Originally appeared at GMInsideNews.com on March 1, 2010.

GM: Give Cadillac The Product it Deserves or Kill it.
Another commentary on what Cadillac should be
by Mark Bono (ChevyRules), GMI Staff Writer

...continued from Part 1

Keep Cadillac Focused on RWD and the Germans

Now this is Cadillac’s 2004 mission statement. Focus on going out and beating the Germans.

This means the SRX needs to return, as a rear-wheel drive vehicle on the Alpha platform and the XTS needs to move to the Zeta platform. Though I have little faith that they will do this. With the new SRX’s success, I am concerned they will go and think, “ See front-wheel drive is the answer to Cadillac’s troubles” and continue on with front-wheel drive and accept Cadillac being a volume luxury brand. I have been hearing as well the biggest drawback to a Zeta based Cadillac is that, while the vehicle itself would be profitable, the required investment into making a proper full size Cadillac would result in GM never seeing a return on investment with the vehicle. I find this reason to be full of crap. The typical life of full size luxury sedans is seven years with a mild refresh three to four years into it. Is GM really saying that they will not see a return on investment with a vehicle that has a life span of seven years? Even if it is the case, GM should go through with it because the vehicle itself will be profitable so it isn’t a total money loser.

Now I know this is where it gets hard for GM. Trying to keep two premium brands separate from each other. But, it is easier then it looks GM. You already have the vehicles needed to complete Buick’s line up. You just need to transfer over the current SRX and XTS over to Buick. Buick should be a front-wheel drive based brand to go against the likes of the lower end Lexus, Acura, Lincoln, Volvo and now Saab models. While Cadillac is rear-wheel drive based and goes after BMW, Mercedes, Infiniti and Audi.

Kill Cadillac

GM, if you cannot do the other two options listed above, I really do have to suggest just killing Cadillac. I wish it would be Buick that would be killed instead, but we all know Buick is already established as a global brand and is highly successful in China, while Cadillac is not. So it comes down to Cadillac now being the weaker of the two luxury marques at GM.

If you continue on the paths you have chosen for Cadillac and Buick, they will continue to trample on each others toes. You have the SRX and XTS going after models GM has given aim for Buick to take on. We also have rumors of the US getting the next generation Park Avenue which will trample on Cadillac’s feet by having a full size RWD sedan. Cadillac’s image will not recover where you want it to be if Cadillac goes after the volume market.

Conclusion

Those are the best options that are presented to me for Cadillac. If it were up to me, in a perfect world I would have Cadillac go after Rolls Royce and Bentley. But, the world isn’t perfect and I seriously doubt Cadillac will be able to climb that high on the ladder again. So realistically, I would have Cadillac go after the Germans, which was its original mission statement. Cadillac does have the ATS coming, which rumors say it will crush the F30 BMW 3 series. GM does have the DT7 on the shelf and just needs to dust it off and GM needs to make the decision now to move the SRX over to Alpha for the third generation to make the lineup complete with proper Cadillac’s.

Categories: News, Commentary, Rumored Models
5 Comments »

Originally appeared at GMInsideNews.com on March 1, 2010.

GM: Give Cadillac The Product it Deserves or Kill it.
Another commentary on what Cadillac should be
by Mark Bono (ChevyRules), GMI Staff Writer

Cadillac, Cadillac, Cadillac…. What should I do about you?

Cadillac, one of General Motors’ four core brands, has been a hot topic lately with the direction (or lack there of) GM has decided to take it. I am one of those who are skeptical of Cadillac’s supposed path to “revival”. Back in the first renaissance of Cadillac, I was excited to see Cadillac was returning to rear-wheel drive and greatness. The first round of post-renaissance vehicles did lack the interior that is expected in a luxury car and the styling of the STS and SRX was very lackluster. The driving dynamics and handling of these vehicles though was very well regarded by the media and driving public. So I was hopeful that the second generation of these vehicles would improve upon the shortcomings of the first generation.

In 2006, Cadillac released the third generation Escalade and the interior was much improved. In 2007, the second generation CTS was released. YES! I am ecstatic that GM is really focused on bringing back Cadillac to its glory days. Then—in typical GM fashion—they disappoint greatly. Here comes 2009 and Cadillac releases the second generation SRX. Do they improve upon the shortcomings of the previous generation? Yes, they do as the styling and interior is much improved. What disappoints me you say? The key element that allowed the first generation SRX win Car & Driver best luxury SUV three years in a row (horrible interior and styling in tow) has been taken out of the equation. GM has removed the SRX from its rear-wheel drive Sigma underpinnings and moved it to the front-wheel drive Theta-Epsilon platform ruining its driving dynamics (you need power robbing and weight adding AWD to restore its handling and driving dynamics). Not only that, but they gave the base version an anemic 3.0 liter Direct Injected V6 that produces a pathetic amount of torque and produces it high in the rev range. Did GM decide to go the Honda route with this engine and make it fuel sipping in the low end and high power in the high end? Nope. The SRX 3.0 is not only slow and has no power, but it sucks down gas as well. Why did GM do this for the new SRX? So it could move down-market and compete with the Lexus RX. Wonderful old GM trait there new GM! Go after sales and volume rather than improving Cadillac’s image in an image-driven market. Enter 2010 and we have the XTS Platinum Concept. Is it the highly anticipated Zeta based DT7 everyone has been talking about? Again, the answer is no. The most anticipated replacement for the STS and DTS is based on an extended version of Epsilon II. The interior is gorgeous and the exterior is better looking then the STS and DTS, but still a bit conservative for me. Being on the extended Epsilon II or Premium Epsilon limits the XTS to a max of 350 HP as there is no word if a V8 can fit in the engine bay of an Epsilon II vehicle and no V8 period that could be mounted transversely that would make it competitive with the other full-sizers.

So with GM’s new direction down-market with Cadillac, GM has—once again—brands stepping on each others toes. So what would I do to rectify this problem? I have thought up three directions for GM’s most prestigious brand.

Move Cadillac up market

No, I do not mean restore it where it was back in 2004. I mean move it to Bentley and Rolls Royce level. Where GM makes the best damn luxury car the engineers and designers can come up with. Vehicles that have zero compromises and use the best leather, the best wood and the best materials known to man. This means producing an updated and redesigned Sixteen (the design is old so it needs to be redone), developing V10 and V12 powertrains and maybe throw a supercar in there (yes a supercar that can beat the Corvette).

This not only raises Cadillac’s prestige to where they were back in the 1950’s where they were mentioned in the same sentence as Rolls Royce, but also creates breathing room between Cadillac and Buick. As the gap between Cadillac and Buick would be so great, GM can give Buick vehicles like the Park Avenue and Rivera without having to worry about it entering the market Cadillac is occupying. It would be like a 1000-pound gorilla being lifted off Buick’s back that currently restricts its movements.

...continued in Part 2

Categories: News, Commentary, Rumored Models
No Comments »

While we finish up our review of the new 2010 SRX turbo – it seemed like a good time to go over how and where the Caddy Edge tests cars – just to give some context to our upcoming discussion from how the SRX works/looks/drives in that world.

Where we test

tCE headquarters is located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains north of Denver, CO (somewhere on the left side of this map).

View Larger Map

This area is ideally suited to stressing the suspension and powertrain aspects of most cars and especially any vehicles with sporting intentions like the modern Cadillacs. Softly sprung or lumbering vehicles will feel decidedly out of their element with the sweeping curves and sharp switch-backs found on the rural highways up and down the northern and central foothills of Colorado. Anything with questionable traction will be exposed by the occasional sand covered corners that result from either winter prep of the roads or from the runoff from the warmer months’ rains. It is a challenging, real-world test track if ever there was one.

Show me more… »

Categories: News, Commentary, Reviews
1 Comment »

During today’s web chat with GM’s head of global design, Ed Welburn, a question was asked about his favorite 3 designs of all time. The answer?

”’63 Corvette Stingray split window coupe, Lambo Countach, and honestly, the next generation full-size Cadillac that we’re working on now”

That’s a good sign for what GM has on the way to replace the STS/DTS.

Let’s hope they spend the money to make a true 7-Series/S-Class beater.

Categories: News, Commentary, Rumored Models
No Comments »

In a chat session on the GM Fastlane blog, Bob Lutz fielded some questions about the future direction of the ‘new’ GM.

Of interest to Cadillac fans are:

Confirmation the upcoming CTS coupe will get the V treatment.

A CTS-V sportwagon is not likely, but would be easy to do.

Cadillac will stay focused on competing with the German luxury brands leaving Buick to compete with Lexus (this suggests that reports of front-drive Cadillacs may be overstated)

The Converj was mentioned as one potential application of the Voltech powertrain in other products…so this could be a very likely product.

Categories: News, Commentary, CTS, V-Series
No Comments »