Fastest growing premium brands in America

[guitarlix]

What Premium Car Maker Is The Sales Increase Leader Over The Last 5 years?

With the Lexus rapid acceleration in the U.S. marketplace, most of us probably would assume they would be the number one choice to be leading the industry in 5 year sales gains. Actually you would be wrong if you did.

While Lexus has maintained a stellar growth chart for the last 5 years, both Porsche and Infiniti outpaced the giant over a 5 year span starting in 2002. Infiniti’s remarkable performance is in spite of a drop of over 11% in sales from 2005 due to a stagnated model line up. With new models finally in the pipeline Infiniti sales should pick up and continue forward at a blistering rate for 2007.

A startling revelation actually for the Spies was the astonishing fall from grace of Jaguar with a 66.21% drop in sales over the last 5 years. In 2002 Jaguar’s sales were almost triple that of Porsche only to fall to 60% of the volume a mere 5 years later.

Overall the sector in general grew an admirable 17.82% over the 5 year span in spite of the overall automotive market actually dropping almost 2% for the same time frame.

http://www.autospies.com/news/What-P...5-years-12795/

[mgescuro]

I guess Cadillac doesnt count.

[JoeT]

Where would Cadillac fit into that list (with the same details)?

[Butz]

Ok, where's Cadillac? It sure is a whole more premium than Acura and Volvo.

[MNdudeswitz]

All someone needs to do is find Cadillac's 2002 sales and their 2006 sales and add them to the mix

[jbartley]

Cadillac:

2002 - 199,748
2006 - 227,014

+27266 = ~13.65 increase

numbers from http://www.gm.com/company/investor_i...ist_sales.html

Also to be considered for the "premium group"

Buick
2002 - 432,017
2006 - 240,657 (that's not a typo)
~ -44%

Saab
2002 - 37,805
2006 - 36,349
~ -4% (not bad considering the lineup!)

[mgescuro]

I did some digging....

Cadillac
2002 -- 199,748
2006 -- 227,014

27,266 increase.

13.65% increase. (If I used 2005 numbers, it would be a 17.65% increase.)

In either case, with Cadillac declining in sales in 2006 (Most likely from the decline in STS), they have improved, but not enough to overtake Mercedes, BMW, or Lexus.

[Butz]

Originally Posted by jbartley

Cadillac:

2002 - 199,748
2006 - 227,014

+ 27266 = ~13.65 increase

numbers from http://www.gm.com/company/investor_i...ist_sales.html

Cadillac is doing perfect, never was and never will be a volume brand and it shouldn't.

Some of you here insist that should chase after volume with low end volume cars, I think Cadillac is good as is, they need to move a bit more upmarket to give room for SAAB and Buick to grow.

[jbartley]

Originally Posted by Butz

Cadillac is doing perfect, never was and never will be a volume brand and it shouldn't.

Some of you here insist that should chase after volume with low end volume cars, I think Cadillac is good as is, they need to move a bit more upmarket to give room for SAAB and Buick to grow.

Right on. I'm pretty sure with new CTS sales for 07 and 08, Cadillac will easily rise right past MB (who has wayy more models) and be chasing BMW.

[stevecmh]

i think its interesting that they "forgot" to put caddy on the list

[cadillacpimpin]

lincoln is not on there either. if it is a premium brand

[Butz]

Originally Posted by jbartley

Right on. I'm pretty sure with new CTS sales for 07 and 08, Cadillac will easily rise right past MB (who has wayy more models) and be chasing BMW.

The thing is, Cadillac doesn't need to surpass anyone in sales, Cadillac needs to be the Standard of the World and profitable.
All what Cadillac needs is a midsize sigma based coupe/convertible, by midsize I mean somewhere between 190 and 195 inches in full length, and a flagship sedan, that's it. I don't see the BLS fits Cadillac at all, they should of left the volume sales to SAAB.

[mgescuro]

Originally Posted by Butz

Cadillac is doing perfect, never was and never will be a volume brand and it shouldn't.

Some of you here insist that should chase after volume with low end volume cars, I think Cadillac is good as is, they need to move a bit more upmarket to give room for SAAB and Buick to grow.

No. If Cadillac is to be global, then volume worldwide needs to top 500,000 -- minumum -- at least 50-60% of it coming from the US.

Cadillacs charter is to be GM's full-line global luxury car brand. In fact, it is GM's ONLY luxury car brand. So Cadillac needs to do the heavy lifting.

Cadillac needs to for upmarket with at least 2 new upmarket cars. It needs to strengthen its mid-level (CTS) and it needs to expand and launch a solid low end (BLS). It needs to quit rebadging the Tahoes and give the Escalades a true identity and more capabilities and a better interior.

Cadillac has work to do.

Originally Posted by Butz

The thing is, Cadillac doesn't need to surpass anyone in sales, Cadillac needs to be the Standard of the World and profitable.
All what Cadillac needs is a midsize sigma based coupe/convertible, by midsize I mean somewhere between 190 and 195 inches in full length, and a flagship sedan, that's it. I don't see the BLS fits Cadillac at all, they should of left the volume sales to SAAB.

In order to be "Standard of the World," it's going to need products AND a reputation that is equal to or greater than Mercedes-Benz.
"Standard of the World" is no longer confined to America. It's a global market. With the moniker, comes worldwide recognition.

Cadillac's got a long way to go.

[Butz]

Originally Posted by mgescuro

No. If Cadillac is to be global, then volume worldwide needs to top 500,000 -- minumum -- at least 50-60% of it coming from the US.

Cadillacs charter is to be GM's full-line global luxury car brand. In fact, it is GM's ONLY luxury car brand. So Cadillac needs to do the heavy lifting.

Cadillac needs to for upmarket with at least 2 new upmarket cars. It needs to strengthen its mid-level (CTS) and it needs to expand and launch a solid low end (BLS). It needs to quit rebadging the Tahoes and give the Escalades a true identity and more capabilities and a better interior.

Cadillac has work to do.


In order to be "Standard of the World," it's going to need products AND a reputation that is equal to or greater than Mercedes-Benz.
"Standard of the World" is no longer confined to America. It's a global market. With the moniker, comes worldwide recognition.

Cadillac's got a long way to go.

I'm all for Cadillac being a global player, but it should never chase after volume, whether it was in NA or in the rest of the world. Cadillac will be the Standard of the World by making exceptional premium luxury cars not by chasing volume with ugly hatchbacks, i.e. follow the lead of Mercedes A-Class and BMW 1-Series, or glorified volume midsize sedans, i.e following Lexus ES lead which they are already doing by glorifying the 9-3 which is a heavily glorified Vectra.

I agree with you, the Escalade should be made more exclusive or dropped, Cadillac doesn't need glorified Tahoes, and just because Lexus is doing it with the LX, that doesn't mean Cadillac should follow. The next Escalade shouldn't share any body panels with the Tahoe, and the interior should be more exclusive, I don't mind platform sharing, but looking at the Escalade from the side and rear it's hard to distinguish it from other GMT900 SUVs.

[tkrelston]

Originally Posted by mgescuro

No. If Cadillac is to be global, then volume worldwide needs to top 500,000 -- minumum -- at least 50-60% of it coming from the US.

Cadillacs charter is to be GM's full-line global luxury car brand. In fact, it is GM's ONLY luxury car brand. So Cadillac needs to do the heavy lifting.

Cadillac needs to for upmarket with at least 2 new upmarket cars. It needs to strengthen its mid-level (CTS) and it needs to expand and launch a solid low end (BLS). It needs to quit rebadging the Tahoes and give the Escalades a true identity and more capabilities and a better interior.

Cadillac has work to do.


In order to be "Standard of the World," it's going to need products AND a reputation that is equal to or greater than Mercedes-Benz.
"Standard of the World" is no longer confined to America. It's a global market. With the moniker, comes worldwide recognition.

Cadillac's got a long way to go.

True luxury is based on exclusivity. No one would pay a thousand bucks or more for a bottle of wine they can buy at any Wal-Mart any day! Cadillac should NOT have double the sales of Buick and or BMW! If you notice the ultra wealthy in the past couple of years have bypassed the Escalade and opted for the Denali.