Cadillac a brand of luxury vehicles and owned by worlds largest automaker, General Motorsmaker of popular auto parts like GM bumper brackets, thinks that it has made a winner with its new CTS and would like to expand the CTS franchise by adding wagon and coupe variants. The strategy employed by Cadillac is not different from that employed by BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi which build wagon and coupe variants to their entry level sedans. Such move by Cadillac hopefully will make the CTS become more appealing to a much broader range of buyers especially in Europe. The next question now is: what is to become of Europes only Cadillac BLS? The BLS is built based on the versatile Epsilon architecture however compared to the Epsilon, the front-drive BLS lacks the sporty handling and powertrains needed to become a worthy opponent of the BMW 3 Series fighters in Europe. The CTS on the other hand is perceived to be closer to the 5 Series and E-Class in size and most likely to end up competitive in the European market. According to some GM insiders, the automaker is contemplating on switching the BLS to a smaller front-drive platform used for Opel,Vauxhall, and Saturn Astra. The Astra has the powertrains and suspension tuning which qualifies this Caddy as a sporty entry-level model to compete with Audis A3, Mercedes-Benz B-Class, and the BMWs 1 Series.Here are some of GMs soon to be launched models: CTS Coupe- scheduled for 2010 model year based on the new CTS sedan but will have some minor facelifts. Coupes are typically fashion cars with sales plunging after the first model year. The Mercedes CLK and BMW 3 Series Coupes have been very successful in changing the trend. But of course, a convertible version is very much welcomed since it will be much easier and a Z06 powered CTS v coupe could be a potent M3-killer. CTS Wagon- these are basically designed for the European market but Cadillac is hoping to sell a few thousand of such in the United States particularly to architects and other design leaders. The CTS Wagon is scheduled for the 2009 model year. It will be equipped with a fast shooting brake roofline, which convert it into a bigger hatchback compared to the over-equipped, updated Buick Sportwagon. Baby Caddillac (?) - the present Astra three-door hatchback is 168.9 inches placed on a 102.9 inch wheelbase, while Audis A3s 165.5 inches is on a 101.5 wheelbase---the opportunity for Cadillac to do the same is present but they have to move quickly since new products are already lined up for production. Noah Scott is a 30 year old native of New Jersey, writer, and car fan - having grown up with both parents being auto enthusiasts. He works for an automotive consultancy firm and regularly contributes articles to car magazines.
Category : General Automotive
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