Cadillac News: Cadillac To Build RHD Models, Take Europe Seriously

[William Maley]

William Maley

Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com

January 20, 2012

Cadillac is hoping the third time is the charm with their entrance into the European market. The company told Autocar this week, they will build a RHD CTS-V for the United Kingdom as a start to a renewed commitment to taking markets outside U.S. more seriously. Currently the CTS-V is only offered in LHD, which means UK customers are locked out.

“We’re geared up for right-hand drive now. We’re working on it.” GM Marketing Chief Joel Ewanick said to Autocar.

Alongside the CTS-V’s conversion, Cadillac includes the ATS, its 3-Series warrior, as part of their commitment. Ewanick has faith in GM’s European success this time around, saying “we’ve signed in blood.”

“There wasn’t a commitment to the product before and we didn’t design cars to the market demands. The Germans do this very well. There is now a full resource commitment and a vision to get this right. Bankruptcy refocused GM,” Ewanick said.

Ewanick told Autocar new Cadillacs would be developed with global markets in mind, but also said there was no rush to get new models to market and would be replaced under normal lifecycles.

Source: Autocar

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[Drew Dowdell]

They are going to convert Sigma to RHD at this stage of the game? for all of 1,000 CTS-V sales in UK and AU combined? maybe there is more life left in Sigma than we thought.....

[Hudson]

They are going to convert Sigma to RHD at this stage of the game? for all of 1,000 CTS-V sales in UK and AU combined? maybe there is more life left in Sigma than we thought.....

Don't forget the 500 Japanese buyers and 100 South African buyers!

[Z-06]

and 2.5 Indian buyers.

[G. David Felt]

Don't forget the Drug Lords of South America and Central America.

[Robert Hall]

Don't forget the Drug Lords of South America and Central America.

Those are LHD markets, and they probably prefer Escalades to haul around their entourages....

[G. David Felt]

Thinking about this, It would be cool to be the only one with a RHD CTS-V coupe here in Seattle.

[Robert Hall]

Thinking about this, It would be cool to be the only one with a RHD CTS-V coupe here in Seattle.

Would be cool.. but awkward at tollbooths, parking garage exits, and drive thrus...

Speaking of RHD Cadillacs, I saw a RHD UK plated current style CTS sedan in Denver last summer...

Edited January 20, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[G. David Felt]

Thinking about this, It would be cool to be the only one with a RHD CTS-V coupe here in Seattle.

Would be cool.. but awkward at tollbooths, parking garage exits, and drive thrus...

Speaking of RHD Cadillacs, I saw a RHD UK plated current style CTS sedan in Denver last summer...

While we got our first toll bridge to help pay for it, Seattle over all has no toll roads and even the bridge is electronic with no booths to stop at so RHD is not a problem for driving here.

[hyperv6]

Don't think they will leave out the Austrailian market either.

I suspect they will wait till the new CTS to do this. It is too late to invest in the present car now unless they already have the work already done and just have not used it.

[Robert Hall]

Thinking about this, It would be cool to be the only one with a RHD CTS-V coupe here in Seattle.

Would be cool.. but awkward at tollbooths, parking garage exits, and drive thrus...

Speaking of RHD Cadillacs, I saw a RHD UK plated current style CTS sedan in Denver last summer...

While we got our first toll bridge to help pay for it, Seattle over all has no toll roads and even the bridge is electronic with no booths to stop at so RHD is not a problem for driving here.

No toll roads here in Phx, but parking garage entrance/exit access card readers and Starbucks drive-thrus are what I encounter every week that would be a pain w/ RHD.

Edited January 21, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[ocnblu]

I am sure there are thousands of rural mail carriers across the USA who'd love a RHD SRX to replace their old Cherokees and Legacies. I can see them now, all grimy with the right side all scraped up from hitting the periodic mailbox.

[G. David Felt]

I am sure there are thousands of rural mail carriers across the USA who'd love a RHD SRX to replace their old Cherokees and Legacies. I can see them now, all grimy with the right side all scraped up from hitting the periodic mailbox.

Too Funny but true

[smk4565]

“There wasn’t a commitment to the product before and we didn’t design cars to the market demands. The Germans do this very well. There is now a full resource commitment and a vision to get this right. Bankruptcy refocused GM,” Ewanick said.

So what were they doing for 100 years? They just now figure out you have to build to market demands and they trying to sell old rehashed product that people don't want doesn't work? They do need to go into Europe and become more global, and RHD is needed. But they need diesel engines above all and build quality still has to get better.

[SAmadei]

Thinking about this, It would be cool to be the only one with a RHD CTS-V coupe here in Seattle.

Would be cool.. but awkward at tollbooths, parking garage exits, and drive thrus...

Speaking of RHD Cadillacs, I saw a RHD UK plated current style CTS sedan in Denver last summer...

Checker's drive thru has a left AND right side. Best part, is to my knowledge, there is no actual law requiring LHD vehicles in this country.

[hyperv6]

We took a RHD Rolls to the Drive through hat Mc Donalds once.

to me Driving the cars was not a challange but riding in the left hand seat without the wheel was a thrill. You nver felt so out of control in a car.

Now when I drove in a country that drove on the left the first few turns can work on you till you get the mind set.

GM build a bunch of Toytoya Cavaliers here once. The left over ones they did dump to the Rual postal people. These were an odd sight. RHD Chevy with Toyota emblems.

Edited January 21, 2012 by hyperv6

[67impss]

I sure bet they were!

[Camino LS6]

I wonder about the wisdom of making a european push at this time...

[hyperv6]

You have to start sometime and when you are redesigning the CTS and building a larger flag ship it's the time is prime to incorperate the needed features to make them acceptable to a global market.

The only issue I see is the value of the Euro and where all this will end up. If there are issues the cars will still sell here.

[Camino LS6]

You have to start sometime and when you are redesigning the CTS and building a larger flag ship it's the time is prime to incorperate the needed features to make them acceptable to a global market.

The only issue I see is the value of the Euro and where all this will end up. If there are issues the cars will still sell here.

I recognize this, but Europe is an economic maelstrom at the moment...

[G. David Felt]

This might just be the best time to re-enter a market when things are down. Should help in lowering costs and a best way to bargain the unions into giving up overloaded benefits.

[hyperv6]

You have to start sometime and when you are redesigning the CTS and building a larger flag ship it's the time is prime to incorperate the needed features to make them acceptable to a global market.

The only issue I see is the value of the Euro and where all this will end up. If there are issues the cars will still sell here.

I recognize this, but Europe is an economic maelstrom at the moment...

The way I see it they have noting to lose if the cars are right. The cars in the past failed because the cars failed. If sales don't take off do to economic reasons they at least can show they can build a real car and earn some image.

If the Euro chokes they can fall back on the American market with no shame Europes economic mistakes. The people who would buy these anyways are the one who will still have money.

I suspect the Euro will get bailed out again.

I am more worried about Opel. I often wonder if Opels may be built here and China since they are just Buicks now. They can be sent in if they can't get the labor issues handled.

Besides they will be cheaper than the others in the market. It may give them a leg up on people needing to down size. They might just give Cadillac a change if they porvide the car they want and need.

Edited January 23, 2012 by hyperv6