I beg to differ with the statement “a place where Cadillac is doing quite well already.” This could not be far from true, at least here in Saudi Arabia. STS sales are next to none. Months would pass before you would dee a STS on the road. The BLS only exist in the show room. The CTS and SRX (the most selling brands after the Escalade) are far and few in between (you may see one or 2 a day, and not any quite as often). I know, I live there and own ‘03 CTS and ‘04 SRX, so I am on the look out for fellow Cadillac owners, I do not see many. Now compare that, to Lexus, MB, or BMW, “now you can say doing quite well.” GM is doing an excellent work, the customer service center in Dubai is super, they have helped me again and again. But it is the dealer who is as good as useless. He just sells, but do ZERO advertising, have a lousy shop, lousy working environment, and just down right a cheapo. I wrote Cadillac Middle East urging them to fire him, but he is still there.

Do not let any one fool you about Cadillac selling great. Like me, the few people who buy Cadillacs now a day are those who just like Cadillacs.

I really hope the situation would change, but it is grim so far. Cadillac is bringing the SLS here because the DTS did not sell, and they are losing the market big time.

Regards

Thanks for the information about how Cadillac is doing in your market.

I’ll see if I can dig up official sales figures for inclusion in any future articles/posts about sales outside the US.

From Cadillac directly…

They normally report sales for the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America as a total. For the year, they are expecting total sales of around 3500 – most of these in the Middle Eastern countries.

So, depending on your definition – Cadillac is either doing quite well for a relative newcomer or not doing well at all compared to more established competition. This all depends on your point of view.

Either way, they seem to be in these markets for the long haul and sales should improve as consumers in these countries/regions begin to recognize Cadillac as a strong alternative to the BMW’s and Mercedes of the world.

I do not know how to consider the statement “newcomer.” Cadillac ahve been in Saudi since Saudi started to import cars, and it used to do much much better in the past.

But, I do view the Cadillac of 2003 as a brand new company with completly differnet phylosophy and cars, in that sence they are a newcomer. But they haven’t done what it take to sell them selves as the “new Cadillac.” Unlike Lexus “the new comer of the 90s” the whole buying and maintainace experience is largly unchanged, so people still see it as the old Cadillac and refuse to beleive that the quality is any better. So while it is a new comer, it is judged and perceived the same old poor quality Cadillac, but in new skin.

Do not take me wrong, I have just came back from the Dubai motoshow. I saw the CTS and was taken away, I love it and it will be my new car. The SLS was on display too, but compared to the CTS it looks like old news already. I can’t wait to buy the CTS, it won’t be on sale here til February or later.

Regards, I love this site, keep the good work