other front driver of equal price. More importantly, the Genesis gave Hyundai a flagship car that improved their image, and the Sonata, Elantra, Tuscon and Santa Fe are lighting up the sales chart.

And the Genesis I think is there for the long haul, it won't be a one and done stop gap.

You've driven the XTS already then? Can you share your XTS driving experience with the rest of the class? I'm interested in how the air suspension plus magnaride setup performs. Please use the "Reader Reviews" forum to post your findings.

I don't really have any interest in even driving one because it is dressed up Impala for old folks. I've driven the CTS 3.6 DI with FE2 suspension and it was fine, but didn't wow me in anyway, I thought a 5-series was much more agile, and rode just as well. The Genesis V8 was more quite and rode better than a CTS, but in the corners was a bit softer and you felt the weight. The XTS isn't going to be better in driving characteristics than a CTS, so I have no reason to bother with it.

I wasn't impressed with the Epsilon 1 chassis, the G-body was far better. I guess the only reason I would drive an XTS or LaCrosse is to see how they compare to G-body cars like the Aurora and Seville STS of the early 2000s. But to be fair I wouldn't waste time driving a ES350 or Lincoln MKS or Acura either because all won't do what a rear drive car can do.

To market a Luxury car you can not use a Economy name. This would be like Chevy selling a Cadillac Flagship like car for $100,000. Most everyone but Hyundai and VW have learned that even a car with shared platforms need to have their own line and their own dealers.

The Corvette is one of the few vehicles that can get away with the econo label. Even though they are sold at a Chevy dealer they are more a Corvette first then they are a Chevy Second anymore. Also they are still seen as the economy SuperCar.

The XTS is the bridge to the future of Cadillac. The car is going to be the missing link to bridge those older buyers to the more modern higher priced cars.
The future of Cadillac will lower volume models with higher profits. The XTS is the one remaining line that will incorperate the past of volume but with many features of the new Cadillac which will be sold in volume.

Also this car will be sold as a higher volume fleet car and it will take the hit for resale for the rest of the line. Just look at the resale value of the Town Car. It did no service to those who bought the car that were not in fleet sales. In fact the Town Car was a bargin on the used car lots as you got a lot of car for the money used. Better that the one model is focused on volume and profit while the rest of the line is focused on lower volume higher quality cars as many of the German lines that are imported here.

In Germany they have higher volume lines that see a lot of fleet sales but we never see that here. Like wise if Caddy goes back to Europe the XTC may not make the trip but cars like the ATC and coming CTS will along with the low volume flagship.

Too many Americans have no clue that the Imports from Germany make a lot of more basic models and many see use as Police vehicles and taxis. These are the cars we never see here as over here they would like to protect their image. The fact is many car companies in this global market will be seen differently and marketed differently around the world. Some have been doing this for a long time some will need to learn


Also there is a segment in this market that still wants a FWD car. Agree with them or not there are those buyers who want this.

As for handling and performance it would be a little short sighted to think this car will not be a confident handling and riding car. Will it cut a 7 min lap at the ring? No! Will it drive and handle much like a normal luxury car with a good ride? Yes!

I can see a couple here have no clue on where GM is at with the state of FWD and have never driven one of the new cars they offer and found that in some it has become more and more difficult to tell what wheels are driven unless you really tax the driveline. Most in the general public will never tell what end of the XTC is driven.

The XTS will do fine and will provide much for Cadillac over the long haul.

I do not see the XTS as a upgraded Buick or Chevy as much as the the new Impala is a lower grade Cadillac. This is how Chevy wanted to be seen in the late 50's and it sold a lot of cars.

The XTS is the bridge to the future of Cadillac. The car is going to be the missing link to bridge those older buyers to the more modern higher priced cars.

Also there is a segment in this market that still wants a FWD car. Agree with them or not there are those buyers who want this.

First point is true, the XTS is another bridge, but GM has had that mentality for 30 years. Why didn't Cadillac start working on a flagship in the 80s when Lexus did with the LS400? Or why not in the early 2000s when they decided to launch Sigma? Cadillac needs to bring their future to the present ASAP.

What segment wants a huge FWD luxury car? The 1,000 people that bought an MKS last month, most of which are all wheel drive, those few dozen non-fleet DTS buyers last year. There are only 3 front wheel drive cars with a base price over $40,000: the A6 2.0T, MKS and XTS.

What segment wants a huge FWD luxury car? The 1,000 people that bought an MKS last month, most of which are all wheel drive, those few dozen non-fleet DTS buyers last year. There are only 3 front wheel drive cars with a base price over $40,000: the A6 2.0T, MKS and XTS.

But the Lincoln's are underwhelming, inside and out, and on the road. People will buy an FWD luxury car if it's a good vehicle, or perceived to be one. Lexus sold over 3,000 ES' last month.

The Cadillac will have its niche. The one at my auto show had a lot of interest. A guy in his 30's told me that it's the perfect car - it'll handle rough roads comfortably and he'll get to work and back in a classy car, with a sumptuous interior.

It's not my kind of vehicle. But it should do fine.