The Cadillac Escalade is an anomaly for the brand. The model represents everything that Cadillac would like to leave behind,
- Shares the platform that Chevrolet and GMC use for their full-size SUVs
- Too Much Bling
- Nimble Performance is non-existant
- Hasn't sold in any real volume in other countries
But the Escalade is the model that commands top dollar and brings in buyers who tend to go for German and Japanese luxury brands. According to Automotive News, buyers laid down an average of $85,000 for the long-wheelbase Escalade ESV.
The Escalade "is the one car we have that import buyers won't even bat an eye to buy," said Keith Harvey, executive manager of Gold Coast Cadillac in Oakhurst, N.J. "They don't have to worry what people will think when they pull up to the country club. It's an Escalade."
This leaves Cadillac in a precarious place. How do you bring one of your most popular models into the image you are trying to create for the brand?
In the short-term, Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen has floated the idea of doing a VSport model to possibly expand the Escalade lineup. But long-term, de Nysschen admits there is some frustration on how to evolve the model.
"How do you balance the desire to bring it into alignment with where we're taking the brand and the equally intense desire not to screw up a good thing?" he said last April.
Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
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