This was reprted by The Car COnnection:


General Motors is working on a large rear-drive Cadillac it hopes to bring out by 2007, said a high ranking GM executive. "Think of a Cadillac S Class," said the executive, referring to the Mercedes-Benz flagship. GM is jazzed by the revitalization of the luxury marque with products like Escalade and CTS having caught on with up-market buyers and feels the market is poised to accept a large Cadillac sedan as a domestic alternative to the S Class and BMW 7 Series.

Hello, DTS? To me the S Class is nothing more than a Mercedes DeVille. That the DeVille ain't quite the undisputed king of the road it once was is no reason to kick the nameplate to the curb. Let's not go throwing away every last vestige of Cadillac's heritage.

Cadillac, if you're so humiliated at the prospect of anything that doesn't sound like fruit spread being longer than three letters, at least call it DTS.

But really, a car that's large and in charge can only be called DeVille.

.Jinx
Okay, maybe Fleetwood.

I agree, but i did read somewhere else where a cadillac rep mentioned the XTS name...of course i cant find that link.

Originally posted by Jinx

Okay, maybe Fleetwood.

:lightbulb

It seems if the DTS goes down this path then what will happen to the current core Cadillac buyers. Those septagenarians who like FWD. I'm thinking the Deville could stay where it is, and then a new model (DTS,Fleetwood,XTS) could move upmarket

I agree!

I think Cadillac should just stop wasting time and breath talking about names and make some good cars. Owners of early '90s Lexus LS's are still satisfied with their cars not breaking down - practically ever.

Otherwise.. I agree that they should stick with their heritage. Make all their cars BIG like they used to be and bring back the Fleetwood and Eldorado.. I don't think anybody is going to stop buying their cars because they're using old names. Make a great automobile, market it properly and it will sell.

I think Cadillac shouldn't concern themselves with the preferences of septegenarians. Truth is most of them just want the most ostentatious Cadillac logo carrier they can get. If a fake convertible top costs extra, so much the better. They couldn't give a hoot whether it's FWD, RWD, AWD, or pulled by a team of Clydesdales, so long as it gets respect when they pull up for the Early Bird Special.

If I live long enough to be a septegenarian, I'm going to want my big Caddy to be the best-engineered luxury intimidator GM can possibly build. I won't give a damn what's under the hood, where the power goes, or whether it runs on gasoline or plutonium. I'll just wanna get in and own the road.

.Jinx

Of the major luxury marques, Cadillac, Lincoln, Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, Mercedes and BMW, only Acura is all FWD. And I beleive Acura trails the pack.

Infiniti switched to RWD with the G35 and have seen a tremendous increase in sales.

Lexus keeps a token FWD car for those who want status with their Camry.

Cadillac could do they same, and stay true to the heritage. It was the '67 Eldorado that was GM's first FWD car. So keep one car FWD and be done with it. (Make AWD an option if you want me to consider that car.)

Gentlemen, gentlemen.
We ALL know that the Deville has never been, and WILL never be the top of the line Cadillac. For the ULTIMATE in quality, luxury, and status there is but one name.
FLEETWOOD has always been the ULTIMATE Cadillac.
The new model that is being talked about was originally dubbed "FTS" in some early Cadillac memos. I personally would LOVE to see the car hit the show circuit with an FTS emblem on it.

Originally posted by HotRodSaint
Of the major luxury marques, Cadillac, Lincoln, Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, Mercedes and BMW, only Acura is all FWD. And I beleive Acura trails the pack.



I'm kind of wondering.....Who EVER said Acura was a luxury car? Of all of those cars, The only one I see that nobody thinks of as a luxury car is Acura. It should trail the pack! It has nothing in common with the pack!

Well Acura IS to Honda as Lexus and Infinite are to Toyota and Nissan so the marque SHOULD spell luxury. Maybe not to you but that certainly was the intention of the brand.

Pretty sorry luxury car......If you ask me!

Yeah, Acura and Lexus are competitors - but I don't like Acura either. Just the NSX...

Regarding FTS - Yeah, I agree.. I like that...

Originally posted by kcnewell
Pretty sorry luxury car......If you ask me!

Nobody did!

OOOOOHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! ;)

Your thinking about the crap model acuras kc some of the none ricer acuras are really nice!

Acura to Honda is more like Audi to VW used to be before VW started pushing both marques upmarket.

Today I think of Acura as Volvolike, though even Volvo is moving up. Acura seems lost, and I think it has a lot to do with their FWD Honda origins. Keep in mind that Acura is not a global brand, just a North American one. I don't think Honda knows what to do to fix it. They seemed to have a clue five years ago, when rumors that the S2000 would be an Acura, but they gradually lost this clue; the Integra coupe replacement was rumored to be S2000-based, but popped up a tweaked (FWD) Civic. The Integra sedan replacement was then rumored to be S2000-based, but popped up a tweaked (FWD) European Accord. The RL replacement was supposed to be a RWD V8 in 2001. We're still waiting.

I guess Honda decided they'd be better off chasing mainstream SUVs than sport-luxury cars. And maybe they were.

I'm just surprised that they haven't backtracked their AWD SUV platform to an AWD sports sedan -- grab the market between Subie's WRX and Audi's S4/A6Q. I'm sure the new TS is nice, but didn't Chrysler build this car two years ago? And didn't they have the sense to give it a V6? Oh well, I'm sure ricers who graduate college will buy it in droves.

As for Cadillac, I think they get the RWD message, they just don't want to scare off the old man contingent. What they need to do is look around -- what else are the septegenarians going to buy?

.Jinx

Dont most Acuras fall into the "near-luxury" category rather than "Luxury"?

Originally posted by Brett
Dont most Acuras fall into the "near-luxury" category rather than "Luxury"?

Probably.....At best! They're for sure "weak sister" Luxury models. I have been in a few of the so called top of the line models and they just seem like Hondas with trim! I don't care for most of the other makes mentioned, But I can at least see why they call them luxury cars....With the Honda......OOPS! I mean Acuras, I just can't see it.

Originally posted by Brett
Dont most Acuras fall into the "near-luxury" category rather than "Luxury"?

The RL is $45,000. That put's that car in the luxury category.

Up here in Canada, we have the Acura EL. Whats that you ask? Its just a fuggin Civic with leather. I guess you could call it a modern day Cimarron. Acura seems to be all over the board when it comes to what kind of brand it wants to be.

But back on topic, moving further upscale isn't such a bad idea for Cadillac. If our best model is better then their best model, then we will become the industry standard. Anything less would not do much for the brand.

OT: GM's first FWD model was actually the '66 Toronado

Originally posted by HotRodSaint
The RL is $45,000. That put's that car in the luxury category.


"most"

Originally posted by Andrew60SP

But back on topic, moving further upscale isn't such a bad idea for Cadillac. If our best model is better then their best model, then we will become the industry standard. Anything less would not do much for the brand.


I think if Cadillac can give S-class luxury/reliability/technology for E-class price it would be an awesome seller. Im thinking something in the low to mid 60's.