[MEDISIN]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Chris Doane (who has pretty decent sources) is saying the rumors aren't entirely accurate.

My suspicion is the CT8 is delayed while other products are prioritized. GM didn't invest hundreds of millions into Omega for the CT6. I suspect the 7-passenger Omega-based crossover will be prioritized over the CT8.

Originally Posted by shaffe

I agree with you

You should have stopped right there

Originally Posted by shaffe

That still doesn't make it ok that CTS and ATS sales have been disappointing. While the other makes were down, they were not down as much as Cadillac was.

BMW 5 series in 2014 52,704 and in 2015 44,162, down a total of 8542 cars or 16%.

Cadillac CTS 31,115 sold in 2014 and 19,485 in 2015, down a total 11,630 that's down 37% I don't care what way you spin that, having sales be down 37% is not good. I would bet part of it is what you said, more people are leaning towards SUV/CUV but down 37%!

You neglect to mention the changeover to the new Alpha based, third generation CTS that occurred in for the 2015MY. The second generation CTS sales had been shrinking since 2011. Now introduce an all new CTS that moves upmarket and commands higher prices in a shrinking luxury sedan market and you get a 37% decline. As you said, even the established players in the market - BMW was down 16%, the E-class was down 25%. It sucks, you cry yourself to sleep at night because of it , but not a surprise when you look at the market.

Originally Posted by DGthe3

That is precisely what an Eldorado was, or at least what it was supposed to be. Big, bold, brash and apologetically American. Its what people love about them, its what people hate about them.

You've substantiated my point, I think. The Escalade IS the flagship car for the brand. Why does Cadillac have to build a six-figure luxo-barge to be the flagship? People want SUV's and crossovers. They already have the large luxury SUV that defines the category. MB built an image around the S-class. IMO Cadillac should build its image around the Escalade.

Originally Posted by DGthe3

I never said that they should only build sedans from now until the end of time. They can and should sell both sedans and crossovers/SUVs. There is space in the Cadillac showroom for at least 2 more crossovers (one small, one large) in addition to flagship sedan. But here's the thing: it doesn't have to be an either/or proposition. The two can work in concert with each other to build a better brand.

I don't work in the auto industry but it would surprise me if Cadillac had unlimited resources to develop every product they want at once. Priorities have to be set. Right now a large luxury sedan in a shrinking market is not a priority. Back to my comment above, why are you so insistent that the flagship product has to be a sedan? Because the Germans did 40 years ago?

Originally Posted by DGthe3

Flagships/halo cars typically serve as a sales & revenue multiplier, more than as direct sources of income themselves. They are as much about image advertising as anything else. It works different ways for different types of products. In a luxury brand they define what everyone should expect from the rest of the offerings. It also draws more attention to the brand, driving showroom traffic & increasing overall sales (I'm sorry, but that CT8 is $119,685. But right over here with have a CTS for half as much ...). And like I said in my previous post, it elevates the rest of the offerings by association. That can nudge average transaction prices up for those other vehicles (Anything that shares a lot with something as special as a CT8 must be worth the money ... right?).

In essence, flagship products make more people actually want to buy your other more mundane offerings. Its not a requirement, obviously, but it can does a lot for making the difference between being a successful brand & an also ran.

Right, so buyers step into the showroom to see the Escalade but can't stomach it's $90k price tag...but right over here is the best selling 5-passenger luxury crossover that costs half as much..