Archive for the 'Commentary' category
What would you like to see the Caddy Edge review
February 13, 2008 - 2:09 pmIs Cadillac slipping?
July 16, 2007 - 5:29 pmYou may have heard mention of this already…
CNW Research has recently put out a report that Cadillac’s appeal to 18-35 year olds is slipping. The score of the brand in the ‘Aspirational Index’ has slipped to its lowest value since 2003. The brand’s score started to climb in 1999 and flattened out in 2005-06 with it dropping below 8 (on a 10 point scale).
They note that the ‘aspiration age’ of buyers…I suppose this means the average age of people who would own a Cadillac, rather than those who could afford to buy one…has gone from 30.3 to 35.9 in the last 3 years. Of course, this looks less like a problem if you figure that the same theoretical 30.3-year old would be 33.3 at the end of the same period. Not a terribly odd thing given that the youngest buyers tend to be drifting toward boxy cars when they care about cars at all.
I expect the age of the current Cadillac product also has a bit to do with it given that most of the cars in the stable were close to brand new 3 years ago. Expect the numbers to reverse with the debuts of the new CTS, CTS coupe, CTS-V, BRX, etc.
Winding Road: Study Suggests Cadillac’s Appeal Is Slipping
CTS makes Forbes list of low-cost luxury cars
July 6, 2007 - 8:31 am
As much as I loathe posting about any Forbes list (they seem to put out multiple lists every day, just for the publicity)...this one has at least a slight Cadillac angle…
They are running a story about the wide range of ‘affordable’ luxury models available.
One interesting angle is how the CTS is one of a select few on the list that don’t share a platform with a lesser model from another brand. This makes the CTS one of the few ‘true luxury’ models on the list.
As you know, the CTS is based on a unique platform (Sigma) that Cadillac and Cadillac alone uses for models as diverse as the CTS, STS, and SRX.
The only other models on the list that share this distinction (not sharing their innards with more mass-market cars) are:
BMW 3-series
Infiniti G37
Lexus IS
Mercedes C-class
A nice group to be part of, I think.
The ones that do share their roots with ‘lesser’ cars on the Forbes list are:
Show me more… »
Profile of Cadillac’s Interior head
July 3, 2007 - 11:17 amSo where are OUR wine and cigars?
June 7, 2007 - 11:08 amBusiness Week has a interesting article about how Cadillac is wooing luxury buyers in China.
As the Chinese discover mobility and acquire wealth, established luxury brands from the western world are throwing every trick they have at making sure they walk away with all this new-found Chinese cash.
Given China’s 1.2 billion people, even the tiny percentage that can afford such extravagances represent a significant number of sales – and mainly to people who have no brand loyalty yet.
Other examples of Cadillac’s push is unique models like the SLS, with improved rear accommodations to cater to the new Chinese rich who prefer to not drive themselves.
Ultimately, increased volumes in emerging markets like China can only help Cadillac in their home market as each sale puts a bit more money in the bank that can then go to develop products for all markets.
Read all about it (and don’t miss the slide show that shows what a Cadillac showroom in Shanghai looks like) at:
Business Week: Cadillac Floors it in China
