Posted on 01/09/2012 6:34:06 AM PST by Libloather
GM challenges German brands with small Cadillac
By Deepa Seetharaman and Ben Klayman
DETROIT | Mon Jan 9, 2012 7:55am EST
(Reuters) - General Motors Co proved with the Chevrolet Cruze it can build a top-selling compact car, cracking a market long dominated by Japanese brands.
Now the No.1 U.S. automaker is targeting the entrenched German luxury brands with a more nimble compact Cadillac.
The 2013 ATS is central to GM chief executive Dan Akerson's mission to refashion Cadillac into a global luxury brand by winning over younger buyers with a sportier image.
From the start, GM took aim at BMW's 3-Series, the dominant car in this segment along with the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Luxury compacts make up two-thirds of the luxury car market in the United States, according to Autodata.
GM has failed in this segment before, however. In the early 1980s, GM launched the Cadillac Cimarron, which Time magazine in 2007 called one of the 50-worst cars ever built.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
I have an uncle who owns a Mercedes C-class (C63 AMG). Caddy will have to do a lot more than rebadge a Chevy to match that car.
GM has been marketing cadillac as the American bmw for years. They went broke doing it. So, they’re going to try it again. Here’s an idea. Make a big car with lots of convenience features on it. I don’t care how many Gs it can pull in a corner. I’m not fighting migs. Make it affordable. Quit funding the Democrat party through the UAW.
Plus, comparing any GM car to a Mercedes or BMW is just foolish.
Indeed. Those have been among the past criticism of Caddies in Europe (poor road manners and uninspired handling). Providing a RWD platform with a manual tranny is a good start, but Caddy will have to make sure that the handling and performance are also “up to snuff.”
I drive an 83 Eldorado Biarritz. NOTHING geezer about that car... At least I hope there isn’t. :)
Is there an “automobile” ping list, and how do I get on it?
I drove a 6 speed VW in Germany back in 2008. The engine ran smoothly and I could not tell it was a diesel. And drove at 130 KM for most long drives that week, delightfull. As I was in the Heidelberg-Frankfurt area, 130 KPH was the max speed for the Autobahn.
Another negative is that it is a UAW-built car. More money to big labor goonery.
Look carefully into the rear view mirror......................;^)
No no , not at all, cutting edge, envied by the youth crowd, classic performance... ; )
I'm driving an HHR (rental) right now. It's an enormous piece of junk. Reminds me why I prefer Fords.
My last rental was an Impala. I took it over to show my Dad (who was car-looking at the time). His comment? "This car wishes it was a Cadillac".
Its just another Chevy with more bells, whistles and a higher price tag.
He should have gotten the all-wheel-drive model of the CTS if you live in snow country. I’m pretty sure they’ve been available with AWD from the beginning.
I don’t think it was available when he bought his (AWD). But, he doesn’t drive much more than to and from work, the airport, and the golf course.
What I don’t understand is why the automakers have dropped nearly all the front wheel drive full sized sedans. AWD chews up tires. Don’t need 4WHD at our place. But we DO need FWD. In any case, the Cadillac DTS fills that niche for us. I’m just afraid they’ll drop that model, and I’ll have to go to a truck. Looking for a 3 year old model, coming off lease, drops the price from about $52,000 to around $25,000, or less. We purchased one with only 18,000 miles on it last spring and just love it. I still don’t know how to operate all the features. When my husband is driving, I carry the owners manual in my lap and try to learn something new each trip. LOL
Shirley you don't mean my Escalade is just a Suburban with a Cadillac sticker on it?
Properly done AWD does not chew up tires. I’ve been driving AWD cars for more than a decade now.
FWD makes for lousy driving dynamics most of the time, especially for bigger vehicles.
I rented a Cadillac on a trip recently. Although the ride was okay, I found it no better than the Toyota Camry I usually rent. It certainly wasn’t worth the difference in the price tag. Full disclosure-I long ago swore off GM due to poor quality and have stated so on FR. I admit to having an anti Government Motors attitude and don’t expect this new Caddy to live up to its hype. GM has a penchant for over promising and under delivering.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.