In North America, Audi will soon offer four crossovers and SUVs; BMW has five with a sixth model coming in the near future; Mercedes will soon have six and Lexus will have four this fall. And Cadillac? Well, it currently sells only two SUVs, the SRX and the Escalade, meaning that its foreign rivals have it outgunned in its own market…
It had been reported that Cadillac was going to add a large CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle) with three rows of seats in 2017, but WardsAuto now says that GM has reconsidered and cancelled the plan, partially because of fears that it would overlap with the Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia.
Instead, the site’s sources say that Cadillac will build a smaller CUV with two rows of seats for five passengers, which could lay the base for a similar-sized model from GMC that has been looking to add such a vehicle to its range for years.
It’s not clear how small the Cadillac SUV would be, but either way, it would be much easier to offer it in markets outside North America than a vehicle the size of the Buick Enclave (201.9 in / 5,128 mm).
Last October, Cadillac said that it was contemplating the use of the Escalade nameplate for other models, including the large CUV, but Cadillac Product Manager Dave Schiavone told the website in April that the Escalade was “unique, with its image and presence” and was not a candidate for expansion.
By John Halas
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