Cadillac News: What Cadillac Has In Store For The Next Few Years

[William Maley]

The past few months has seen Cadillac introduce new products such as the ATS-V and CTS-V. We'll also be seeing Cadillac's CT6 flagship in few months time. But Cadillac's president Johan de Nysschen says more products are on the way.

Autoblog reports that Cadillac will be introducing eight new products by 2020 as part of a $12-billion investment into the brand. Here is what the brand has in store,

• New SRX in 2016. Will be the first crossover to feature the XT nomeclature
  
• Smaller sedan to take on the likes of the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLA in 2017. Automotive News reports that this new sedan will utilize the Alpha rear-wheel drive platform
  
• 2018 sees a compact crossover that will sit under the SRX
  
• 2020 brings out the S-Class challenger
  

There is also talk of a crossover that will sit between the SRX and Escalade, along with introducing new powertrains options such as plug-in hybrids, diesels, and electrics.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Autoblog

Pic Credit - William Maley

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[David]

Cool to hear, I think they will all benefit the line except for one. I am not sure that they need a Compact Crossover. This is covered by the Buick Encore. After that I would think someone would want to step up into a SRX, not stay with an Encore size and a few more bling items.

[hyperv6]

This is far from it all as there is going to be a lot of changed at Cadillac.

As for Cross overs and CUV models these are the future as they this year out sold sedans. As cars get smaller the taller and more open floor plan CUV models are proving to be popular. People love the utility that most cars no longer have. Also the tall roofs make for a more roomy feeling.

Also CUV models are pure profits like trucks.

[smk4565]

Their small crossover will be like the Lincoln MKC or Lexus NX is my guess, something in the 180-183 inch long range.  Bigger than an Encore, and interior similar to the ATS.  Starting price around $34k.  It would be nice if they did this on Alpha, and not a FWD platform.  SRX or XT5 or whatever it is, I think will stay lined up against the Lexus RX and probably start around $40,000, maybe $44,000 with some inflation by then.  There could be space for a 4th SUV between the SRX replacement and the Escalade in the $60k range, but I think it would have to be based on a CTS V-sport and have some performance to it for people to spend extra money over an SRX type vehicle.

 

Johan may think $12 billion is a lot, but it isn't really compared to what VW/Audi and Mercedes spend. Audi is spending $24 billion on new product from 2014-2018.  VW spends more on R&D than any other company in the world, 13.5 billion last year alone.  Daimler spends more on R&D than Ford or Honda, Mercedes spent $1 billion just on the 2014 E-class refresh.  If Cadillac spends $1 billion per refresh on their current models, that eats up half their $12 billion just keeping the current products competitive, leaving enough money to make 3 new products, so I guess small sedan, small crossover, and S-class fighter are it.

 

It is funny how all these car makers have an S-class fighter coming soon.  The CT6 was going to be the flagship, now the real flagship is 5 years away.  And Cadillac isn't alone, the 2018 Audi A8 will be able to drive itself up to 37 mph and have suspension that scans the road ahead and adjusts for bumps before it hits them.  Both those technologies were on the 2014 S-class.  These people can't catch up, they might as well just shut down 7-series and A8 production, it's over they lost.

[Drew Dowdell]

Their small crossover will be like the Lincoln MKC or Lexus NX is my guess, something in the 180-183 inch long range. Bigger than an Encore, and interior similar to the ATS. Starting price around $34k. It would be nice if they did this on Alpha, and not a FWD platform. SRX or XT5 or whatever it is, I think will stay lined up against the Lexus RX and probably start around $40,000, maybe $44,000 with some inflation by then. There could be space for a 4th SUV between the SRX replacement and the Escalade in the $60k range, but I think it would have to be based on a CTS V-sport and have some performance to it for people to spend extra money over an SRX type vehicle.

Johan may think $12 billion is a lot, but it isn't really compared to what VW/Audi and Mercedes spend. Audi is spending $24 billion on new product from 2014-2018. VW spends more on R&D than any other company in the world, 13.5 billion last year alone. Daimler spends more on R&D than Ford or Honda, Mercedes spent $1 billion just on the 2014 E-class refresh. If Cadillac spends $1 billion per refresh on their current models, that eats up half their $12 billion just keeping the current products competitive, leaving enough money to make 3 new products, so I guess small sedan, small crossover, and S-class fighter are it.

It is funny how all these car makers have an S-class fighter coming soon. The CT6 was going to be the flagship, now the real flagship is 5 years away. And Cadillac isn't alone, the 2018 Audi A8 will be able to drive itself up to 37 mph and have suspension that scans the road ahead and adjusts for bumps before it hits them. Both those technologies were on the 2014 S-class. These people can't catch up, they might as well just shut down 7-series and A8 production, it's over they lost.

Just a few weeks ago, you said Audi was spending $30 billion. Can you admit that Audi is just pulling these numbers out of their ass to verbally "outspend" Benz? Does anyone ever go back and check these spending figures?

Guess what, I'm spending $30 billion over the next 5 years on new product for CheersandGears.com..... that's even more than Cadillac is spending too.... but you heard it here first!

[balthazar]

I read elsewhere that $9B out of (whatever it currently is) that audi is 'spending' is going into plant refurbishing, not product, plus audi has a lot more models than Cadillac does- so their $15B is spread thinner.

 

Didn't I also read that Cadillac's suspension currently adjusts itself like once every second? How many innings in this pissing match are we going to willingly sit thru??

[regfootball]

smaller than the ATS, now that's a good one.  ATS already has trouble selling due to space concerns.  Unless they can peddle an even smaller rig in Europe, they would be better off repackaging the ATS and redoing the trim levels and such to pick up the low end of the market.

[balthazar]

ATS is exactly on par within it's segment WRT interior room. It's within a quarter inch of the A3 on total legroom.  
However, CLA has a 3" shorter wheelbase than the ATS but nine inches LESS total legroom- for some reason there's nary a complaint about that. CLA & ATS are both 182" overall. And mercedes cheaped out by going FWD in order to 'increase interior space'.

 

Interior space has nothing to do with ATS sales volume.

[Drew Dowdell]

ATS is exactly on par within it's segment WRT interior room. It's within a quarter inch of the A3 on total legroom.  

However, CLA has a 3" shorter wheelbase than the ATS but nine inches LESS total legroom- for some reason there's nary a complaint about that. CLA & ATS are both 182" overall. And mercedes cheaped out by going FWD in order to 'increase interior space'.

 

Interior space has nothing to do with ATS sales volume.

 

It makes no sense to me that someone would buy a CLA or A3 over an ATS that is the same price.  The ATS has a far better interior than either and driving dynamics more on par with the 3-series than either of the front drivers.

[smk4565]

Audi's $30 billion figure is correct, I don't know why I thought it was 24, I went back and found the news article. But $9-10 billion is going into plants and production, so they'll have $20 billion for product.

There is definitely a constant game of one upsmanship going on with the Germans, Cadillac will need deep pockets to hang with them.

Cadillac can use a car smaller than the ATS, they could make it hatchback or coupe. Cadillac needs more body styles of existing cars I think more than they need more sedans.

[Drew Dowdell]

Again, they're all pulling numbers out of their ass. 

[David]

Audi's $30 billion figure is correct, I don't know why I thought it was 24, I went back and found the news article. But $9-10 billion is going into plants and production, so they'll have $20 billion for product.

There is definitely a constant game of one upsmanship going on with the Germans, Cadillac will need deep pockets to hang with them.

Cadillac can use a car smaller than the ATS, they could make it hatchback or coupe. Cadillac needs more body styles of existing cars I think more than they need more sedans.

Yet if they are really spending this amount of money most of it is going to their over priced Union labor and excessive time off as the quality of their auto's leave much to be questioned. Plus if they are truly spending all this cash, then why does an S class MB loose half it's value to be on par with a Lincoln in only a couple years and yet cost ten's of thousands to fix.

 

Clearly they are not spending wisely, just spending.

[hyperv6]

Keep in mind this 12 Billion is on top of what is already budgeted I believe.

[balthazar]

Cadillac currently has 20 models, Audi has 42. The butter will get spread much thinner, even at $20B @ Audi.

[smk4565]

Well Audi could spend all $20 billion on the A8 and still not catch the S-class in my view.

[Drew Dowdell]

Well Audi could spend all $20 billion on the A8 and still not catch the S-class in my view.

 

That would be a waste of money to build a car that could be better than the S-Class but people won't buy it simply because it doesn't have the 3-pointed star.

[hyperv6]

I think we are missing the point here.

 

The point of luxury cars is not so much total volume here. We are not talking Camary's here.

 

The point of a car like this is to make a profit and how much profit. Luxury cars are the most profitable vehicles on the planet. If you can only have $100,000 in the car and sell it for $150,000 and cover your investment in small number of sales then the rest Is profit. At these prices there is so much more room to make money and for a company like GM with the rescores and technology they could easily see a profit.

 

But even the best can get fooled as Benz failed on the Maybach as they added some token things and charged more for it but the S had a better image so they sold very few. The only one on the streets I have seen belongs to Lebron.

 

The other question too is for the money would invest here would you get it back faster with this or if you did three other models include very profitable CUV and SUV models then worry about the big show later.

[Drew Dowdell]

Cadillac also doesn't need to spend as much on development because it can share behind the scenes resources with the rest of GM.  Does Cadillac really need a special door lock actuator that is different in design than a Chevy one? Cadillac is already going down this path by using the 3.6 as a basis for greater engines that only Cadillac has. 

 

Which reminds me... where is an ATS V-Sport?  That would be a nice in between vehicle between the regular 3.6 and the ATS V-Series.

[hyperv6]

Well door locks and inter working parts are fine as long as they are high quality. Now as of things like the engines you need to change things here. While they did a good job on the V sport in terms of performance etc the marketing aspect is totally lost here. If they chose to use the TT in the Buick or Chevy it will a real mess.

 

Benz and BMW do a lot of marketing with their engines and offer leading technology no found in cheaper cars. while some don't car many do. This is why Cadillac wants to have their own engines and will get them in the future. I am not sure how they will do it? Partnership with Cosworth or Lotus engineering etc?

 

But while it is cool I have the same engine in my Malibu as the CTS is based on it is not really cool for the guy who just paid $65K for a car with a Malibu engine.

 

If you want to be the Standard of the World you must set the standard that all others must compare themselves  too.

 

Little should be shared openly with Buick or Chevy. Even if they kept the Chevy based engines at least change the size or make some kind improvement to them that really sets them apart. The TT was a good move but I expect other will get it soon like Buick.

[balthazar]

Cadillac does not need to, and is unlikely to, enter partnerships with outside engine builders. All they need is proprietary engines, developed within GM Powertrain, but only used in Cadillacs.
Back in Cadillac's heyday, they -along with all the other divisions- had their own engineering departments, because that's where the Divisions came from. While Cadillac had higher levels of machining & tolerances, could be run without break-in periods right off the showroom floor, they were still in line with many other Division's engines in terms of displacement & power output. This is fine; be competitive with your competition, what Buick or Pontiac may have been doing was immaterial. And Cadillac ruled the luxury segment for the bulk of the automotive timeline.

 

For example, GM has a solid 3.6L V6. Bump the displacement a smidge (3.7L), change the tuning up & some of the hard parts, sprinkle in a bit of unique tech & make it Cadillac exclusive- this is the IMAGE BUILDING Cadillac needs to get back to. It becomes a 'Cadillac engine' and you lose all the 'its got a Chevy engine in it' nonsense.

 

Even tho it was very limited & brief, I shook my head when the Bonneville GXP was advertised with a Northstar engine. Cadillac had a strong brand recognition there, you just can't DO something like that without image degradation. 

[smk4565]

Cadillac only engines would help.  Maybe develop a new 2.2 liter turbo 4 that is Cadillac only, let that current 2.0 be used in Chevy and Buick.  The 3.6 V6 is old news, they should just come up with an all new Cadillac only V6, maybe a 3.2 twin turbo, maybe an inline six.  An inline six would be unique to Cadillac as it likely would not fit in any Chevy or Buick, plus you get that balance and smoothness.   And where is the Cadillac V8?  They build that brand on V8s, and if they really want to go after the S-class, they better have a V12.

[Drew Dowdell]

A 3.2 would just be sleaving down the current 3.6.

[David]

Cadillac only engines would help.  Maybe develop a new 2.2 liter turbo 4 that is Cadillac only, let that current 2.0 be used in Chevy and Buick.  The 3.6 V6 is old news, they should just come up with an all new Cadillac only V6, maybe a 3.2 twin turbo, maybe an inline six.  An inline six would be unique to Cadillac as it likely would not fit in any Chevy or Buick, plus you get that balance and smoothness.   And where is the Cadillac V8?  They build that brand on V8s, and if they really want to go after the S-class, they better have a V12.

So if Cadillac does a inline 6 you will then bash it as being the old Chevy straight 6 from the trailblazer.

[balthazar]

Inline engines are ancient tech- not an avenue for forward progression. There is no vibrational roughness that's breaking/making any vehicle sales on an inline vs. V6.

 

smk-logic : 'If inline engines were so good, 98% of the auto industry would not have abandoned them decades ago.'

[smk4565]

They need to do something, the current 3.6 gives up so much torque to the Germans boosted sixes, it is a dated engine now, imagine by 2018 how obsolete it will be.  Mercedes has a new line of inline sixes coming in 2 years, this 3.0 bi-turbo V6 is only living for about 3 model years before they replace it.  If Merc and BMW are doing it, watch the lemmings follow.

 

Hybrid drivetrain could be another area for improvement, probably every Cadillac should have a plug-in hybrid model and a diesel.

[David]

They need to do something, the current 3.6 gives up so much torque to the Germans boosted sixes, it is a dated engine now, imagine by 2018 how obsolete it will be.  Mercedes has a new line of inline sixes coming in 2 years, this 3.0 bi-turbo V6 is only living for about 3 model years before they replace it.  If Merc and BMW are doing it, watch the lemmings follow.

 

Hybrid drivetrain could be another area for improvement, probably every Cadillac should have a plug-in hybrid model and a diesel.

I agree with you that Cadillac needs Hybrid series and diesels, but while I have liked the Straight 6 engines, they are not superior to the V class engines.

 

Also with Electric motors getting better and better, the time is coming to move to small form factor engines / generators that work in support of an electric powertrain.

[Drew Dowdell]

They need to do something, the current 3.6 gives up so much torque to the Germans boosted sixes, it is a dated engine now, imagine by 2018 how obsolete it will be.  Mercedes has a new line of inline sixes coming in 2 years, this 3.0 bi-turbo V6 is only living for about 3 model years before they replace it.  If Merc and BMW are doing it, watch the lemmings follow.

 

Hybrid drivetrain could be another area for improvement, probably every Cadillac should have a plug-in hybrid model and a diesel.

 

It's not dated at all... it is exactly competitive to other naturally aspirated V6es. Should Cadillac add a light turbo version? Sure, that would be a nice addition.   But you're comparing apples to oranges and calling the apple dated just because you don't like the flavor.  Different does not equal dated.

[smk4565]

But the other cars with NA V6s are Lincoln, Acura, Lexus and Infiniti.  And look how dated that Lexus 3.5 liter V6 with 306 hp looks, that engine came out around 2007.  The Infiniti V6 still has high rev power to it, but is low on torque, and that engine has been around forever too. 

[Drew Dowdell]

Doesn't make it dated. Buick was doing boosted V6es and 4s when you were in diapers. Benz is just now catching up.

[hyperv6]

I expect Cadillac to do engines of their own design but they will stick to the similar displacements.

 

2.0 Turbo 4. 3.0 Turbo V6  and I think it was listed as a  4.0 Turbo V8.  I just read a engineering story on these sizes and they are the optimum size that the MFG have found for the balance of power and economy for most applications. These numbers pop up often and it is not just by chance but these are where their numbers meet the criteria they need to meet in performance. I will have to find the story again and post where it can be found. It may be the new R&T.

 

Either way they will be boosted and new designs of their own not shared with the present GM engines. I just wonder if they will partner with someone like Cosworth or Illmore.

[kestas57]

I have to say that modern cadillacs are quite nice machines. As with some other American cars, it is a shame that they aren't more popular here in Europe. Would love to see some more here on the roads of the UK.