Johan de Nysschen Steps Down From Infiniti, Becomes President Of Cadillac

Can't wait for the new C30, C50, and C70,sedans and CX40 and CX80 SUVs!

Or is it the new A3, A4, A6 and A7 sedans, plus the new R8?

Audi did well when he was there, he didn't do much of anything for Infiniti, but Infiniti has limited resources also.   This guy did once call the Volt a "car for idoits" because no one would pay double the price for what is basically a Corolla competitor, so I wonder what he thinks of the ELR?   The good news is this guy may shelf the ELR and XTS and push for a flagship sedan because he wanted Infiniti to get a flagship and/or halo models, but I think the bean counters had other ideas.

IF he pushed at infiniti for a flagship, he was unsuccessful. Brand could not support one, anyway.
Cadillac already has their flagship in the works, that will not be to his credit.
Audi is a success primarily because it's a partnership development with VW and sees enormous economies of scale. In other words, it's baked in to a certain degree.

  On 7/12/2014 at 8:43 PM, smk4565 said:

Audi did well when he was there, he didn't do much of anything for Infiniti, but Infiniti has limited resources also.   This guy did once call the Volt a "car for idoits" because no one would pay double the price for what is basically a Corolla competitor, so I wonder what he thinks of the ELR?   The good news is this guy may shelf the ELR and XTS and push for a flagship sedan because he wanted Infiniti to get a flagship and/or halo models, but I think the bean counters had other ideas.

Basically you are rehashing what Autoblog commentators say. People forget one thing - he had Carlos Ghosn as his boss.

Nissan has huge economies of scale too, it isn't like Infiniti was a little independent.  But Ghosn may have killed any flagship ideas, it is a surprise they got the GT-R out because he is probably the tightest bean counter of them all.  Infiniti probably couldn't build a business case for anything above the M37/M56 so they just gave it a new name to make people think they made a new high end car.

someone with knowledge of what makes Audi tick i think will be helpful.

I hope Cadillac doesn't get de-Americanized though.

Does this mean we'll be getting a new, FWD, CVT sub-compact sedan from Cadillac?

I think they will do a Cadillac Encore.  The Cruze is as big as an ATS, so no sense in making a Cadillac out of that, I doubt they do a Spark or Sonic sized Cadillac, but I can see them doing an SUV smaller than the SRX. 

I think the next SRX is due to shrink externally while remaining the same size internally.  updated platform for that.   I don't think they'll do a Cadillac Encore... Apparently no way to make it much bigger on the Gamma platform.

I imagine there will be a 3rd Cadillac SUV somehow, GM loves SUVs, they can't let Cadillac have only 2 when Mercedes has 5 of them, granted the GLA will probably be a slow seller and the G-wagen is a niche product.

If the new Lincoln compact CUV is successful, I can see them responding... Merc has the GLA coming, BMW has the X1, Lexus has the NX, infiniti probably has something coming (beyond the strange EX).

  On 7/14/2014 at 1:23 AM, smk4565 said:

I imagine there will be a 3rd Cadillac SUV somehow, GM loves SUVs, they can't let Cadillac have only 2 when Mercedes has 5 of them, granted the GLA will probably be a slow seller and the G-wagen is a niche product.

I didnt say there wouldnt be one, only that it wouldnt be Gamma based

Cadillac will continue to falter until Cadillac finds management with a knowledge of what once made CADILLAC tick.

  On 7/13/2014 at 5:10 AM, regfootball said:

someone with knowledge of what makes Audi tick i think will be helpful.

 

I hope Cadillac doesn't get de-Americanized though.

To an extent I feel it already has been-

  On 7/14/2014 at 6:22 AM, Anon said:

Cadillac will continue to falter until Cadillac finds management with a knowledge of what once made CADILLAC tick.

Pretty much this, although what sold Luxury cars in the past is as dead as the rear wheel drive Cutlass.

  On 7/14/2014 at 6:22 AM, Anon said:

Cadillac will continue to falter until Cadillac finds management with a knowledge of what once made CADILLAC tick.

What once made Cadillac tick no longer applies in the luxury segment.  It's no longer about huge space, cloud smooth ride, and the most glitz... it's about aggressive looks and driving acumen that makes the most mundane morning commute a trip around the Nürburgring.

  On 7/14/2014 at 1:23 AM, smk4565 said:

I imagine there will be a 3rd Cadillac SUV somehow, GM loves SUVs, they can't let Cadillac have only 2 when Mercedes has 5 of them, granted the GLA will probably be a slow seller and the G-wagen is a niche product.

Based on what I can find searching the internet, MB has only 2 SUV platforms. Their military version mad consumer overpriced dino G-Class and the 4 model family GLA, GLK, GL and M-class suv.

How is this any different than Cadillac with their 2 SUV platforms? They have their Escalade, Escalade ESV and SRX. I expect a second model off the SRX line but with Buick, Cadillac does not need to have a model in compact, Mid class and Full size. More then enough with what they have.

  On 7/14/2014 at 2:26 PM, Drew Dowdell said:

 

  On 7/14/2014 at 6:22 AM, Anon said:

Cadillac will continue to falter until Cadillac finds management with a knowledge of what once made CADILLAC tick.

 

What once made Cadillac tick no longer applies in the luxury segment.  It's no longer about huge space, cloud smooth ride, and the most glitz... it's about aggressive looks and driving acumen that makes the most mundane morning commute a trip around the Nürburgring.

 

Agreed, we are past the Baby Boomers desires for a Laz-e-boy chair ride. The buyers are wanting what you stated, a driving experience to make their commute fun.

  On 7/14/2014 at 2:49 PM, dfelt said:

 

  On 7/14/2014 at 2:26 PM, Drew Dowdell said:

 

  On 7/14/2014 at 6:22 AM, Anon said:

Cadillac will continue to falter until Cadillac finds management with a knowledge of what once made CADILLAC tick.

 

What once made Cadillac tick no longer applies in the luxury segment.  It's no longer about huge space, cloud smooth ride, and the most glitz... it's about aggressive looks and driving acumen that makes the most mundane morning commute a trip around the Nürburgring.

 

Agreed, we are past the Baby Boomers desires for a Laz-e-boy chair ride. The buyers are wanting what you stated, a driving experience to make their commute fun.

 

Or at least the image of wanting that experience.  BMW is selling numbed down 3 series like ice water in hell.   If the driving experience per se. was what was selling cars, Cadillac would be doing MUCH better than they are. Because IMHO they pretty much crush several other brands with their driving dynamics.

  On 7/14/2014 at 2:47 PM, dfelt said:

 

  On 7/14/2014 at 1:23 AM, smk4565 said:

I imagine there will be a 3rd Cadillac SUV somehow, GM loves SUVs, they can't let Cadillac have only 2 when Mercedes has 5 of them, granted the GLA will probably be a slow seller and the G-wagen is a niche product.

Based on what I can find searching the internet, MB has only 2 SUV platforms. Their military version mad consumer overpriced dino G-Class and the 4 model family GLA, GLK, GL and M-class suv.

 

How is this any different than Cadillac with their 2 SUV platforms? They have their Escalade, Escalade ESV and SRX. I expect a second model off the SRX line but with Buick, Cadillac does not need to have a model in compact, Mid class and Full size. More then enough with what they have.

 

Mercedes does have 2 SUV platforms but they have more than 2 SUVs.  The GLA is on the A-class platform, the GLK is built on the C-class platform.  The ML and GL share a platform but in different size similar to ATS and CTS on Alpha, and the G-wagen is their 2nd SUV only platform.  So 2 of Mercedes SUVs are built on car platforms.

I'd like to see Cadillac build an SUV off Alpha, maybe to slot in between the SRX and Escalade and they can help them keep the price of the SRX down to keep it in the entry-lux suv sweet spot.

  On 7/14/2014 at 11:07 PM, smk4565 said:

I'd like to see Cadillac build an SUV off Alpha, maybe to slot in between the SRX and Escalade and they can help them keep the price of the SRX down to keep it in the entry-lux suv sweet spot.

I'd like to see them move SRX to Alpha.  

It's not about an easy chair ride (or building the luxury equivalent of a high-end Saturn, which is what many Audis are). Cadillac was once the pinnacle of luxury, the pinnacle of design and engineering--the ultimate status symbol.  Following (which is about all they've been doing for the last 30 years, and is far from their only problem) will only get you so far.

  On 7/15/2014 at 4:36 AM, Anon said:

It's not about an easy chair ride (or building the luxury equivalent of a high-end Saturn, which is what many Audis are). Cadillac was once the pinnacle of luxury, the pinnacle of design and engineering--the ultimate status symbol.  Following (which is about all they've been doing for the last 30 years, and is far from their only problem) will only get you so far.

And what direction do you expect them to take to lead?

  On 7/14/2014 at 11:07 PM, smk4565 said:

 

  On 7/14/2014 at 2:47 PM, dfelt said:

 

  On 7/14/2014 at 1:23 AM, smk4565 said:

I imagine there will be a 3rd Cadillac SUV somehow, GM loves SUVs, they can't let Cadillac have only 2 when Mercedes has 5 of them, granted the GLA will probably be a slow seller and the G-wagen is a niche product.

Based on what I can find searching the internet, MB has only 2 SUV platforms. Their military version mad consumer overpriced dino G-Class and the 4 model family GLA, GLK, GL and M-class suv.

 

How is this any different than Cadillac with their 2 SUV platforms? They have their Escalade, Escalade ESV and SRX. I expect a second model off the SRX line but with Buick, Cadillac does not need to have a model in compact, Mid class and Full size. More then enough with what they have.

 

Mercedes does have 2 SUV platforms but they have more than 2 SUVs.  The GLA is on the A-class platform, the GLK is built on the C-class platform.  The ML and GL share a platform but in different size similar to ATS and CTS on Alpha, and the G-wagen is their 2nd SUV only platform.  So 2 of Mercedes SUVs are built on car platforms.

 

I'd like to see Cadillac build an SUV off Alpha, maybe to slot in between the SRX and Escalade and they can help them keep the price of the SRX down to keep it in the entry-lux suv sweet spot.

 

So then you propose either a 3rd platform to add or move SRX to Alpha and build the SRX as the entry level and a new mid level CUV on alpha between SRX and Escalade.

Right now MB and BMW have nothing that really competes against the Escalade. The G-Wagon is the closet body on frame that MB has but no one else out there makes a full size Luxury SUV today.

This whole nambly-pambly theory that no automaker "follows" another is ridiculous, it's the very backbone of the industry.

Without it, cars within a segment would never be 'competitive' with each other.

Like in nineteen sixty five when everyone (Pontiac, Plymouth's Ford etal seemed to be going for the stacked head light look...

the lux market is driven by badge seekers nowadays.  Long time ago when Cadillac was about plush, it was the older crowd who earned $$$ over time that bought a lot of them, and the big soft riding cars were what folks wanted.  Non lux cars had a hard time getting quiet and comfy ride, and bigger was better.

the demographics change over time and people in their older years won't have as much cash (although the few that do, have a lot).  And like my dad says, "I've given GM money for over 50 years, I'm not going to give them 50 grand more on a new Cadillac".  So I think some of the older crowd is tired of throwing money at cars (disclaimer, my dad seldom bought new or expensive but I think his sentiment is shared by many his age).

I think the younger generations see cars as fashion more than anything these days.  BMWs and such are the equivalent of Hollister or something. And German marques despite being perhaps the best drivers, their success is more fashion and badge snobbery than anything.  Lots of 20 somethings buying Audis.  (including a coworker recently).  That's why we get Mercedes CLA's.  I really believe Audi's big lure is the stale design which is viewed as contemporary....and their typically well done interiors (tiny gaps, amazing plastics, etc.)  There is a group of the younger set that definitely appreciates the driving dynamics and such, but I bet the percent is quite small.  This group I think, pretends they don't need a big car because they either don't have kids or big families yet, or they finally got a new car after 5 years of driving a small cracker box college car, they just don't feel the need to spread out much yet.  They have not had a car with room so they don't know how nice it can be.  Or, they live in a tight setting and don't have a lot of room to park a car.  So a lux marque small tiny car like an A3 makes perfect sense.

Then there is the middle generations like mine where a lot of folks grew up on Japanese cars because as one coworker put recently (without any factual data) 'they are just better' and people get sick of the Japanese bland stuff but still want something non American, so they move up to a Japanese lux make or a German marque.  These folks maybe had an Accord when younger, which only recently became a large car.  So a huge older Caddy would seem oversized.

There is also the movement of today's buyers where if they want a large do it all vehicle, they get a crossover.  the midsize sedan segment seems to be large enough for a lot of buyers today.  Even the lux marques sell so many more crossovers now, the need for huge sedans is seemingly small.  And with the EPA and govt out to eradicate bigger cars anyways....

But there are still folks like my dad who has his DTS and looks at an XTS and says it doesn't look as roomy.  He's always thought the CTS was too small.  He thinks the ATS is a toy car.  I think a lot of the ATS low sales is due to simply 'small interior, small trunk'.....Cadillac despite the chassis magic really screwed the pooch on the usable size of the ATS. I remember riding in the 2 previous gen 3 series back seats and thinking they weren't so tight, I sold a C class once (prob at late 2000's one) that i recall having tons of room in the back.  A ten cubic foot trunk and no back seat is a hindrance to sales to even people who would not get too often get worked up about space otherwise.

The 20/21 year old i had to try to sell a 135i to one time (the real $$$$ was his mom) was a part time assistant manager at either Aeropostale or Hollister and was such a little pricktard.  A complete badge seeker.  No doubt the 135 was a nice driving car, and the vehicle dynamics interested him, but really it was just about status for him. 

I don't see Cadillac cracking this group of assholes for at least 10 years, even if they wanted to.  The original CTS to this day you see the drivers that drive them are younger and not the old stereotype Caddy owners.  And they are diverse.  I think you build off a few of those types, you really try to cultivate Cadillac as a brand that appeals to a diverse crowd, and try to stay away from the fashion seekers.

I would pretty much agree with Reg, a lot of people just don't like the Cadillac image.  My mom is 60 and mention a Cadillac and the response is "ewww, I hate them, they are for geezers" because she remembers her grandparents getting a new Cadillac every other year, my great grand parents bought over 20 Cadillacs, all land barges of the 60s, 70s and early 80s.  They could sell Cadillacs at half price and she still wouldn't consider one just because of the negative image she has formed of them.  I think a lot of 20 somethings are probably the same way, they see Audi as cool and hip, and Cadillac as grandpa's car.  And Cadillacs are big, some people don't want a mid size car even, they only want small or compact.

The SUV line up I would propose is make the SRX smaller on the outside, same on the inside and keep the base price at $35k.  It could be FWD because the mindless crossover buyer likes that, Acura, Lincoln and Lexus get sales on FWD crossovers because those Rav4 and CR-V and Ford Escape buyers have to go someplace when they trade up, and they are clueless to why RWD is better.

The middle SUV should be on Alpha, more like the CTS in size and price, 3.6 V6 base and twin turbo V6 optional (or whatever engines the CTS has at that time), this would be more in the $50-65k range like an X5 or ML350.

Escalade will stay as it is, the Tahoe is already there so it is easy to do.  Rumor is they are thinking of a turbo V6 or diesel V6 since the Navigator has a turbo V6 and the Mercedes GL has a diesel.  Other than powertrain or trim changes, the Escalade formula works for now.  Probably one day body on frame SUVs will die, just as body on frame cars died and body on frame mid-size SUVs died, but for now they are still holding on.

At one point or another, that's been said about 1. convertibles, 2. high power outputs, 3. inline engines (over 4 cylinders), 4. V8s, 5. diesels in cars, 6. digital dashes... and the list goes on & on.

"And Cadillacs are big" lol- what is this; 1976? ATS & SRX are small, CTS is only mid-sized. The days of 'big Cadillacs' (Escalade aside) are long gone. Your mother's 1980 impressions need updating.

Some people don't like big cars, my mom thinks my E-class is too large and it is smaller than the new CTS.   I'd imagine the sort that buy Mini Cooper, Golf GTI, Jetta, Prius Impreza, etc see the ATS as almost too big.  Those cars I mentioned are in the 175-180 inch length area.  Spend 10 years in one of those cars and no way would they go to a large mid-size like a CTS.  That is where the Audi A3 and BMW 1 or 2 series come in.  Urban buyers like small cars. 

The SRX isn't small either, it is a foot longer than a Mercedes GLK, 8 inches longer than a Lexus NX200, 7 inches longer than a BMW X3.  The SRX is just on a dopey platform that doesn't utilize space well.  The CTS has gotten big too, at 195.5 inches long, it is just 2 shy of a Chrysler 300.

I think Cadillac should have a small, medium, large SUV line up, the SRX is covering 2 segments, it needs to pick small or medium, and then they can release a 3rd SUV.  They should use Alpha, but they could make their small and medium crossovers FWD, crossover buyers won't care.

  On 7/16/2014 at 3:29 AM, smk4565 said:

Some people don't like big cars, my mom thinks my E-class is too large and it is smaller than the new CTS.   I'd imagine the sort that buy Mini Cooper, Golf GTI, Jetta, Prius Impreza, etc see the ATS as almost too big. Spend 10 years in one of those cars and no way would they go to a large mid-size like a CTS.

Well, if that were true & widespread, all the OEMs are in deep crap because they've all made huge investments & taken the long-term public stance that buyers will "trade up" to bigger & more expensive cars. It's how mercedees has justified the cheap crapbox the CLA is. Of course, that lil' chestnut is handily disproved by owner loyalty stats.

Your mother has a particular, very limited restriction, size-wise, on vehicles she likes. It has nothing to do with Cadillac there, but sounds like ANY vehicle that exceeds that criteria. In other words, according to you it's a "problem" for mercedes also.

-- -- --

But your sentiment, only ever directed at Cadillac as a "problem" is true for any & all makes. Seen the recent commercial from audi that shows a BMW driver intentionally splashing water on bystanders; for a great many people BMWs= pricks and mercedes = old money/old men and for them, they have no desire to own that brand, either.

Not sure Cadillac needs a 3rd SUV, some folk will only endlessly bleat about GM having too many SUVs, or something.

SRX is doing a fine job outselling the M-class, must mean the SRX is automatically the better SUV.

It is interesting but in Seattle, if you are rather tiny, then you tend to buy Asian auto's, Big American people tend to buy American or German. Yet the whole youth market who has money buys performance so you see plenty of AMG, M's, V's, Porcheses, etc. Old folks are the ones buying BMW, MB and Cadillac cars. Young affluent families are buying the CUV's and SUV's from the Luxury makers here as they live a far more active life style.

Over all I think Cadillac is fine with the SRX and Escalade. If they feel they need something between these two fine, but I see no reason to take the Encore and rebadge it a luxury version. Waste of R&D money. Encore is perfect where it is in Buick.

Those that are willing to spend money are going to buy Compact or bigger. Not Subcompact for Luxury.

I agree... Encore is probably too small for Cadillac.  Besides, they are having trouble keeping up with worldwide demand for that car and its variants as is.

I do think GM has a lot of SUVs, that is why I don't think the GMC brand should exist since they are all Chevy clones.  You could give Buick and Cadillac each 3 SUVs (not clones) and Chevy has SUVs and you don't need GMC.  I would also argue if it isn't a global brand, they don't need it.   But I know GM won't cut GMC.

There could be an argument made that Cadillac should just keep 2 SUVs in order to put more R&D dollars into the ATS and CTS, because as long as you have to make Buick and GMC SUVs, they only have so many dollars to spread around.   But the SRX is pretty comparable to the RX350 and MKX, and Lincoln and Lexus both saw the need for a smaller crossover.  Granted Lincoln has one foot in the grave too and could just be desperate.

On the image and buyer preference issues, Audi seems to be the hot brand among younger and newer luxury buyers.  But Audi also relies on the A3, A4 and Q5, their bigger cars don't sell.  The CLA proves that Mercedes buyers aren't just after a badge, because they aren't buying it, and the E-class has been the best selling Mercedes.  If they just wanted a badge, they wouldn't skip over the 2 cheaper models and go for the more expensive one.  BMW is pretty strong up and down the lineup in sales, despite them watering down steering feel and driving dynamics.  Consumers don't seem to care.

While I like the Corvette and Camero, I doubt I will ever own one. The rest of Chevy lineup of Auto's outside of the last generation Tahoe / Suburban that I liked better than the last generation Yukon/Yukon XL does nothing for me. In fact not since the mid 80's when they had their Monte Carlo SS Areo have they produced any Chevy I would want.

GMC on the other hand excluding the poor design of the last generation Yukon series has had hit after hit for design styles that I have enjoyed. GM can get away with Chevy and GMC as I do not see the buyers cross shopping the two lines very much if at all. What I do see is people who own GMC come back to buy buicks to add to the family.

I thought I was the only one who thought the GMC front end styling was unattractive. The only two that have it correct are the Terrain and the new Canyon.  The Sierra has the headlight design all wrong and the Yukon is not great at all as you said.

pffft; I was staring at a new 1500 Denali in traffic tonight- white, it was gorgeous.

  On 7/18/2014 at 1:30 AM, balthazar said:

pffft; I was staring at a new 1500 Denali in traffic tonight- white, it was gorgeous.

I agree the New Denali's are sexy compared to the dog they replaced.

  On 7/16/2014 at 2:42 PM, Drew Dowdell said:

I agree... Encore is probably too small for Cadillac.  Besides, they are having trouble keeping up with worldwide demand for that car and its variants as is.

Along withe the new impala its actually one of my two favorite gm cars.

  On 7/18/2014 at 2:24 AM, dfelt said:

  On 7/18/2014 at 1:30 AM, balthazar said:

pffft; I was staring at a new 1500 Denali in traffic tonight- white, it was gorgeous.

I agree the New Denali's are sexy compared to the dog they replaced.

Sexy enough to turn a small car lover like me into an SUV kind of guy!