Cadillac News: Cadillac To Remove Camouflage Sooner To Improve Quality

[William Maley]

Automakers try their hardest to keep new models under wraps for the longest time to keep the prying eyes of competitors and the media. But Cadillac is trying something a bit different.

According to Automotive News, Cadillac will be revealing new vehicles about six or seven months ahead from the start of production. Currently, Cadillac reveals new vehicles about two to three months ahead. Why are they doing this? This is part of a push by Cadillac to work on improving the quality of new vehicles. Covering vehicles with camouflage hinders testing of aerodynamics and cooling systems in the real world.

"If we want to achieve different results, we also have to be willing to change the processes we've used in the past," said Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen.

"We want to put more of our development cars into the hands of ordinary drivers, not just engineers, so people can see how they perform in normal usage conditions, and that really requires the removal of camo."

This is quite different from what other automakers have been doing recently. Take for example Honda with the latest Accord. They only introduced weeks before its on-sale date. The reasoning behind this is to prevent sales of the outgoing model from going belly-up.

"The sales guys are concerned about that. That, obviously, is the reason why secrecy has been so paramount. Right now, I think getting the very best Cadillacs out there, that are a standard for the world, is top priority for me. If you do these things well, the sales will follow," said de Nysschen.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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[G. David Felt]

I totally agree with this in regards to real world testing to get the New Standard of the World auto for everyone!  

[ykX]

How the painted over camo is hindering aerodynamic???

[Cmicasa the Great]

48 minutes ago, ykX said:

How the painted over camo is hindering aerodynamic???

Actually its not paint so much as a wrap.. and that is not necessarily what they are talking about.. they are taking more in line with Mules that have leather/pleather/vinyl cladding in teh the earlier stages.. I am betting that the wraps continue but the actual cladding is now going to be abandoned sooner

[smk4565]

It makes sense because car makers are overly cautious about "not commenting on future product" or  trying to hide everything thinking it will affect sales, but it doesn't.

First off, most people buy a car when they need a car, so if the turbo engine is a year away or the new model is next year, they aren't going to wait.  No one walks into a Toyota dealer to look at a Rav4 and thinks, hmm, maybe I should wait 11 months to get it because they are doing a mid-cycle refresh.

Maybe on luxury cars buyers are more discerning, but I don't think a lot of buyers are going to be swayed on whether or not the new model is coming in a year.   On the flip side, by showing the car early, maybe they get a buyer who is only considering 3 row crossovers, and the RX wasn't an option before now.

Plus people know when a new car is coming, these model life cycles are all on line anyway.

[Cmicasa the Great]

14 hours ago, smk4565 said:

It makes sense because car makers are overly cautious about "not commenting on future product" or  trying to hide everything thinking it will affect sales, but it doesn't.

First off, most people buy a car when they need a car, so if the turbo engine is a year away or the new model is next year, they aren't going to wait.  No one walks into a Toyota dealer to look at a Rav4 and thinks, hmm, maybe I should wait 11 months to get it because they are doing a mid-cycle refresh.

Maybe on luxury cars buyers are more discerning, but I don't think a lot of buyers are going to be swayed on whether or not the new model is coming in a year.   On the flip side, by showing the car early, maybe they get a buyer who is only considering 3 row crossovers, and the RX wasn't an option before now.

Plus people know when a new car is coming, these model life cycles are all on line anyway.

I agree. I love my CTS-V but the more I drive it the more risk I run of seriously taking it to its limits on public roads. The car is so fuckin spectacular it isn't even funny. That being said.. I am actually holding off on a vehicle purchase of the CT6.. because it is promised that a V8 version is coming. I am willing to give up some HP, but not 240HP if I were to simply buy a CT6 3.0L TT. I would easily trade to the CT6 Platinum VSport with a  500HP(+) V8

[G. David Felt]

Go figure on why Cadillac would drop hints that an Escalade V was imminent and this was all the rage in 2015 and here we are 3 years later just about and still no V edition. This is a failure of Cadillac leadership. It is not that hard to create a V edition.

[smk4565]

2 hours ago, dfelt said:

Go figure on why Cadillac would drop hints that an Escalade V was imminent and this was all the rage in 2015 and here we are 3 years later just about and still no V edition. This is a failure of Cadillac leadership. It is not that hard to create a V edition.

Agreed and there is room above an Escalade-V for another SUV.

[Drew Dowdell]

It's also expensive to try and hide a vehicle while also testing it in the real world. 

[ccap41]

1 hour ago, smk4565 said:

Agreed and there is room above an Escalade-V for another SUV.

Room above? How much bigger can an SUV get than an ESV?? 

[G. David Felt]

24 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Room above? How much bigger can an SUV get than an ESV?? 

SMK sees the G-Wagon as above the Escalade ESV Platinum. As such and since they charge double what they charge the Escalade ESV Platinum, He thinks Cadillac should have a V12 powered AWD with multiple off road capabilities that would slot in above the Escalade.

In reality, GMC Needs a Professional Grade Hummer package for the Yukon that would cover everything the G-Wagon can do off road.

Escalade just needs a V edition for both standard and ESV versions. They also need an AWD EV Escalade as that would trump anything MB, BMW or Range Rover currently has.

[ccap41]

1 hour ago, dfelt said:

SMK sees the G-Wagon as above the Escalade ESV Platinum. As such and since they charge double what they charge the Escalade ESV Platinum, He thinks Cadillac should have a V12 powered AWD with multiple off road capabilities that would slot in above the Escalade.

In reality, GMC Needs a Professional Grade Hummer package for the Yukon that would cover everything the G-Wagon can do off road.

Escalade just needs a V edition for both standard and ESV versions. They also need an AWD EV Escalade as that would trump anything MB, BMW or Range Rover currently has.

Ehhhh It might be priced above it but it is definitely much much smaller than an Escalade. It isn't double an Escalade ESV Platinum unless you're buying a G65. ESV Platinum 4WD starts at 100k and a G Wagen starts at 124k and 142k for a G63.

G65 and 4X4(Squared) are 222k and 227k, respectively. Those are priced way out there but they're pretty extreme in their own manners. Random, but when I was in Orlando last week I saw a 4X4(squared)! 

AWD EV Escalade would still lack what the Rovers do off road, it'd be a quick son of a B though! 

Just found out you can get Brembos on an Escalde! Way cool! 

[Drew Dowdell]

2 hours ago, ccap41 said:

Room above? How much bigger can an SUV get than an ESV?? 

I don't think he was saying size-wise. I think he's saying more premium than the current platinum

[Robert Hall]

Moar Premium > Premium 

[smk4565]

3 hours ago, ccap41 said:

Room above? How much bigger can an SUV get than an ESV?? 

Drew is correct, I mean more expensive than an Escalade not bigger.  You can run a mid-size SUV over $100k easily.

[smk4565]

2 hours ago, dfelt said:

SMK sees the G-Wagon as above the Escalade ESV Platinum. As such and since they charge double what they charge the Escalade ESV Platinum, He thinks Cadillac should have a V12 powered AWD with multiple off road capabilities that would slot in above the Escalade.

In reality, GMC Needs a Professional Grade Hummer package for the Yukon that would cover everything the G-Wagon can do off road.

Escalade just needs a V edition for both standard and ESV versions. They also need an AWD EV Escalade as that would trump anything MB, BMW or Range Rover currently has.

The G-wagon is above the Escalade and the problem with the Escalade is at the end of the day it is on a pick up truck frame and doesn’t have a glass panoramic roof like every other top luxury suv, it is super heavy, I think it has a solid rear axel, it has a lot of platform compromises.  

What they need is an Omega platform SUV with CTS-V suspension and CT6 4 wheel steering and some sort of 500-600 hp V8 option.  Electrictified anything is welcome too.

[ccap41]

53 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I don't think he was saying size-wise. I think he's saying more premium than the current platinum

Ah, gotcha. Makes sense. 

1 minute ago, smk4565 said:

doesn’t have a glass panoramic roof like every other top luxury suv

This is an option on much smaller and less luxurious vehicles.. My Escape had a panoramic roof and I don't think they're alone at this point. The F150, Edge, Explorer, and MUSTANG all have pano sun roofs. Everything Lincoln does as well, I think. 

[Drew Dowdell]

Not every luxury vehicle must have every luxury option to be considered luxury..... I mean gosh, the Escalade doesn't even have those luxury plastic seats like the GLS has.... it only comes with real leather and it is still considered a luxury vehicle. 

[G. David Felt]

19 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

The G-wagon is above the Escalade and the problem with the Escalade is at the end of the day it is on a pick up truck frame and doesn’t have a glass panoramic roof like every other top luxury suv, it is super heavy, I think it has a solid rear axel, it has a lot of platform compromises.  

What they need is an Omega platform SUV with CTS-V suspension and CT6 4 wheel steering and some sort of 500-600 hp V8 option.  Electrictified anything is welcome too.

Who Cares?

MB uses their car platforms to build all their CUVs. So Guess based on your statement of the Escalade is a cheap SUV because it is built on a truck platform or the GM900 series then MB CUVs are even cheaper since they use the low class car platforms to build them.

C Class MRA platform is also used to build the small CUVs.

E class is on MHA as is the mid size CUVs.

Seems the G-Wagon is the only body on frame SUV they offer and with that you get next storage section, plastic ring with next bottom as cup holders. 

That is better than the heated or cooled cupholders in an Escalade? 

[Robert Hall]

Actually, the mid& large MB SUVs (GLE and GLS) are on a dedicated SUV platform...not the E class platform.   The subcompact (GLA) and compact (GLC) CUVs are car-based, though.  

Edited December 5, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[G. David Felt]

7 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Actually, the real MB SUVs (GLE and GLS) are on a dedicated SUV platform...not the E class platform.   

I was curious and looked up their current 4 platforms and MB is stating that the MHA is was is used for the GLE, GLS and E class sedan unless all the news companies who reported this info is wrong. Just going by the news reports.

[smk4565]

1 hour ago, dfelt said:

Who Cares?

MB uses their car platforms to build all their CUVs. So Guess based on your statement of the Escalade is a cheap SUV because it is built on a truck platform or the GM900 series then MB CUVs are even cheaper since they use the low class car platforms to build them.

C Class MRA platform is also used to build the small CUVs.

E class is on MHA as is the mid size CUVs.

Seems the G-Wagon is the only body on frame SUV they offer and with that you get next storage section, plastic ring with next bottom as cup holders. 

That is better than the heated or cooled cupholders in an Escalade? 

The E-class is on the MRA platform, as is the s-class.  MHA platform is GLE and GLS only, the G-wagon is body on frame, with all new chassis for 2018.

And I am pretty sure Cadillac fans would go nuts if there was a CTS-V crossover, or a Corvette ZR-1 powered mid-size crossover with a carbon fiber roof.

Edited December 6, 2017 by smk4565

[Robert Hall]

2 hours ago, dfelt said:

I was curious and looked up their current 4 platforms and MB is stating that the MHA is was is used for the GLE, GLS and E class sedan unless all the news companies who reported this info is wrong. Just going by the news reports.

The W166/X166 platform (2011+ ML/GLE and 2013+ GL/GLS) is the platform jointly developed as the WK2 Grand Cherokee and Durango (and evolved from the previous WK).  Not a car platform.  

 

Edited December 6, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[smk4565]

2 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

The W166/X166 platform (2011+ ML/GLE and 2013+ GL/GLS) is the platform jointly developed as the WK2 Grand Cherokee and Durango (and evolved from the previous WK).  Not a car platform.  

 

Yep and the new platform goes into use next year, the base GLE is said to weigh under 4,000 lbs in base trim which would be huge because that thing is obese now.   And not a car platform but the GLE63 is already on the Nurburgring...

[daves87rs]

Looking forward to it...simply put!!