Cadillac reduces European sales goal again

[Flybrian]

Slow Caddys in Europe
Brand cuts sales goals following weak sales

By WIM OUDE WEERNINK | Link to Original Article @ AutoWeek | Published 07/23/07, 5:05 pm et

General Motors will sell fewer Cadillacs than expected in Europe by 2010.

"We have reduced our sales targets for Cadillac in Europe to 10,000 units short term and eventually 15,000," GM Europe President Carl-Peter Forster told Automotive News Europe.

In 2003, GM gave the Dutch dealer group Kroymans the exclusive Cadillac distribution rights for Europe. At that time, GM's sales target for the brand was 20,000 units by 2010.

But sales have been weak - despite the addition of the BLS sedan, which was derived from the Saab 9-3.

The BLS is the first Cadillac in Europe to offer a diesel engine.

During the first five months of this year, 1,314 Cadillacs were sold in Europe, up from 1,280 during the same period last year.

In addition, earlier this month, GM's United Kingdom unit took over sales, marketing, distribution and aftersales for Cadillac, Corvette and Hummer in the United Kingdom from Kroymans.

The United Kingdom unit already handles those duties for Chevrolet, Vauxhall and Saab.

[Drew Dowdell]

Without the diesels available in the larger vehicles, Cadillac is going to have to settle for this reduced number.

[RJB]

They should have just left this market alone. Opel is doing just fine and this only proves that Europe does not want "american" cars in their market. I don't care if they have the most technological diesels in the world Europeans just have different tastes and those tastes don't include Cadillac, Chevrolet, or Hummer. They've already bashed the BLS, and the H3. The SRX got a lukewarm response and maybe just maybe the next-gen CTS will fair better diesel and all.

[ZL-1]

Without the diesels available in the larger vehicles, Cadillac is going to have to settle for this reduced number.

That and the dealer network is fairly small. And I still think that leaving the distribution to Kroymans was a stupid idea.

They should have just left this market alone. Opel is doing just fine and this only proves that Europe does not want "american" cars in their market. I don't care if they have the most technological diesels in the world Europeans just have different tastes and those tastes don't include Cadillac, Chevrolet, or Hummer. They've already bashed the BLS, and the H3. The SRX got a lukewarm response and maybe just maybe the next-gen CTS will fair better diesel and all.

Cadillac will remain 'niche' but, for comparison reasons, Lexus is also niche even if it sells two or three times as much as Cadillac in Europe. This market is Audi's, BMW's, and Mercedes' market. And we do like American cars, it's just that their size and higher fuel prices make American cars less practical than what is offered by European manufacturers. I think there's a quality perception issue as well, but that issue exists in the US as well. Edited July 25, 2007 by ZL-1