Cadillac Tempting Fate With Questionable Moves

2017 Cadillac XT5 (Credit: © Cadillac)

Don’t hold your breath for an all-electric Cadillac anytime in the near future. While the luxury brand will be pursuing plug-in hybrids, it certainly won’t be creating a so-called “Tesla fighter” like so many of its competitors. Instead, expect hybrid versions of most of the future Cadillac lineup. This strategy is being kicked off by the CT6.

Cadillac can afford this sort of a position since it’s owned by GM, which is about to launch a second all-electric car and boasts multiple hybrids. BMW and Mercedes, for example, don’t have this luxury. Still, this is a decision that isn’t proving popular with some, but Cadillac boss Johan de Nysschen is used to criticism.

Still, that doesn’t mean a Cadillac EV will never happen, just that it’s in the distant future.

On top of that, de Nysschen openly admitted in a recent interview with Automotive News that Cadillac has far too many overlapping sedans. After all, the CTS, XTS and CT6 are far too similar in size, packing into a segment that isn’t a big growth section of the market.

Another big area for concern is Cadillac’s crossovers, or the lack thereof. The luxury brand has been slow on the uptake, somehow not catching the hint a few years ago that consumers think a jacked-up unibody vehicle with a hatch is the greatest thing ever. This trend is showing no signs of slowing, but at the moment there’s only one Cadillac crossover in the model lineup.

Sure, Cadillac is working on getting more crossovers in the mix, like the XT5 and a mysterious model coming in 2018. In the meantime, its competitors are scooping up loads of sales in segments where Cadillac has zero presence.

Obviously, de Nysschen has his work cut out for him. While he’s taking chances that some are questioning, the gamble could either help Cadillac catch up in the long-term, or just get further behind.