It's official, after years of speculation General Motors has confirmed Cadillac is on its way Down Under.
The announcement came earlier this week from new GM Holden Chairman and Managing Director Chris Gubbey (pictured). As part of his 'state of the nation' overview of the Holden year that was, Gubbey confirm the GM flagship brand would enter the Australian market in "the last quarter of 2008".
And though the Holden boss wouldn't be drawn on specifics, it's now apparent that the General will likely pull the wraps off the new brand, in the shape of the all-new CTS sedan (see separate story here), at next October's Australian International Motor Show in Sydney.
"A luxury brand, [now] with what's often been mooted as European style sportscar handling and design features will be a great addition to our 'family' here in Australia," Gubbey told the Carsales Network.
In fact, Cadillac won't line-up alongside Holdens per se, but rather it will join the GM Premium Brands stable. The division is a relatively new entity Down Under and oversees the distribution and sales channels for Saab and Hummer. Cadillac has been considered an inevitable addition to the channel Down Under since its debut in 2006.
In the USA the Cadillac range spans both passenger cars and SUVs (Check out our Cadillac 'Roll Call' here for more information), however, the 'range' will be contracted in Australia in the first year or so of onsale, at least.
Initially just one model will be offered -- Cadillac's BMW 5 Series sized new generation CTS. Powered by a 227kW direct-injected petrol V6, the CTS will be launched mid-year in right-hand-drive form in the UK. In 2009 a turbodiesel V6 version will join the line-up Down Under.
Speculation is already rife Cadillac's much-awaited performance flagship, the M and AMG-baiting CTS-V will also come Down Under soon after its 2009 international debut.
"We've been waiting for the right-hand drive availability and opportunity -- with the [new] CTS winning [US magazine] Motor Trend's car of the year for 2008 this is going to be something special for us here in Australia," Gubbey said.
"It's [the CTS] not only a big step up for Cadillac in terms of its performance, ride and handling, but it really has taken Cadillac to a new level in terms of interior [fit and finish] as well," Gubbey enthused.
The only other current right-hand-drive Cadillac is the Saab 9-3-based BLS. Now available in both sedan and wagon variants, the mid-sizer has been relaunched in the UK and European markets recently after a less than successful debut in 2006. It's not known at this stage whether the car, with its choice of four-cylinder turbodiesel and V6 petrol powertrains, will come Down Under.
Gubbey told the Carsales Network: "We're not ready to comment on our model roll out plans beyond the CTS. It's not the right time. Ask me the same question this time next year -- we can't share that level of detail now."
Commenting on the arrival of the brand in Australia, GM Premium Brands boss Parveen Batish said: "Bringing Cadillac to this market is an exciting opportunity for us -- but it also represents an important step for Cadillac globally.
"The brand is undergoing a renaissance driven by a new generation of vehicles, dramatic design and technical innovation. Cadillac has entered a new phase with a very clearly defined global strategy.
"Cadillac is not a US brand any more. And to make this work, you have to think globally from the very beginning."
Batish says Cadillac's growing right-hand-drive portfolio will help launch the marque into new markets. It will give Australian consumers direct access to a growing selection of new model Cadillacs "as they come to life", he said.
According to Batish: "In its home market Cadillac holds a special place among the top-tier prestige brands. We think it will quickly establish itself in the same way in the Australian luxury segment."
That said, the Premium Brands head quickly dodged questions regarding to volume projections for the new brand Down Under.
"When you introduce a new brand into a country it's very difficult to predict what sort of numbers. We know we're launching with one product and we're launching it within [the other GM] Premium brands so we'll start to see the volume growing across all the [GM] Premium brands. The great thing is now we're really catering for three distinct group of customers."
Batish also dismissed suggestions that the CTS could cannibalise sales of higher-spec Holdens.
"We're talking about a very distinct group of people. If we thought it was going to cut across [existing product] we would have a very different product we'd be launching."
Holden boss Gubbey dismissed suggestions that there had been a 'step change' that facilitated Cadillac's arrival. He also stated that though the strong Australian dollar helped the decision, it had not predicated the addition of the marque to the Premium Brands line-up.
"There's no instant catalyst for the change [to import Cadillac]. If that's the case or there was resistance [before] it's something new to me.
"There's recognition within Holden that you're looking at potentially different segments of the market and a different type of customer [with Cadillac] that would necessarily go for a Holden product. What I see today is clear recognition that there is a place for a Premium Brand strategy alongside the GM Holden strategy."
Cadillac's showroom appearance will be the first official presence of the brand Down Under since before World War II. To help prepare Australian consumers for the launch, GM Premium Brands have launched a local website here.
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