Cadillac’s CTS Coupe and Sport Wagon are two of the most distinctive designs to come out of a mass-market brand in some time, and we’re big devotees to both here. Predictably, the two models attract a much smaller slice of the North American market than the four-door sedan, but Cadillac says it remains committed to offering both a two-door and a load-lugger in its lineup. However, that doesn’t mean such future models will wear CTS badging.
According to Car and Driver, Cadillac is undecided, but one or both bodystyles could migrate to the smaller ATS platform. While neither of the two CTS variants has been any great shakes sales-wise (Cadillac does say the wagon has outsold its BMW 3 Series equivalent), the models are seen as important tools to woo shoppers – conquest sales in particular.
We might add that since General Motors remains committed to the idea of making Cadillac a global brand, a smaller coupe and wagon model could give the marque entry into larger volume segments in Europe. For its part, C/D expects Cadillac to position a coupe between the ATS and next CTS, mimicking pricing and hierarchy strategies at Audi and soon, BMW. The publication also predicts that a wagon will stay in the CTS family, as it “better meets the needs of older, richer luxo-wagon buyers,” noting that ATS wagon intenders could likely be wooed into the SRX anyhow.
autoblog
