GM Inside News Forum - View Single Post - AN Comment: Cadillac Should Pull Out Of Europe; 07 Sales In 28 Countries Just 3K

Bravada · 07-15-2008, 09:49 PM

Before you start reading - let me remind you that, unlike most people who posted above, I actually DO live in Europe...

The problem with Cadillac is that they don't offer what people would go to them for. In Europe, the CTSs - both the original and the new one - were big news for auto journalists only, as they meant big advertorial deals. Most of the populace think of Cadillac as a large luxo barge, tailfinned or not, but certainly not of a "sports sedan" in the mold of BMW.

If one wants a compact executive (i.e. reasonably-sized, reasonably-priced sports sedan) in Europe, one goes and buys a 3er (in fact, more Europeans do that anually than buy a Passat, Mondeo or Vectra). On second thoughts, one might consider the Audi, or Mercedes (takes a blind man, but still apprently they are permitted to drive).

If you really really really really don't want to go German, you go get an Alfa Romeo. If Alfa Romeo is not to your tastes for some reason, there is the Saab (though recently, this choice is becoming rather desperate).

There is little to convince anybody to pass so many "obvious" choices in favor of an unknown quality from a brand associated with something totally different. It would raise quite a few eyebrows if anybody asked for a sports coupe from GMC - and perhaps same goes for small sports sedans from Cadillac in Europe, except that hardly anybody cares.

There is still a market, even in those uncertain times, for large, comfortable and brash, though. While it takes a desperate fleet manager to treat many European roads to just a taste of the BLS, the Chrysler 300C is a fairly common sight, despite the bulk, price and fuel consumption. Go ask for a more refined and luxurious American sedan from Cadillac, and the best they can answer you with is the STS, which is disappointing in more ways than you can think.

Cadillac can of course succeed, to a limited extent, in Europe. And I believe if Lexus can move into the dozens-of-thousands territory, so can Cadillac. But they need to have the RIGHT PRODUCT, and small cars just aren't that.

07-15-2008, 09:49 PM	#43 (permalink)
Bravada 70 MPG Two Mode Saturn Hybrid Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Warsaw, Poland Posts: 10,685	Re: AN Comment: Cadillac Should Pull Out Of Europe; 07 Sales In 28 Countries Just 3K Before you start reading - let me remind you that, unlike most people who posted above, I actually DO live in Europe... The problem with Cadillac is that they don't offer what people would go to them for. In Europe, the CTSs - both the original and the new one - were big news for auto journalists only, as they meant big advertorial deals. Most of the populace think of Cadillac as a large luxo barge, tailfinned or not, but certainly not of a "sports sedan" in the mold of BMW. If one wants a compact executive (i.e. reasonably-sized, reasonably-priced sports sedan) in Europe, one goes and buys a 3er (in fact, more Europeans do that anually than buy a Passat, Mondeo or Vectra). On second thoughts, one might consider the Audi, or Mercedes (takes a blind man, but still apprently they are permitted to drive). If you really really really really don't want to go German, you go get an Alfa Romeo. If Alfa Romeo is not to your tastes for some reason, there is the Saab (though recently, this choice is becoming rather desperate). There is little to convince anybody to pass so many "obvious" choices in favor of an unknown quality from a brand associated with something totally different. It would raise quite a few eyebrows if anybody asked for a sports coupe from GMC - and perhaps same goes for small sports sedans from Cadillac in Europe, except that hardly anybody cares. There is still a market, even in those uncertain times, for large, comfortable and brash, though. While it takes a desperate fleet manager to treat many European roads to just a taste of the BLS, the Chrysler 300C is a fairly common sight, despite the bulk, price and fuel consumption. Go ask for a more refined and luxurious American sedan from Cadillac, and the best they can answer you with is the STS, which is disappointing in more ways than you can think. Cadillac can of course succeed, to a limited extent, in Europe. And I believe if Lexus can move into the dozens-of-thousands territory, so can Cadillac. But they need to have the RIGHT PRODUCT, and small cars just aren't that.