GM Inside Rumors: Cadillac's Large Car Plans - Next DTS and DTS-L on Zeta?

[Ming]

GM Inside Rumors: Cadillac's Large Car Plans
2/14/07

Anonymous "inside tip" came in today:

GM has made some major changes about Cadillac large car plans. The only thing that is confirmed is The next DTS will be on the Zeta platform.

Some insiders are saying the DTS and STS will merged in to one car that will keep the DTS name, the car would have 2 different wheelbases(DTS and DTS-L) and will be Cadillac's S-Class fighter.

The DTS-L will be Cadillac's high-end $80,000-$100,000 fighter.

The big change in the plan is that until now the car was going be on the Sigma platform, now the same insiders are saying the car has been moved from Sigma to Zeta.

With the SRX dead the only vehicle on Sigma will be the CTS.

Now there is talk from the other insiders are saying that the next STS is back on and that it will be Cadillac's S-Class/7 Series fighter, and it will also be on Sigma.

And the DTS will be for the current Deville/DTS buyer.

The only thing that is set in place is that the DTS will be on the Zeta platform.

Photo added 2/15 due to Holden Caprice speculation later in the thread:

[coaster.n3rd]

Sweeeeeeet. Someone finally got a clue.

[mkwelbornjr]

Isnt sigma a better chassis than zeta...why abandon sigma when it saved the brand. SRX will sell but it needs to be more SUV like..use the same chassis but make it higher off the ground etc. like X5.

[CobaltSScrazy]

thats for the inside tip. I hope we get a proper Sclass fighter in the next 5 years, pa leeeeez.

DTS on zeta is good just like Impala on zeta is good. STS could become like a CLS/6series if GM wanted it to also? Do a coupe version? idk, just an idea.

CobaltSScrazy

[gmc8100]

So which will be the S-Class fighter: The STS or the DTS?

Will the next DTS be RWD?

[KIDDIESEL79]

They should keep the SRX and updated like the CTS. They were the original "Art and Science" designs, so why let the CTS get the sweet redesign?

[zaxxis]

While it all sounds great and all, it doesn't matter as long as GM continues to dump DTS into fleet, which is holding back Cadillac's image as well as killing retail sales of the DTS/STS.

Hopefully GM will finally pull the trigger and become a true BMW/MB fighter and not go half way trying to please the older "DTS buyers".

[8>4]

So DTS on Zeta as a Town-car type fleet special and STS on Sigma as S-class figther?

[Sporer65]

How about the STS on the regular Zeta or Sigma platform and then the DTS on the extended length Zeta platform.

[lightbrotha2004]

I don't care what they do as long as there is still a DTS, a NEW DTS. They also should keep the SRX and go back to real names.

[ogg vorbis]

is it just me, or was that very confusing? in either case, the cts is the only sigma...what a waste of a platform. it makes sense to kill it off. if zeta is good enough for a 100k car, it's good enough for the next cts.

what will happen to all the dts limousines? fwd opens up a whack load of room in the back. it also simplifies the transformation.

so cadillac will have:
cts = mb c class/bmw 3
dts = mb e class?
sts = mb s class/bmw 7
no r class/bmw x5
no a class/bmw 1

there was a thread complaining about the dts and buick lucerne v8 overlapping...i guess lucerne will live on. maybe we'll see lucerne limos?

[mkaresh]

Zeta is supposedly cheaper to manufacture, but is hardly viable to compete with the S-Class. More viable for a RWD for the current car, with similar pricing. Front suspension is SLA with the sigma, McPherson strut with the zeta.

Cadillac cannot even sell cars for $50,000 to $60,000 now. They can't move up to $80,000+ without firming up their position in the lower price range first.

Right now there are at most three real players in the S-Class segment: Mercedes, BMW, and Lexus. And the Lexus is marginal. Neither Audi nor Jag is strong there. Cadillac cannot hope to just jump in. Even BMW took a couple of decades to build 7-Series sales to their current level.

[kenman923]

It's about time for the DTS. They really need to keep the STS around to go toe to toe with the BMW 5 Series.

[Carguy]

The ZETA as great as it is uses struts up front/4 link independent rear suspension's while the more premium SIGMA uses superior duble A arms/5 link Ind rear. Why would Cadillac chose the lower end ZETA as their premium S class fighter? I have a hard enough time with ZETA being used as any Caddy model but their MOST PREMIUM ONE!!---I think NOT!---My guess -AND HOPE- would be that they move the STS up market to compete with S class on a longer weelbase SIGMA platform styled somewhat like the 16 consept and any use of a large ZETA would be reserved for BUICK not CADILLAC! If they decide to use ZETA for a CADILLAC then it could be used as a LESS THEN PREMIUM large model like todays DTS is only on a better RWD platform. But still CADILLAC should be on the more premium SIGMA with its superior duble A arm front and superior 5 link rear suspension!

[HEVguy]

Some fairly confusing tips, I guess they are still working it out. The important points I get out of this is:

- S-class fighter is in the future (Yea!)
- SRX is dead (boo!)