Cadillac flagship gets the green light, will take styling cues from Ciel Concept
#19
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"Next up for Cadillac will be a replacement for the all-important CTS that is due to arrive in sedan guise in the second half of 2013 as a 2014MY. It will grow in size to better compete with the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class."
Nice. The more reasonable the 2Gen CTS-V becomes the closer I can get to actually buying one. ha ha
Nice. The more reasonable the 2Gen CTS-V becomes the closer I can get to actually buying one. ha ha
#20
Lexus Fanatic
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#23
Update
General Motors has decided to deep-freeze a range-topping ultraluxury sedan it was developing for Cadillac, according to 3 people with knowledge of the company's plans.
GM executives recently concluded that the rear-wheel-drive car, which would have been a low-volume showstopper priced well north of $100,000, didn't offer enough brand-building pizzazz to justify the investment, the sources said. Designers recently were taken off the program and reassigned.
The decision doesn't change GM's plans for a large rwd sedan to line up against the Mercedes-Benz S class and BMW 7 series.
Development of that future Cadillac, to be built on a new rwd platform dubbed Omega, is well under way, with a launch expected for the 2016 or 2017 model year, sources have said.
1 source said GM decided that the pricier specialty car, referred to internally as the "flagship" Cadillac, wasn't a big enough departure from the large rwd sedan already in the works. The person said that Cadillac executives are weighing a number of other niche vehicles to push the boundaries of Cadillac's revitalized lineup.
GM CEO Dan Akerson told Automotive News in November that he expected the company to decide this year whether to move forward on a range-topping flagship. "This is a big bet for us," he said at the time.
Talk of an exotic flagship to sit atop Cadillac's lineup has swirled for years, since GM tantalized fans with the V-16-powered Cadillac 16 concept at the 2003 Detroit auto show.
In 2011, Cadillac drew raves at the Concours d'Elegance classic-car show in Pebble Beach, Calif., with its Ciel open-air concept, which designers said was meant to hint at styling elements of a future large sedan. 1 source says elements of the long, elegant Ciel are likely to be incorporated into the future 7-series fighter.
For more in-depth coverage of this story, see Page 1 of Monday's edition of Automotive News.
You can reach Mike Colias at mcolias@crain.com.
#24
Lexus Fanatic
This is great news and exactly what the brad needs to elevate it. I welcome new Caddy products. I have been impressed with their sedans for a few years now and they are only getting better.
#26
Agreed, baby steps. A proper flagship is all they need. If in a few years they see a case to go ultra luxury, then they can build a super flagship for over 100k. It's just not necessary right now. Overall, Cadillac is doing great these days. All of their models are successful, with no duds. Lincoln on the other hand seems to be a bit lost.
#28
Agreed, baby steps. A proper flagship is all they need. If in a few years they see a case to go ultra luxury, then they can build a super flagship for over 100k. It's just not necessary right now. Overall, Cadillac is doing great these days. All of their models are successful, with no duds. Lincoln on the other hand seems to be a bit lost.
It'll surely be a strong competitor that's for sure. S-Class has clearly raised the bar, as has the GS, IS, ATS, CTS for all their respective segments. Excited for the automotive world!!
#29
Lincoln needs to implement Cadillac and Lexus's platform system vs their respective parent companies. The key is distinction. Platform sharing is fine in some instances, but not for every single product you have. Lincoln needs RWD and LUXURY not FWD/AWD and UPSCALE barely premium. Enough of this "smart luxury" like Acura . As a Blue Oval guy it pains me to see Lincoln these days. Granted I think the upcoming MKC at least from concept look great, but the sedans are a miss, no coupes, verts, and the utilities are a bit strange or long overdue for a overhaul (ahem Navigator). Guess we'll just have to wait and see what's in store.
I'm starting to think Ford axing Mercury and keeping Lincoln was a BIG mistake. If they are not going to invest the funds in making Lincoln a true world class luxury marque, then they should have axed Lincoln, and kept Mercury as their "premium" brand and aim to compete against Acura, Volvo, & Buick.
As it stands now, they are killing Lincoln slowly with not enough product and too much sharing between models. Not to mention their product names are atrocious. MK this, MK that. It's horrible
#30
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A super flagship or coupe would have done wonders for brand awareness. Sad to see this canned. You got to take big risks sometimes and ignore your beancounters who have no idea what marketing is and how to elevate your brand.
If beancounters had their way we would all drive CIvic and Corolla L's.
If beancounters had their way we would all drive CIvic and Corolla L's.