Cadillac is set to offer a full model line-up in Europe, according to GM president Dan Ammann, including “diesel and right-hand drive”. Ammann said Cadillac is mulling over a new approach to its European business that will attempt to take advantage of the fact that it is a niche brand by offering “exceptional service”.
Which is a bit peculiar, since Autocar reported, just a few months ago, that Cadillac will not relaunch in Europe until at least 2020, as it focuses on building its brand and volumes in the US and Asia, according to boss Johann de Nysschen.
General Motors have done well during pandemic, they need to copy Tesla online selling in Europe you don't need a massive dealer net work just set up a centrally located few dealers in every big major city London-Birmingham-Manchester that have a large population i.e. 1 in 6 of the UK live in London, and grow dealerships from that start point, EV's don't have many moving parts require very little maintenance don't need a massive dealership to maintain them.
Cadillac EV's can now sell on a level playing field with European luxury car makers now fly under the EU sales killing gas guzzling radar that used to $10,000's extra in C02 taxes old ICE Cadillac's were out of tune $10 a gallon gas prices.
General Motors have done well during pandemic, they need to copy Tesla online selling in Europe you don't need a massive dealer net work just set up a centrally located few dealers in every big major city London-Birmingham-Manchester that have a large population i.e. 1 in 6 of the UK live in London, and grow dealerships from that start point, EV's don't have many moving parts require very little maintenance don't need a massive dealership to maintain them.
Cadillac EV's can now sell on a level playing field with European luxury car makers now fly under the EU sales killing gas guzzling radar that used to $10,000's extra in C02 taxes old ICE Cadillac's were out of tune $10 a gallon gas prices.
98% of GMiers care as much about Cadillac in Europe as GM mismanagement. But for the rest 2% a new friday's post. You probably aren't aware of the fact that someone who likes Cadillac FB page in Europe can't even see other Cadillacs than XT4 (sic!). So the only visible posts in Europe are the ones with XT4 (no Escalade, no hot Blackwing Caddies). As You see people are asking for other Cadillacs and only response they see is GM corporate middle finger - 'get lost, shut up, wait for electrics (although we even don't know if we gonna sell it in Europe or not) you damn fool!'. This is what GM Europe HQ employees get money for!
LHD CT5 already arrived to RHD market - JAPAN. Now that Japanese dealer has 4 Cadillac L HD models on offer (and I believe customers can make a special order of Escalade too).and European dealers have one (XT4) I wonder When will finally my dream come true? I want to hear the official reply of Mother about the point of this policy GM is stucked with. #nomorecrappycars #nomorecrappymanagement
LHD CT5 already arrived to RHD market - JAPAN. Now that Japanese dealer has 4 Cadillac L HD models on offer (and I believe customers can make a special order of Escalade too).and European dealers have one (XT4) I wonder When will finally my dream come true? I want to hear the official reply of Mother about the point of this policy GM is stucked with. #nomorecrappycars #nomorecrappymanagement
There is some potential logic for LHD in Japan. But that's only for instances where the car is used as a black car service or chauffeured car. But even the British cars don't sell their RHD cars in Japan for that use case. No one does. Just GM.
I honestly don't know what GM bothers with Japan. Sure, there's a quirky subset of a car market where LHD cars are wanted. But is it really worth GM's time? Those buyers can simply import the cars themselves.
Imagine if Lexus sold only LHD cars in the US. They'd be laughed out of the market.
I imagine its the same in Japan with Cadillac.
I once used the same argument using Jaguar name - 'what if Jaguar tried to sell their cars in RHD in U.S.?'
As far as Japan is concerned there are still many LHD European/American cars on the market there - local customers buy them to show off and rarely drive them. So it's a kind of a niche for GM NA products. I wouldn't be saying it didn't make sense if those 20 European dealers weren't left with one car (sic!). There's a dealer in Dresden that finally built a good-looking Cadillac-Infiniti showroom. After Infiniti was axed, GM clowns decided to leave him with one Cadillac model and told him and customers demanding blackwings and Escalades 'wait for our EVs, they are coming!'.
I once used the same argument using Jaguar name - 'what if Jaguar tried to sell their cars in RHD in U.S.?'
As far as Japan is concerned there are still many LHD European/American cars on the market there - local customers buy them to show off and rarely drive them. So it's a kind of a niche for GM NA products. I wouldn't be saying it didn't make sense if those 20 European dealers weren't left with one car (sic!). There's a dealer in Dresden that finally built a good-looking Cadillac-Infiniti showroom. After Infiniti was axed, GM clowns decided to leave him with one Cadillac model and told him and customers demanding blackwings and Escalades 'wait for our EVs, they are coming!'.
Every now and then, I'll see a RHD Rolls on the street. But those are so rare. And I kinda wonder why they're around.
Last time I was in Tokyo, I saw an LHD Camaro. IT was an incredibly random sight to see.
There's a niche market in Japan, but those are for people who have either imported it themselves or have worked with a specialized importer. Some even make the conversion to RHD themselves. But the market is so incredibly small. Why even bother with the attempt?
Dresden's a beautiful city. It's been a few years since I was last there walking thru the striezelmarkt.
All that assaulting...Europe is going to need a therapist and a "he touched me there" doll after it's all said and done.
So reading through this thread and applying some historical context for grins for the few of you that still subscribe to the Jeezy newsletter: Cadillac is worth the step up over GMC/Buick because buyers want the Badge, but people should buy Cadillac because they should stop being self absorbed, worrying about that valet parking spot and grow out of the badge/brand snobbery that is drawing them to the Euros. Way to have it both ways, bravo!!!
If you want to play the luxury game, you have to play on the terms of the Europeans: Mercedes, BMW, Audi. Porsche, Range Rover, Maserati have carved out their own niches to survive in that market. The remaining are the exotics and premiere luxury brands: Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Rolls, Bentley.
Cadillac just needs to find its niche. But its niche can't be seen as inferior or a mere copy of what the competition is offering. That's been their decades long problem. They've copied the Europeans and did it on the cheap or not built up a proper spin machine to convince the public.
Cadillac needs to ask itself, "What is a Cadillac?" I've never been a fan of the Y-trim product hierarchy. It doesn't focus on the Cadillac brand and what it should be because you have a sport and a luxury. It's disjointed
Frankly, you need the brand snobbery in order to survive in this market.
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