Only@GMI: Cadillac Zeta Car Rumored Dead

[mikmak]

Originally Posted by mbukukanyau

I have been here at GMi for a number of years. GM seems to be always in a crisis. It stumbles from crisis to crisis, no concrete model plans, always fluid, no long term products, kills some mid streams, runs some for only one model, some get forgoten never upgrading, what is wrong?

Not sure but it was all fine before you got here

[eaton53]

Originally Posted by Odin

And your comment about the germans not being able to answer it is pathetic

What's pathetic is your lack of reading comprehension. I said MAY not be able to answer. We shall see, but right now the gulf is pretty wide.

And I already see it gets you German Kool-Aid drinkers in a tizzy (like the one they go into when you mention Corvettes pimp-slapping Porsches on a regular basis), which I'm sure was Cadillac's goal.

[Slick_Holden]

There was this argument, About the Cadillac being sold in Australia, Higher priced then the Holden VE, Some many said that the Cadillac is better then the VE, That it was premium and the VE wasn't. WE argued that a Cadillac can't be priced 70-80k above Holden's Calais or even Caprice, It's like selling a Corvette for 100k in OZ, Very stupid.
Even more stupid if you already have cars there as good, But 30k cheaper.

Yet here we have, Zeta potential underpinning a Cadillac car, As there, "Premium" Car.
IS the VE now so underclassed?.

[eaton53]

Originally Posted by Slick_Holden

Yet here we have, Zeta potential underpinning a Cadillac car, As there, "Premium" Car.
IS the VE now so underclassed?.

I don't think so.
I love the G8... awesome car.

[mikmak]

^^^But with gadgets and interior material upgrades, is it a Caddy?

[eaton53]

Originally Posted by mikmak

^^^But with gadgets and interior material upgrades, is it a Caddy?

I don't see why not as long as it looks the part and performs to expectations.

Most people don't have any idea what's under their car... just look at the crap strut suspensions Lexus puts under their luxed-up Camrys for an example.

[vette61]

On An Aside,can Someone Tell Me How Is It That Every Time A German Or Japanese Car Is Tested It Is Considered The Best Thing Out There. Amerirca Comes Out With Something.....................its Infireor To The Germans And Japanese. That The Corvette Gets Respect By Car Magazines Is Because It Would Be Blatantly Obvious Of The Car Magazines Bias Toward All Things Foreign. The Cts And Malibu Are Excelent Vehicles. 2 Months After The Intro Of The Cars And The Magazines Are Finding Way To Say That They Don Stand Up To The Compitition. Yes I Mean Motor Trend And Car And Driver. What Ireally Can't Stand Is When They Totally Put Down Vehicles Our Parents Drove.....ie Sixties And Seventies Big Cars.

[tundrakiller]

nice

[ZHDesign57]

Is all GM can do here lately is come up with more ways to cut driving excitment? Or are they just too busy? I doubt it. If they are spending that much time on Camaro and Volt, then they better be some really great Products.

First you kill the car I wanted, the RWD Impala.

Then you kill the RWD G6...
and the Saturn Aura Insignia Clone,

Now all I'm stuck with wanting is a Camaro. (Not that thats bad!)
(I would get a Saturn Sky but it's a 2-seater.)

So where do I turn if I don't want a Camaro?
The Malibu is only going to be temporary success. It's a step up,
and a step in the right direction, but not a reason to slack on the other cars!

A RWD Impala would be a great Charger killer. Hopefully, (I know, I know)
there is still one in the works, dispite all the rumors.

I really hope they don't just rebadge the G8 and call it Impala. That's an easy way out. At least bring us a successful next-gen Taurus competitior. And for the Caddy, The DTS looks are aging too, GM. Need the product GM! Theres still big demand for big luxury sedans!

[nadepalma]

The folks over at Motor Authority are hearing the project is being "sidelined" for now rather than abandoned altogether. Take a look:

SOURCE: MotorAuthority.com

Update: Cadillac’s STS and DTS replacement sidelined for now
Posted on Tuesday 12 August 2008



Update: Late last year Cadillac general manager Jim Taylor revealed that the current STS (pictured) and DTS models would be dropped at the end of their respective product cycles in favor of a single luxury sedan. According to latest reports, those original plans are being put on hold as General Motors focuses on production of fuel efficient models.

The DTS is currently built at GM’s Hamtramck plant in Michigan but the site is scheduled to switch over to the Chevrolet Volt in 2010. The STS is built alongside several other Cadillac models in Lansing, Michigan.

Speaking with Bloomberg, people familiar with GM’s production plans revealed that Cadillac will add more versions of its mid-size CTS sedan (coupe and wagon) and the next-generation SRX SUV. The STS and DTS replacement, meanwhile, has been put on hold as GM waits for demand in the large, premium sedan segment to rebound.

[nadepalma]

A different spin was put on this from the folks over at LeftLaneNews.com - according to them, GM is just going to cancel both the STS and DTS to concentrate on a model below the CTS. Very different approach to the news....

SOURCE: LeftLaneNews.com - Cadillac Rumored to be putting STS and DTS out to Pasture

Personally, I dont know if GM would allow this to happen.

Cadillac has always had a flagship of one kind or another. Killing such product - even if sales are down - seems like a bit extreme.

I think a more likely scenario will be for GM to simply kill one of those models in the short term to lower production and improve the remaining model.

If GM needs more production capacity at their Lansing plant to ramp up production of the CTS Coupe and CTS Wagon, then perhaps the STS gets killed off.

However, with the DTS and Lucerne sales falling - and the Hamtramck where both are built switching to build the Volt in 2010 - perhaps this model will get axed and the STS will simply soldier on?

I guess it could go either way.

Either approach may be better than supporting two products with falling sales.

Just my two cents...

[Docray1]

Originally Posted by nadepalma

The folks over at Motor Authority are hearing the project is being "sidelined" for now rather than abandoned altogether. Take a look:

SOURCE: MotorAuthority.com

If the car were not "sidelined" it would take nearly 3 years from now to bring it to production. Waiting to see "when the market for large, premium sedans rebound" will only put this car farther behind. Like with everything else GM does nowadays, they take a "wait and see" attitude that proves them to be followers - not leaders - of the industry. They have proven that - most recently - with the Camaro. That is a car that would have been magic 3 years ago when first shown, but will now show up at the worst possible time; it is likely doomed to failure by $4 gasoline. IF the market for big sedans rebounds, MB, Lexus and BMW wont be rushing an already antiquated product to the marketplace; they will already be there. How sad it is to watch the American icon of the 20th Century dissolve before our eyes - and, even worse, during the "celebration " of its 100th year anniversary. . .

[Docray1]

Originally Posted by nadepalma

A different spin was put on this from the folks over at LeftLaneNews.com - according to them, GM is just going to cancel both the STS and DTS to concentrate on a model below the CTS. Very different approach to the news....

SOURCE: LeftLaneNews.com - Cadillac Rumored to be putting STS and DTS out to Pasture

Personally, I dont know if GM would allow this to happen.

Cadillac has always had a flagship of one kind or another. Killing such product - even if sales are down - seems like a bit extreme.

I think a more likely scenario will be for GM to simply kill one of those models in the short term to lower production and improve the remaining model.

If GM needs more production capacity at their Lansing plant to ramp up production of the CTS Coupe and CTS Wagon, then perhaps the STS gets killed off.

However, with the DTS and Lucerne sales falling - and the Hamtramck where both are built switching to build the Volt in 2010 - perhaps this model will get axed and the STS will simply soldier on?

I guess it could go either way.

Either approach may be better than supporting two products with falling sales.

Just my two cents...

Cadillac is "considering" both options right now; both "news sources" are correct. The "DT7" is "delayed" right now, but may well be axed; certain components already have been terminated (V8, V6 Twin-turbo, hybrid, etc). The decision to be made will be whether to resurrect the project which is now emasculated or whether to drop it altogether and focus capital on smaller sedans (ie: Alpha) and crossovers. Meanwhile, Cadillac has no "flagship" aside from the DTS (or the CTS-V, depending on your point of view).

[wescoent]

Corporate finance... TONS of fun.

Cadillac is deciding between volume (Alpha BTS) and prestige (DT7).

Further proving that they have the mindset of being no more than a blinged-up Chevrolet.

[mgescuro]

Originally Posted by Docray1

If the car were not "sidelined" it would take nearly 3 years from now to bring it to production. Waiting to see "when the market for large, premium sedans rebound" will only put this car farther behind. Like with everything else GM does nowadays, they take a "wait and see" attitude that proves them to be followers - not leaders - of the industry. They have proven that - most recently - with the Camaro. That is a car that would have been magic 3 years ago when first shown, but will now show up at the worst possible time; it is likely doomed to failure by $4 gasoline. IF the market for big sedans rebounds, MB, Lexus and BMW wont be rushing an already antiquated product to the marketplace; they will already be there. How sad it is to watch the American icon of the 20th Century dissolve before our eyes - and, even worse, during the "celebration " of its 100th year anniversary. . .

Kinda sucks when everything I've been preaching for the past 3-4 years I've been here is actually coming true.

HBS should write a new case study: "General Motors: A Textbook Case to Failure."

Everything they do is wrong, delayed, too slow, half assed, DOA, whatever.
And there is no longer anything they can to about it.