Cadillac Australia Launch Set For Late 2008, With Petrol & Diesel CTS Sedan

[JoeT]

Caddy On Track

Terry Martin
2 July 2008
www.goauto.com.au

CTS sedan will launch Cadillac here in late 2008, with both diesel and petrol power.

Cadillac remains on track for a fourth quarter launch in Australia with its CTS sports sedan, and it has emerged that a turbo-diesel engine could be offered from the outset alongside the 3.6-litre petrol V6.

GM Premium Brands director Parveen Batish told GoAuto last week that the exact specifi cation of model variants was still to be determined, and would not divulge whether cylinder-deactivation technology (known as Active Fuel Management at GM) would feature on the V6 petrol.

However, he did acknowledge that the turbo-diesel engine – understood to be a 2.9-litre V6 oil-burner – could be included from launch. The V8-powered V-spec CTS sedan will not be included, but could turn up in forthcoming model variants, such as a coupe.

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[YupYupYup]

Cool...Caddy CTS in Australia. I am sure it will find many fans. The engine choices will help. Great car...Now the Aussies can enjoy it a year later.

[Black AH CDX]

I attended the Cadillac dealer "immersion roadshow" last week. It was a good chance to hear all about the CTS.

And Go Auto is stretching the truth by saying that Diesel will be available at launch.
"Could" be offered does not mean it "will" be offered.

I can't wait to get into one of these babies and take for a nice spin around the block.

[Mikkoo]

I'm hoping the CTS can do better in Australia than it has here in Europe. It just hasn't
been a player in the market. I had higher expectations with the 08 version, but
it just hasn't won over fickle Europeans.

[Ssom]

Originally Posted by Black AH CDX

I attended the Cadillac dealer "immersion roadshow" last week. It was a good chance to hear all about the CTS.

And Go Auto is stretching the truth by saying that Diesel will be available at launch.
"Could" be offered does not mean it "will" be offered.

I can't wait to get into one of these babies and take for a nice spin around the block.

The Australian motoring media is pretty good at stretching the truth when it comes to new model releases, though I'll put that down to optimisim.

The possibility of a diesel model is what could give the CTS a chance against the Jag XF and Lexus GS.

It's unlikely ever to sell in BMW/Merc/Audi numbers though and is facing canniballisation from the Calais V in spite of what the Seppos think.

[Exploder]

Diesel version?

SELL THAT IN AMERICA NOW!

[mbukukanyau]

Perhaps it does not sell very well in Europe for lack of a 4 banger. Dosent the E Class come with a 4 banger there? like an E220?

[MCGARRETT]

Here is the question of the hour though, will it be RHD?

[Ssom]

Originally Posted by MCGARRETT

Here is the question of the hour though, will it be RHD?

It has to be if they want to sell it there.

[zl-1]

Originally Posted by Mikkoo

I'm hoping the CTS can do better in Australia than it has here in Europe. It just hasn't
been a player in the market. I had higher expectations with the 08 version, but
it just hasn't won over fickle Europeans.

No diesel offered in Europe yet. And I think handing over European distribution to Kroymans was a mistake: GM should be running the show.

[Robert Ryan]

I'm hoping the CTS can do better in Australia than it has here in Europe. It just hasn't
been a player in the market. I had higher expectations with the 08 version, but
it just hasn't won over fickle Europeans.

Were as fickle. I expect an almost identical result here.

[ericmvest]

Originally Posted by Robert Ryan

Were as fickle. I expect an almost identical result here.

Did not the H3 Hummer sell out in Australia exceeding all expectations?

[ericmvest]

Originally Posted by YupYupYup

Cool...Caddy CTS in Australia. I am sure it will find many fans. The engine choices will help. Great car...Now the Aussies can enjoy it a year later.

The latest Cadillac LaSalle Club magazine, that I received this week, had a big story on the Cadillac LaSalle Club Australian National Meet. I was very impressed by the number and quality of the cars that represented a board spectum of years. A picture of either a 1959 or 1960 convertible interior showed a right hand drive car. I was suprised. I did not now Cadillac made right hand drive cars in the 1950's and 60's. The owners were very enthusiastic about their Cadillacs.

[Stéphane Dumas]

Originally Posted by Exploder

Diesel version?

SELL THAT IN AMERICA NOW!

+1 I agree, bring it here

[BBDOS CV8]

Originally Posted by ericmvest

The latest Cadillac LaSalle Club magazine, that I received this week, had a big story on the Cadillac LaSalle Club Australian National Meet. I was very impressed by the number and quality of the cars that represented a board spectum of years. A picture of either a 1959 or 1960 convertible interior showed a right hand drive car. I was suprised. I did not now Cadillac made right hand drive cars in the 1950's and 60's. The owners were very enthusiastic about their Cadillacs.

Holden which were a coachworks and saddlers amalgamated with GM in the depression because GM had cars but no facillities and Holden had a contract until WWII to build bodies for imported GM chassis. After 1948 and the introduction of the FX Holden, the imports dwindled and died because Holden couldn't keep up with demand for the local product. After the 50's the trickle of US-made GM vehicles have been third party imports and converted to RHD locally.

These few dozen VinVet owners represent GM's best chance of sales because hardly anyone else in Oz even knows or cares that Cadillac still make cars.

Did not the H3 Hummer sell out in Australia exceeding all expectations?

They sold all of 700 or so since last year - they sold as many as they imported intially. They are now appearing as dealer stock which means the waiting list is satisfied. I wouldn't be counting on major sales of Hummers as petrol is $6.00+ a gallon, which means SUV sales have basically died in the arse.

Like the G8 in the US, now is probably not the time to be introducing a relatively large, not particularly economical new car - the Euros are now busily introducing feature-packed 2.0 litre fours, many of them diesels, to our market. VW Golfs which were a premium small car here are more affordable than they've been in decades due to the high dollar.

“We’ve got to look at the marketplace, we’ve got to look at our volume. We don’t want to proliferate with having lots and lots of different cars because we’re not going to sell thousands and thousands,” Mr Batish said.