Cadillac, eager to boost its sales volume, is planning an expansion of its crossover and SUV lineup. Those ambitions will likely result in two new vehicles, one smaller than the Cadillac SRX and a larger, three-row utility vehicle that slots between that model and the Escalade. While the new car-based crossovers will certainly bolster the brand's soft U.S. sales, the decision to pursue the new models is also driven by Cadillac's operations in China.
"The two body styles that are really driving the luxury market in China are sedans and SUVs, and nothing else," said Uwe Ellinghaus, Cadillac chief marketing officer. "That implies that our aspirations are not limited to SRX and Escalade on the SUV side. We are discussing further SUV derivatives for Cadillac."
Rumors have long circulated that Cadillac is working on a three-row crossover based on General Motors' Lambda architecture—we first reported on that possibility in April 2011—which also underpins the Chevrolet Traverse, the Buick Enclave, and the GMC Acadia. Our sources indicate that Cadillac once intended to replace the body-on-frame Escalade with the front-drive-based, unibody crossover, but that plan was scrapped during GM's 2009 bankruptcy. The company instead introduced a new truck-based Profitwagon Escalade earlier this year.
That doesn't preclude Cadillac from launching another three-row utility vehicle, though. A unibody crossover could serve as a more affordable alternative to the Escalade to compete with the Infiniti QX60 and the Acura MDX. Ellinghaus, however, remained coy about the status of the Lambda-based crossover. "It's not off the table, but I also do not want to confirm anything or comment with speculation. Give us a little time," he said.
It's possible that the company is looking instead at a three-row, unibody crossover based off of its new rear-wheel-drive Omega platform. "It is our clear conviction that Cadillac's future is rear-wheel drive," Ellinghaus said. "The next-generation SRX we'll keep front-wheel-drive because we have tremendous success with the current car, and front-wheel drive has advantages for the package, interior roominess, and cost. That said, we must make a decision. Our future is rear-wheel drive and of course all-wheel drive that we will offer where required and appropriate. So expect future SUVS from Cadillac to be rear-wheel-derived, particularly big ones."
The original SRX was a three-row, rear-drive-based model built on the same Sigma platform that underpinned the STS sedan. A new utility vehicle similar in size and concept to that crossover could provide cost-reducing volume for the Omega architecture. That set of components will debut with Cadillac's new flagship sedan in 2015, but the range-topping car likely will sell in limited numbers. A family-oriented utility vehicle would bring economies of scale to the manufacturing process.
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Ellinghaus also acknowledged that Cadillac is looking to compete with the BMW X1, the Mercedes-Benz GLA250, and the Audi Q3. "A smaller [vehicle] than the current SRX on the SUV side is also something we need for the future," he said. Packaging and cost constraints will almost certainly dictate that the smallest crossover is built on a front-wheel-drive architecture. In the most likely scenario, Cadillac would build its baby ute using the Gamma platform that's currently found under the the Buick Encore and the Chevrolet Trax.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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