Cadillac Reinforces Commitment to China

GM President Dan Ammann and Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen highlight growth plans in luxury brand’s second largest market

SHANGHAI – GM President Dan Ammann and GM Executive Vice President and Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen today discussed the importance of China for Cadillac and upcoming plans for GM’s global luxury brand.

“Global growth and the elevation of Cadillac is one of GM’s most important strategic priorities,” said Ammann. “China represents a crucial opportunity given its very strong market and the positive momentum we have built here for Cadillac.”

de Nysschen discussed his plans to take Cadillac to the pinnacle of premium to become a leading, iconic global brand. His team is focused on both expanding and elevating the brand, growing Cadillac’s presence in China and other global markets with a bold plan that includes numerous product additions through 2020.

“We have a solid foundation, as Cadillac has greatly elevated its product substance and has taken many successful growth steps in China already,” he said.

Global demand for luxury vehicles is undergoing a major shift. Before 2020, China is expected to have surpassed the U.S. and caught up to Europe as the world’s largest luxury vehicle market.

Cadillac has maintained its momentum in its second-largest market after the U.S. In the first 11 months of 2014, Cadillac sales in China jumped 50.7 percent from the year-ago period to 64,359 units.

Cadillac offers a growing range of high-quality luxury vehicles in China, from the ATS and ATS-L luxury sedans to the SRX and Escalade luxury SUVs.

The brand’s most popular model in China, the XTS luxury sedan, finished first in the Midsize Luxury segment in the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2014 China Initial Quality Study released in October and first in the same segment in the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2014 China Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study released last month.

Cadillac will introduce nine new models in China over the next five years, with more than 95 percent of its product lineup localized by 2018. It also will be the first automaker to offer built-in 4G LTE service in one of its products sold in China next year.

“Cadillac is in a strong position to address the rapidly rising demand for luxury vehicles in China, a country in which we have a strong foundation given GM’s long-standing strength here,” said de Nysschen. “By offering a broad lineup of products built in China for local consumers, we are intent on being at the forefront of the next stage of the luxury segment’s development.”