GM’s reshuffling of its Australian business may see the addition of a new marque, in the form of Cadillac. The American brand is currently in the midst of a serious rebirth process that has garnered a lot of attention from buyers and rivals, with the creation of desirable, stylish and well performing cars like the ATS or the CTS, and innovative ones like the (overpriced but cool) ELR.
This is by no means the first time this piece of info has popped up, but it is the first time since the Holden’s factory closure announcement, and the context really works for it here, as it could be seen as a way to fill part of the (performance) void in the market, but not with rebadged Chinese-made Buicks.
Australia’s CarAdvice spoke to Caddy’s marketing boss, Uwe Ellinghaus, on the sidelines of the soon-to-conclude Geneva motor show.
“I know that in Australia and in many other countries there are car lovers with an appreciation for the brand, and of course this is a great asset to build a viable strategy on,” adding that they “see the opportunity [in Australia] and we want to expand into as many markets as we can afford.”
When asked if the American brand could provide a model to fill the shoes of the go-fast versions of the Aussie-built Holden Commodore, he said, “This is something that I can envisage very well. This is exactly the spot of the market that I have in mind when it comes to Australia.”
However, Ellinghaus was quick to point out that buyers shouldn’t expect Commodore prices if Cadillac does enter the market.
“[Matching Commodore prices would be] difficult given the investment we’ve made in the products, and the business case logic that requires a certain return on the capital employed. Clearly the price must reflect the increased product substance,” he said. “In this regard I see Cadillac almost more on the level of BMW M or Mercedes AMG.”
By Andrei Nedelea
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