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We've already seen one of the single most important new models of the 2008 model year. It is the 2008 Cadillac CTS and it made its world debut in January at Detroit's auto show, followed by a February curtain call in Toronto at the auto show.
The CTS is, of course, vital for Cadillac. It is also significant for the car business as a whole. If this new "entry-lux" sedan is the hit Cadillac general manager Jim Taylor thinks it will be, look for a major shake-up in public perception: Detroit just might finally be seen as a contender in a game it has never been truly able or even willing to play.
That is, not one of the Detroit-based auto makers has made a dent, made any sort of real impression, in the fastest-growing segment the whole auto industry — entry luxury cars where trend-setters come to shop for their first upscale automobile.
Sure, sure, the first generation CTS did well by Cadillac standards; in 2006 General Motors' luxury brand sold 54,846 CTS cars. Sounds impressive until you look at what everybody else did.
Consider: Last year the world's No. 1 selling premium brand, BMW AG, sold 508,479 3-series cars, the target of the CTS. And in 2006, BMW sold more than 120,000 3-series cars in Canada and the United States alone. The story at Mercedes-Benz is similar. The entry-lux C-Class is Mercedes' best-selling model.
The other models in this segment are similarly critical to their premium brands, both in terms of raw sales numbers, but also for image building. Where would Lexus be without the IS and ES? Audi? The A4 and A3 are the volume cars and the brand builders among the under-40 set? Without them, Audi in North America is just a niche brand.
Acura's TL and TSX? Yes, these are dressed-up versions of Honda Accords sold here and in Europe. Nonetheless, they are also very interesting near-luxury cars.
The Infiniti G35? The closest thing any Asian auto maker has ever come to making a 3-Series. Jaguar X-Type? Aging and never really a success, but still better than you might think. Lincoln MKZ? So what if it started out as a Ford Fusion; the MKX is a very decent affordable luxury sedan.
There are also some Swedish entries to consider, though the data suggests they are not often cross-shopped with the core models in this group. We'll mention them anyway, though we've not included thumbnail reviews.
One is the Saab 9-5. This GM brand still has its loyal followers and the safety side of the story is huge. Volvo S40 and S60? True, the S40 shares a platform with the Mazda3 and European Ford Focus. But again, so what? The mainstream, under-$20,000 roots of the S40, roots tied to the Mazda3 and the Focus, are very hard to detect in the S40's driving and the design.
We'll also note Chrysler's 300C. As one buyer said, it is the previous generation Mercedes-Benz E-class, at half the price. The Chrysler brand is certainly not as strong as the car itself, nor is it as muscular as other brands in this group. Additionally, the 300C is bigger than any of these others and is available with a V-8 engine. For those reasons the 300C does note quite belong here, interesting as it is.
All told, these make up for an impressive group of cars — arguably the best total collection of new models in the world, dollar for dollar. All are fast, powerful, interesting to drive, stylish and technologically advanced. And none will break the bank of a budding tycoon still paying the MBA training bills.
Into this group, Cadillac is throwing the '08 CTS, due this fall. If you think the CTS's exterior is good, and it is, sit in the cabin. The previous CTS had an interior designed by accountants and crafted mainly from the GM plastic parts bin. It never really held a candle to what they are doing at Audi, Mercedes and BMW.
The new CTS shows that GM has somehow managed to get its act together. The cabin features sweeping surfaces, with integrated buttons and knobs that look more custom-made. Soft, ambient lighting is piped along the doors. Seats also sport a minimalist, jewel-like chevron insignia.
"This time we got into the really fine details," says Taylor, the Caddy general manager, a Canadian engineer who oversaw the development of the original car and the rear-wheel-drive Sigma platform on which it rides.
Taylor points to the "cut-and-sew" process in which coverings on the instrument panel, centre console, and door trim are cut, sewn, and wrapped by hand. This allowed for flourishes such as French stitching. Not in three lifetimes has Cadillac ever given this attention to interior quality. Taylor says this attention to detail adds cost and its is worth it.
