Exclusive: Cadillac's new boss maps out product blitz by 2020

[Cmicasa the Great]

(Reuters) - Cadillac's new boss plans a blitz of new products by 2020, from a pure battery-electric car to an ultra-luxury sedan, that he hopes will help resurrect General Motors' (GM.N) struggling premium brand and make it a global powerhouse.

Johan de Nysschen, a former Audi and Infiniti executive who joined GM in August, shared with Reuters some key elements of his plan to revive Cadillac, in an interview last week at the Paris auto show.

The centerpiece of that strategy, confirmed by de Nysschen for the first time, is an expansion of Cadillac's product portfolio, potentially from five to 10 models over the next six years.

 

 

 

De Nysschen said Cadillac has "just signed off on" a range-topping luxury sedan that will come to the market at the end of the decade and likely will be called CT8 or CT9. He added it would compete head to head with long-wheelbase versions of the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

 

 

 

He also confirmed that Cadillac will offer a plug-in hybrid version of the new CT6 sedan that is scheduled to arrive in late 2015, and said a pure battery-electric car is part of the plan to expand Cadillac's model range. De Nysschen also said a successor to the slow-selling ELR plug-in hybrid is being developed, but it may not be a two-door coupe like the present model.

 

 

 

 

Without confirming their existence, de Nysschen strongly hinted that Cadillac is also considering at least two new crossover models, one positioned below the current SRX and one above. Both would compete with similar entries already offered by the Germans. And he alluded to a smaller sedan that could be slotted below the ATS and aimed at the BMW 1 Series and Mercedes CLA.... The sources, who asked not to be named, said the small sedan is tentatively scheduled for production in 2018 and could share underpinnings with the redesigned Chevrolet Cruze. The smaller crossover, which is tentatively planned for 2017, also would likely adapt the platform of the next-generation Cruze

A redesigned SRX mid-size crossover is due in 2016, the sources said, and Cadillac is evaluating a larger, seven-passenger crossover for 2017-2018.

 

 

More at Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/09/us-generalmotors-cadillac-idUSKCN0HY2IZ20141009

[Cmicasa the Great]

I love everything I read except the part about vehicles being based off the Cruze. Not that its not an awesome vehicle in and of itself, but we were told by Uwe that RWD was the way of the future. And 4GODSAKE.. I don't want an awkward looking CLA-ish Cadillac running the streets. I would imagine that on the sub-ATS front having FWD would not be necessary a bad thing if it is set up in an Astra OPC kinda fashion.

[balthazar]

It's NOT necessary to drop below the ATS! ATS & CLA are already in the same price bracket, to create any sort of spread, this 'sub-ATS' would have to be in the $25K range to start- that's LUNACY. General Motors HAS other brands, unlike Daimler, who is incapable of breathing life into a 2nd brand. And no one buys the 1-series, why would any exec think it makes sense to compete with a car no one buys?

 

Even tho audi heavily borrows from VW, you never hear people/media bash them for it, but we all KNOW the press if a Cruze-based sub-ATS Cadillac made an appearance.

 

I'm already getting bad vibes RE de Nysschen….

[Cmicasa the Great]

It's NOT necessary to drop below the ATS! ATS & CLA are already in the same price bracket, to create any sort of spread, this 'sub-ATS' would have to be in the $25K range to start- that's LUNACY. General Motors HAS other brands, unlike Daimler, who is incapable of breathing life into a 2nd brand. And no one buys the 1-series, why would any exec think it makes sense to compete with a car no one buys?

 

Even tho audi heavily borrows from VW, you never hear people/media bash them for it, but we all KNOW the press if a Cruze-based sub-ATS Cadillac made an appearance.

 

I'm already getting bad vibes RE de Nysschen….

 

 

 

When I was at GMI  (LovelyMoon)  I expressed not having an issue with a Cadillac based on the Delta platform as I continue to think that it is a better platform, and in it's current Cruze/Verano/Astra uses, produces superior cars over the Mercedes CLA. That being said.. I agree with U that Cadillac, at the moment does not need a sub-ATS. What it does need is derivatives of the ATS such as a CUVand sports car

[David]

This man is showing to be the same loser who messed up Audi and Infinity and did nothing for sales. He must have blackmailed people to get this job as he is an idiot.

[Cmicasa the Great]

This man is showing to be the same loser who messed up Audi and Infinity and did nothing for sales. He must have blackmailed people to get this job as he is an idiot.

Finally!!! We disagree. 

 

I see his strategy and I for the most part (90%) like it. With exception to the FWD sub-model I think his plan is sound. I kno, from reading your posts, that U hate the new designations/names, but it is not an issue for me as the current names were no better, no less.

 

Furthermore the XTS apparently not dying, but spiritually moving to Omega via the CT6, probably soldiering on in an Impala Limited fashion for fleet

 

the Omega platform will underpin not only a possible 2016 Cadillac CT6, but a CT8 and 9 in 2018 or '19. C/D speculated this as far back as 2013 saying that the CT6 (at time thought be LTS) its styling will morph from notchback to a sleeker fastback like the Audi A7.

 

Also I don't see how Audi was screwed up. They are the golden boy of the Luxo makers these days. Infiniti is not "Cadillac." Many I kno only see them as an upgraded Nissan. Their styling is disgusting and their sales have NOTHING to do with the names. Anyone who walked into an Infinti dealer and couldn't find a G sedan/coupe simply didn't ask the salesman.. or hell receptionist... on the floor that day.

 

[David]

 

This man is showing to be the same loser who messed up Audi and Infinity and did nothing for sales. He must have blackmailed people to get this job as he is an idiot.

Finally!!! We disagree. 

 

I see his strategy and I for the most part (90%) like it. With exception to the FWD sub-model I think his plan is sound. I kno, from reading your posts, that U hate the new designations/names, but it is not an issue for me as the current names were no better, no less.

 

Furthermore the XTS apparently not dying, but spiritually moving to Omega via the CT6, probably soldiering on in an Impala Limited fashion for fleet

 

the Omega platform will underpin not only a possible 2016 Cadillac CT6, but a CT8 and 9 in 2018 or '19. C/D speculated this as far back as 2013 saying that the CT6 (at time thought be LTS) its styling will morph from notchback to a sleeker fastback like the Audi A7.

 

Also I don't see how Audi was screwed up. They are the golden boy of the Luxo makers these days. Infiniti is not "Cadillac." Many I kno only see them as an upgraded Nissan. Their styling is disgusting and their sales have NOTHING to do with the names. Anyone who walked into an Infinti dealer and couldn't find a G sedan/coupe simply didn't ask the salesman.. or hell receptionist... on the floor that day.

 

 

 

I look at his record while at these two companies. Sales increases did not happen on his watch, new product did not happen on his watch as far as I can tell unless you want to say re-badging names and tweaks to be new. I know I could be wrong but as a leader, both times at Audi and Infinity, sales gains did not come to the lines till 2-3 years after he left and others corrected or brought out truly new products. I just do not see him bringing anything that truly is leadership to the job. He just wants to be a lemming clone of the Germans and take his fat over paid paycheck home.

[smk4565]

So a CT8 now to compete with the S-class?  What exactly is the CT6 going to be priced like or compete with?  The CT6 is going to be as big as an LS460, 7-series or XJ.  Unless Cadillac has some bizarre idea to make CT6 sized like a 7-series but priced like a 5-series.  Cadillac seems to have no real strategy or plan, it seems like the let's throw it against the wall and see what sticks mentality is being used.

 

Perhaps they have ambitions for the CT8 to be a competitor for the S600 Maybach or Bentley Flying Spur, but good luck with that.

 

A Sub ATS front drive sedan is a bad idea, the ATS is already cheap.  And if they add $5,000 to the ATS price to make room for a $30k Cadillac, then ATS sales will fall apart.  If they go below the ATS, it needs to be a hot hatch I think, something that could sell in Europe or South America and be more of a global car that they happen to offer here also.

[Robert Hall]

A sub-ATS model would be consistent with the approach the German brands are following.

[smk4565]

Because Cadillac's goal is to always follow the Germans?

[balthazar]

CLAh is selling OK right now, but the 1-series is a dud. There is a very thin market here, one Cadillac doesn't need to wade into for any business case reason.

 

A Sub ATS front drive sedan is a bad idea, the ATS is already cheap

This is why a $33K line should be the absolute bottom line. The CLA is horrifically cheap, below the average new car price. That's not luxury; that's grab-assing for sales. Monster problem is, thet's not as far south as Daimler is going to push.

[David]

Because Cadillac's goal is to always follow the Germans?

That is what you always say they should do.

[smk4565]

Cadillac needs to be Cadillac and build American luxury cars, and innovate new technology.  They can't copy what the Germans do and always be 3-5 years behind.

 

No one mentioned about the 2nd generation ELR, what a waste of time that is.  De Nysschen did say it might not be a coupe, maybe this time it will be a crossover sized like a Buick Encore, but priced like an Escalade.

[balthazar]

^ It wasn't enough for mercedes to be mercedes; they had to copy the Americans when they were 10-15 years behind, instead of 'just being mercedes'.

Now, they get to not only be 'Cadillac' but 'Chevrolet', too.

[David]

^ It wasn't enough for mercedes to be mercedes; they had to copy the Americans when they were 10-15 years behind, instead of 'just being mercedes'.

Now, they get to not only be 'Cadillac' but 'Chevrolet', too.

Course we all know how that worked out for them the first time when they tried with Chrysler. BMW is also doing the same thing. Look at the lost sales with the over amped Mini products and lack of diversity plus their own worthless over rated 1 series cars.

[Cmicasa the Great]

So a CT8 now to compete with the S-class?  What exactly is the CT6 going to be priced like or compete with?  The CT6 is going to be as big as an LS460, 7-series or XJ.  Unless Cadillac has some bizarre idea to make CT6 sized like a 7-series but priced like a 5-series.  Cadillac seems to have no real strategy or plan, it seems like the let's throw it against the wall and see what sticks mentality is being used.

 

Perhaps they have ambitions for the CT8 to be a competitor for the S600 Maybach or Bentley Flying Spur, but good luck with that.

 

A Sub ATS front drive sedan is a bad idea, the ATS is already cheap.  And if they add $5,000 to the ATS price to make room for a $30k Cadillac, then ATS sales will fall apart.  If they go below the ATS, it needs to be a hot hatch I think, something that could sell in Europe or South America and be more of a global car that they happen to offer here also.

 

 

 

As I said before.. what U and yours.. as in Benz/BMW/Audi Groupies have done is wake up a genuine iconic luxury brand that has real heritage. How moronic would it be to price their 7series competitor at the same price as the 5series (CTS)? Bet good money that the CT6 starts at no less than $69K.. altho I'm betting at least $4K more.

 

Lastly on that subject ...  the ATS is already selling well pertaining to the proportion of the market they are targeting. U can not sell in the same GOD DAMN numbers as the 3series and C-Class if U only have one way of ordering for 99% of the car's existence. Get it thru your head. Your constant mis-observations are ridiculous, futile, and nauseating. To have the power of Google, supposed auto knowledge and a wee bit of common sense.. one would think U would stop repeating this constantly

 

The CT6 is gonna be on the level of the S-Class and GM has literally undersold it. Hell.. in reality one could easily place and existing XTS-VSport in the same realm or performance and luxury as the 750i and previous gen S550. U kno it, but won't admit it. The CT6 is gonna be a more technological and advance luxo big car. (at 203 inches) It will be as big as the S-Class and larger than the 7series. Again Cadillac and GM are doing nothing short of under-promising. Its would absolutely idiotic for them to come out and say THIS IS AN S-CLASS BEATER. The press would gauge it from that perspective exclusively. I think this strategy is brilliant. 

 

CT8 and 9 will be marketed as the real S-Class beater but in reality be more in line with the Flying Spur and onward to the Phantom. MArk my words

Cadillac needs to be Cadillac and build American luxury cars, and innovate new technology.  They can't copy what the Germans do and always be 3-5 years behind.

 

 

 

3-5 years behind in what right now??? Enlighten us

[smk4565]

Cadillac often copies the imports. They blueprinted the SRX after the Lexus RX350, the AtS after the 3-series, the CTS is closer in size to a Jaguar XF, but still in that Euro mid size segment. Cadillac copies what made the others successful thus they tend to be a product cycle behind. If they release a CLA/GLA competitor in 2019, they are again 5 years behind.

On the CT8 if they want to compete with the Phantom that is $450,000+ territory, no way could Cadillac pull that off. And to compete with the Ghost of Flying Spur Cadillac would need a V12. Mercedes can put the S600, S65 and S600 Maybach/Pullman in that arena, but I don't see any other brand competing with Rolls or Bentley.

[Cmicasa the Great]

Cadillac often copies the imports. They blueprinted the SRX after the Lexus RX350, the AtS after the 3-series, the CTS is closer in size to a Jaguar XF, but still in that Euro mid size segment. Cadillac copies what made the others successful thus they tend to be a product cycle behind. If they release a CLA/GLA competitor in 2019, they are again 5 years behind.

 

 

 

On the contrary. The ATS may have benchmarked the 3Series, but it benchmarked the 3series and improved upon it. Thus in regards to everything except the 1 inch extra backseat room.. what the EFF do I care.. it is a better driver's luxury car. The CTS is leaps, excuse the pun, ahead of the Jag XF.

 

In truth... U are full of $h!. The reality is that the luxury segment is a segment that was originally copied by the Germans from America. 

 

I think in reality if Cadillac invented the flying car U'd try and figure out some way or another that they copied something from Germany. 

[smk4565]

Germany didn't really copy America. Post WWII, Mercedes had the 300SL sports car then in the 60s the 600 Grosser which was the most technologically advanced car of the day and they built there legacy on safety and engineering. At no point did Mercedes built land yachts with loads of a chrome and no handling like the 70s Lincolns and Cadillacs. BMW made handling a top priority from the start. Audi after years of unreliable sporty luxury has their act together. But if you look at what the 3 German brands had in the 80s they basically build the same size and style car now.

[Cmicasa the Great]

Germany didn't really copy America. Post WWII, Mercedes had the 300SL sports car then in the 60s the 600 Grosser which was the most technologically advanced car of the day and they built there legacy on safety and engineering. At no point did Mercedes built land yachts with loads of a chrome and no handling like the 70s Lincolns and Cadillacs. BMW made handling a top priority from the start. Audi after years of unreliable sporty luxury has their act together. But if you look at what the 3 German brands had in the 80s they basically build the same size and style car now.

 

I was talking about bespoke luxury. The Sport Lux is what the Germans, mostly BMW, brought to the table. The simple fact is that in the 70s.. America, the largest market for another 30 years, was in love with comfort over all else. 

[balthazar]

^ Correct. If you get a chance to look at a late 80s/early 90s SL, the car is a complete joke. It has an interior competitive with a Pinto and the body engineering is terrible, laughable really. 

 

And mentioning the livery 600 limo as if it were a regular consumer model / representative of such is fallacy. The bread & butter cars Daimler was selling from the beginning in America were tinny, amazingly poor performers completely uncompetitive in features/amenities, and were always about a decade behind stylistically. Talking about the 200-series cars here. This is the same scenario RE the CLA & the s-class; there's no trickle down, and the CLA is starving for investment.

[balthazar]

Cadillac… If they release a CLA/GLA competitor in 2019, they are again 5 years behind.

Why would Cadillac release a SECOND 182" long, 4-dr sport sedan in the low $30K range (and up), with RWD & 4 or 6-cylinder power???????????????????

[smk4565]

 

Cadillac… If they release a CLA/GLA competitor in 2019, they are again 5 years behind.

Why would Cadillac release a SECOND 182" long, 4-dr sport sedan in the low $30K range (and up), with RWD & 4 or 6-cylinder power???????????????????

 

Because de Nysschen said they were looking at a car below the ATS.  I am not saying I would do that if I were running Cadillac, but I also wouldn't  call my cars CT6 and CT8 and roll out the new XT4 crossover.  Maybe he wants to make the CT6 a full size car at $65k like an Equus or K900 and dump the XTS, leave the CTS errr CT4 in the $45-60k range.  Maybe the ATS can grow in size to 190 inches in length to make it the size of a gen 1 CTS.  Or maybe Cadillac will sell the ATS as it is and add a Cruze based FWD model at the same price.  They already offer the CTS and XTS a RWD and a FWD at the same price point.  Even better, take the Regal slap some vertical lights and a Cadillac badge on it and they can have an Acura TLX/Lincoln MKZ competitor, so that the ATS would be the $33k car that is small and sporty, the Cadillac Regal would be mid-size and FWD.

 

Cadillac's product planners are clueless, it took them 2 years just to get an ATS coupe out, and where is the ATS-V?  Where is any kind of convertible?   What would actually be cool and clever is if Cadillac made all future V-series cars plug-in hybrids with a twin turbo V6 and a 200 hp electric motor and some carbon fiber body panels to cut weight.  Then the V-series cars wouldn't just be fast they would be green too.   The Tesla P85D just threw down the gauntlet with a 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds and it is a green machine, why not take the best of electric and gas for the V-series and come up with something new.

[balthazar]

Because de Nysschen said they were looking at a car below the ATS.

He's spouting off on a whole LOT of things, but in this case, IF it were to happen, it would NOT be the same size/features as the current car. It would have to be solidly in a price & size class below it, otherwise it's just duplication. So I will say it again; Cadillac already has a stellar sport sedan in this size & price range. Frankly, I don't think a sub-ATS is either desirable or a sound business case. It'd be reaffirming for Cadillac to decline to 'compete' down this low; going their own way, if you will (rather than copying as you repeatedly claim).

 

>>"Maybe the ATS can grow in size to 190 inches in length…"<<

​Then we'd get the same whiners whining it's a 'tweener' and 'not competitive'.

 

>>"They already offer the CTS and XTS a RWD and a FWD at the same price point."<<

And you still want a 'CLA competitor'… why again?

 

ATS-V is on the way- BMW has taken nearly 2 years to intro their new M3 at times, and mercedes is now 2 model years without their s-class hybrid. Common practice industry-wide.

And Cadillac has been doing pretty well in the product planning department IMO; ATS, CTS, Escalade are all at or near the top of their segments. 

 

My question is, Daimler showed an s-class convertible concept years and years ago- where is it?? It took them DECADES to bring out their 2-dr version!

Edited October 12, 2014 by balthazar

[Cmicasa the Great]

^^^ Well technically the CL-Class wa sthe S-Class coupe.. but I agree with what U are saying. Smky wants Cadillac to implement product push the day after the concept is intro'ed, but gives his precious Germans a pass when they don't How the EFF, anyone takes him as anything serious and anything but an annoyance is beyond me. Based on the things he posts I would venture to say he was born in the 90s.. late 90s at that and really has no clue about the history of the brands he speaks about.

 

FYI Smky.. at one time, not more than 20 year ago a Cadillac was literally considered to be  above the level of the equivalent Mercedes and above anything from BMW.

 

I drove one of these to Prom.. Pearl white tho in 1990.. and U would have thought I was the President the props given by students and teachers alike. When I took my date to the one of the nicest Restaurants in town, the Valets were pushing to get to park it up front. At the time it was 5 years old already and the design itself had debuted 10 years earlier.

 

 

 

 

 

By contrast this is the boring &#036;h&#33; that Mercedes was pusing out as the flagship from the same perior

 

 

[smk4565]

Probably in the early 80s (when I was born) was the last time Cadillac was on par with Mercedes, but then Cadillac had the failed V8-6-4, the failed diesel, the failed Cimarron and the unreliable 4100 all within a 5 year span.  That pretty much did them in, plus they had moved so many of their cars to front wheel drive in the 70s and 80s.  In the 80s Mercedes brought the 190E, BMW had the 3-series start it's Car and Driver 10 best streak, the M5 came out late 80s and those two brands started to climb.  If you look back to any of those sales training videos or old tv commercials from the late 80s you can tell Cadillac was worried about the Germans, that is why they made the Cimarron in the first place.  The Northstar engine was made to compete with the Germans because Lexus and the German cars had DOHC V8s.  Problem is it took Cadillac another 10 years to turn the engine to face the rear wheels.

 

I actually always like the Seville, I wasn't a big fan of generation 2, but in 2 tone paint it looked better, gave it a more old fashioned look that went with the bustle back styling.  And I like the downsized late 80s Seville and I likes the Northstar Sevilles.  I'd much rather see Cadillac make the Seville, Eldorato and Fleetwood than some CT4-5-6-7-8 names.

 

The ATS-V doesn't require going from concept to production which I know takes a couple years.  The ATS-V is an engine option, that doesn't take long to do.  Mercedes had the AMG versions of the S-class sedan on sale the same model year as the base, they are doing the same with the C-class.  I don't see why the ATS-V and CTS-V aren't on sale now, especially if all they are going to do it put a twin turbo V6 which is already in production in the ATS-V and a Corvette engine that is already in production into the CTS-V.

[Cmicasa the Great]

Probably in the early 80s (when I was born) was the last time Cadillac was on par with Mercedes, but then Cadillac had the failed V8-6-4, the failed diesel, the failed Cimarron and the unreliable 4100 all within a 5 year span.  That pretty much did them in, plus they had moved so many of their cars to front wheel drive in the 70s and 80s.  In the 80s Mercedes brought the 190E, BMW had the 3-series start it's Car and Driver 10 best streak, the M5 came out late 80s and those two brands started to climb.  If you look back to any of those sales training videos or old tv commercials from the late 80s you can tell Cadillac was worried about the Germans, that is why they made the Cimarron in the first place.  The Northstar engine was made to compete with the Germans because Lexus and the German cars had DOHC V8s.  Problem is it took Cadillac another 10 years to turn the engine to face the rear wheels.

 

I actually always like the Seville, I wasn't a big fan of generation 2, but in 2 tone paint it looked better, gave it a more old fashioned look that went with the bustle back styling.  And I like the downsized late 80s Seville and I likes the Northstar Sevilles.  I'd much rather see Cadillac make the Seville, Eldorato and Fleetwood than some CT4-5-6-7-8 names.

 

The ATS-V doesn't require going from concept to production which I know takes a couple years.  The ATS-V is an engine option, that doesn't take long to do.  Mercedes had the AMG versions of the S-class sedan on sale the same model year as the base, they are doing the same with the C-class.  I don't see why the ATS-V and CTS-V aren't on sale now, especially if all they are going to do it put a twin turbo V6 which is already in production in the ATS-V and a Corvette engine that is already in production into the CTS-V.

 

 

 

As always I have to call U out on your hypocrisy. What is it with U and the names? Show me a German car that U worship with a real name?

 

Second. The "failed 8-6-4" engine was ahead of its time. Innovation that relied on vacuums and contemporary, at the time electronics from the 70s and 80s while actually needing the more precise, and future computing to do the job. The current AFM programs are quite nice.

 

BTW.. the Cimmaron was not a bad car.. it was just a blatant rebadge of a much lower car. Benz technically is doing the exact same thing with the CLA, but because it's donor car isn't sold here in the U.S... its getting away from it. Hence my reason for sayin that the sub-ATS, if not based on Alpha should certainly be modeled on the next Astra and not directly off the Cruze. Altho... the that might actually not be that big of a deal either considering that the styling of the Cadillac version would be much further removed NOW than they did back when the almost identical to Cavalier looking Cimmaron debuted in '81.

 

Again I won't deny that Cadillac (and Lincoln) fell behind in catering to to the main group of luxury buyers in the (at the time) world's largest market, but that does not necessarily make them failures either. The point is that Cadillac now designs a more Ultimate Driving Machine within a particular segment than the supposed "Ultimate Driving Machine." ForGODSAKE.. the current BMW's saving grace in every effing comparo is it's extra back-seat room. Alas.. the 5series will have to get larger because if it now.. as I suspect greatly that the 3series 10K per month sales are coming from some of the higher ATP 5/6series sales.

[Cmicasa the Great]

Oh.. and DAMN IT.. I voted U up by mistake and it wouldn't let me take it back. If there is an Admin able to change my voting up of Smk's #26 post please do so. I pretty much hate the very keyboard his German lovin ass types from and would never vote his propaganda up.

[smk4565]

I think Cadillac should use names because they always did and they have solid heritage names that they threw away.  If BMW decided to rename the 3-series the Falcon or Cheetah just for the sake of giving it a word name and for no other reason, I would be critical of them for throwing away 35 years of brand equity.

 

Time will tell, we'll see if Cadillacs new plan is successful.