Cadillac a chance for Australia, needs bigger volume for RHD development

Mitchell Jones

Fans of General Motors rear-wheel drive and V8 sedans rejoice, it looks like Cadillac is coming back in four years’ time.

Comments made to Aussie media by Cadillac boss Johan de Nysschen at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show give a pretty solid indication that the GM-owned American luxury marque could be entering our shores in 2021:

“Right-hand drive is a key requirement to be a high-profile brand in Europe and you simply cannot do that if you don’t enter the UK market. Once you’ve entered the UK market, well obviously you’ve just unlocked the first big hurdle to entry into some of the right-hand-drive markets; Japan, Australia, South Africa.”

First Cadillac has to optimise its product for the European market, which means competent diesel engines and vehicles that can compete with the most popular offerings from Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and Jaguar. Upcoming vehicles include the CT2 and CT3 sedans, plus the XT3, XT4 and XT7 in addition to the CT6 and XT5 on sale today. This would come after USA and China is properly looked after:

“That is our major prioritisation right now… to create the two big volume hubs for Cadillac globally through the U.S. and China. We need to build up the product portfolio. We can’t invest in all the vehicles unless we have the volume, the quickest place to unlock the volume is with the two big markets.”

Cadillac could have a lot of appeal in Australia, especially as it could soak up some of the market that will soon be left stranded in the rear-wheel drive luxury sedan class, following the demise of the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore. Let us know your thoughts below. Would you like to see Cadillac introduced Down Under?

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