We've been posting a lot about the CTS-V development, and that's going to resume in a few days. However, I wanted to take a quick break from that to share something happening this week that is very significant, and a really cool experience for our team. The CTS goes on sale now in China, and that occasion was marked with some tremendous ceremonies in the huge southern city of Shenzhen. It's hard to describe the proceedings here in a short blog post . . . what you see here was a part of the ceremony in which the CTS was presented to a big crowd on the deck of an aircraft carrier that is a major landmark in this city. This aircraft carrier is an old Russian vessel that is a centerpiece of the Minsk World theme park (a major tourist attraction, not an active military installation!)
This is sort of represents the car coming full circle, in a way. Some of the very first initial tests for the car actually occurred in China a few years ago. When we began exporting the CTS (prior generation) to China, we took advantage of that opportunity to do some development driving in China to better understand the road system and consumer needs in this massively-growing market. Now, we're offering the new car for sale here in one of Cadillac's fastest-growing regions.
This blog is not really the place for philosophy, but the idea of an American company building cars in Michigan and exporting them on a large scale to Chinese consumers really challenges the conventional "wisdom" of what some folks believe is happening in the global economy. I'll leave that concept for others to consider and interpret. . .
In the meantime, our simple goal here is no different than it is anywhere else in the world -- to offer a really compelling sports sedan that hopefully is desirable to very discerning luxury car enthusiasts and builds the Cadillac brand.
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Comments
Good to see the Standard or the World make inroads all over the world. Does the new CTS V series have enough horsepower to fly off the deck of the Minsk if you put little wings on it? Just asking.
Posted by: vrocket | March 19, 2008 8:23 PM
Very cool little bit of info there. Also, like the point you are making. I think China is slowly proving that a global economy is a good thing for everyone. It may hurt developed nations like the US in the short term, but the quicker we get average wages around the world into agreement the more we can export to those places and the less we need to worry about them taking work from us. At that point a countries economy will be determined more by regulatory superiority rather than wage differentials.
Posted by: jasaero | March 20, 2008 12:59 PM
I sure hope that Cadillac can create the same buzz over in China as you have in the US. But isn't it true that most wealthy Chinese owners sit in the back seat (ala Cadillac SLS)? They probably won't be very comfortable in the CTS back seat.
Posted by: Mike Letterman | March 21, 2008 7:02 PM
China seems to be one of GMs biggest sellers from what I understand. A big dissapointment considering GM used to run the car world. It drives me nuts to see so many people driving foreign cars, and then they complain about our country's economy.
I drove a Kia once, and I felt really crappy. The car itsself was decent, but I still felt out of place in a Korean car. I guess the awkward seating position didn't help the matter though.
If stuck up Toyota drivers had the chance to drive this car, or even any of the newer GM cars, I believe things would change.
Posted by: Vols | March 23, 2008 1:18 PM
MikeL -
For awhile that was true - a big part of the market was "livery" cars where the owner sat in back. That is still a factor, and Cadillac sells a unique model called the SLS in China for just that purpose. But it's changing. Most of the growth is in personal-use cars...meaning cars people drive themselves, just like most of the rest of the world. In fact, driving performance is becoming a big consumer preference in China, which we like very much!
Posted by: Editor | March 26, 2008 10:56 AM
CTS Team,
How does the Chinese CTS differ from the North American spec model? Is there a difference in suspension tuning? Engines? Option packages? Interior? Regulatory changes? I am also curious as to how localized preferences of intended consumers differ.
Does this also significantly affect the complexity of manufacturing?
-PAW
Posted by: PAW | March 31, 2008 5:20 PM
PAW -
Good question. The CTS is mostly the same everywhere around the world. No changes to the suspension.
In China there are a couple of modifications. We offer the 2.8-liter V8 engine in China (as we do for most markets outside North America,) due to the fact that smaller displacements can be advantageous to some consumers. The tail lights are clear -- that's a regulatory thing in some markets. The option packages are different, due to marketing needs. But basically we do not need to alter the car at all - which is good news for us, and for drivers.
Posted by: Liz | April 1, 2008 3:04 PM