Front Seat: Cadillac Climbing Back to Respectability in the Luxury Segment
By Dean Washington
At a time when GM ruled the automotive roost, one would strive to make their way up the giant’s model line-up starting at entry-level models, with the hope that one day you could reach the highest pinnacle…Cadillac. Owning a Cadillac was a clear sign that you had made it to the big time. It seemed like every doctor, lawyer, businessman or politician was either behind the wheel or riding in the back seat of these iconic vehicles. This was the case from the time the car was introduced in the first part of the century through to a good part of the eighties. That’s when the party ended. Cadillac’s inferior products resulted in lost customers for the next decade to rival luxury automakers from both at home and abroad. According to Randy Schwartz, Cadillac’s VP of Product Development, the push to regain the brand’s status as a leader in the segment wasn’t a priority until 2000 when the unthinkable happened. Lincoln sold more cars than Cadillac for the first time in their history.
The design team was immediately dispatched to re-invent the brand with vehicles that possessed style, performance and most of all, quality. They knew it would be a steep hill they would have to climb, but the company as a whole was committed to succeed. Over the next few years, GM introduced many new models including the STS and CTS sedans, De Ville, SRX Crossover, Escalade SUV and the very sexy XLR Roadster.
The car that the brand would build around, though, was the CTS sedan. It was launched to positive reviews, especially the “V” version which came equipped with a 400-horsepower engine. The “V” model I tested at the time featured a five-speed manual transmission with one of the heaviest clutches I had ever engaged. It was truly a beast that was a real chore to drive. I struggled to figure out why anyone would want this combination in a luxury sedan. But what do I know, as it went on to be a hit. Prior to the economic downturn, CTS sales peaked in the U.S. and Canada at over 80,000 units per year, according to Schwartz.
Recently, while attending an event in Thousand Oaks, California for the all new CTS wagon and SRX, Schwartz insisted I drive the new CTSV after I told him about my thoughts on the previous generation, as he assured me refinements they had made for the new generation would erase any negative impression I had of the car. He chose the Santa Paula area to demonstrate the capabilities of the “V”. The steep winding roads through an area known as the “Citrus Capital of the World” proved no match for this behemoth of a machine as the “V” demonstrated a perfect balance of brawn and luxury. From the 556-horsepower engine to the soothing touch of the micro suede-wrapped steering wheel to the form-fitting Recaro seats, emotions of pure exhilaration and complete calm run through your body simultaneously. Halfway through our 115-kilometre journey, a smiling Schwartz asked me if I had changed my opinion on the “V”. I just looked at him and grinned.
Cadillac still has a long way to go to recapture the glory days, but with its current vehicle line-up, it appears well on its way to bringing customers from yesteryear back in the fold at the same time as attracting the luxury car buyers of today to the brand. Hopefully this will help them make it to the big time again.
Until next issue…Keep it Rollin’.
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