President of Cadillac-Hummer-Saab Channel Wants More Cadillac Derivatives

The critical acclaim of its newest sedan, the Cadillac CTS, prompted GM to spawn both wagon and coupe derivatives off the platform. If Mark McNabb, the president of the Cadillac-Hummer-Saab channel gets his way, Cadillac will get more models based on that scenario.

"Look at a CTS and I think you can start understanding where we are going. Look at a CTS [sedan], CTS wagon, CTS coupe - obviously, derivatives off a platform make a lot of sense from a financial perspective," McNabb said at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show.

Cadillac's plan mimics the business model of one of Europe's biggest luxury players, Mercedes-Benz, which offers several niche models based on similar platforms. BMW has been following the trend as well, debuting an X6 "sports activity coupe" last year, which is based on the X5 platform, and unveiling a 5-Series GT hatchback built on the underpinnings of the new 7-Series.

"I compete today in about 65 to 68 percent of the market," McNabb said. In addition to the CTS, Cadillac sells the STS and DTS sedans, the XLR roadster on schedule to be discontinued after the 2009 model year, the SRX crossover which is redesigned for the 2010 model year, and the Escalade SUV. The CTS wagon will arrive in showrooms this year as a 2010 model, while the coupe will be available next year as a 2011.

Posted in: Cadillac