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Cadillac to ditch China-only LWB models for global 'right size'

We often think of Buick being General Motors' poster child in China, but would it surprise you to hear that Cadillac is just doing a bang-up job in the People's Republic? It's true, the Standard of the World is on fire, and it's doing so with a surprising group of buyers that are going to push through globe-spanning changes for the brand. Cadillac's average buyer age in the People's Republic of China is just 34. Yes, younger buyers dominate the Chinese market, but according to Reuters, Cadillac's young buyers want to drive and they don't want the typical businessman's German-badged sedan. Cadillac understands this, and is setting about to exploit it with a shift in its Chinese strategy. According to President Johan de Nysschen, the company will begin moving away from the China-only, long-wheelbase models, like the ATS-L. Instead, it will push for a global "right size" design, along with some stylistic changes. "You will see a softening of some of the hard edges, and more three-dimension styling on the side of the car," de Nysschen told Reuters, while noting that the cars will still be "instantly recognizable as Cadillac." Even without these changes, though, Cadillac has bucked the trend in China. At 17 percent, the company's sales exceeded the PRC's overall market growth of 7.3 percent by a significant margin. In fact, Cadillac's 2015 gains outpaced the overall market growth in China over the past three years, as the brand jumped to nearly 80,000 units. And the company is hoping to push that even higher, Reuters reports, with President Johan de Nysschen targeting a 25-percent increase in 2016. Related Video:

Why Cadillac is willing to lose 43 percent of its dealers

Cadillac is offering about 400 dealers in the United States a lump sum of money to close down. That represents over 40 percent of Cadillac dealers in America. Offers start at $100,000 and top out at $180,000. The average offering is around $120,000. According to Automotive News, Cadillac chief Johan De Nysschen estimates it will cost the automaker around $50 million to close these dealers. Any dealer that chooses to remain open will have to submit to Cadillac's ambitious Project Pinnacle, which will divide dealers into incentive categories based on how many units they sell. "Every single Cadillac dealer will have the potential to earn significantly higher profits than they do today," says De Nysschen. Dealers have until November 21 to decide if they want to take the cash or submit to Project Pinnacle. A logical question: Why is Cadillac willing to spend $50 million to close down 43 percent of its dealers? First, GM's luxury brand has way more dealerships than it needs. Second, the 400 dealers with offers to shutter each sold 50 or fewer vehicles in 2015, representing just 9 percent of its sales volume in America. So, while closing these smaller dealerships may have a small initial impact on sales, it's not going to be a major hit to Cadillac. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Gary Cameron / Reuters Cadillac Car Dealers Luxury Performance

Cadillac ATS-V shares track time and new face with CTS-V sibling

It's been about eight months since we last heard anything on the eagerly anticipated Cadillac ATS-V, meaning it was high time a new batch of photos arrived of the twin-turbocharged, V6-powered sedan.
This latest round includes a shot of the hot ATS-V alongside the upcoming CTS-V, allowing us to glimpse through the camouflage and spot the family resemblance between the two über sedans. According to our spies, this is the first time we've gotten a look at the ATS-V's fascia without a nose bra to obscure larger details. This isn't the first time we've seen a vertically slated grille on an in-development Cadillac V car, although it is the first time we've seen it on the ATS-V. Aside from the main grille, the shapes of the sportier front fascia of the ATS-V tie in nicely with its big brother. We are rather curious about the hood on the ATS-V. It's difficult to tell from these images, but it looks like there may be some vents up there that may be meant to improve cooling to the alleged 425-horsepower engine.
Other details that we can see include swollen fenders and larger wheels that hide amplified brakes. The rear of the car remains heavily obscured by camo, with the sole details of note being the quad exhausts, which we've spotted on previous ATS-V prototypes.