“I’d be surprised if Cadillac manages to make an impact in the UK”
Editor Paul Barker is curious as to why Cadillac has decided to try and crack the UK market once again
I’ve been around long enough to have reported on the previous time Cadillac tried to crack the UK market, so I met the news that the US brand is plotting a UK return this year with intrigue and cynicism.
That previous time was getting on for 20 years ago, when the cornerstone of the product line-up was the BLS, a restyled Saab 9-3 that kept the same quirky interior but with a more American look. Despite being able to use the Vauxhall and Saab dealer networks (they were all part of the General Motors family), Cadillac limped on with limited sales for a few years before retreating to the States. The cars weren’t great, but the firm’s failure was down to more than that – breaking into the UK market with a new brand is really tough.
And Cadillac is far from alone. Infiniti is the posh arm of Nissan, and launched in the UK in 2007 before giving up in 2019, while Lancia had a brief thought about returning to UK roads in 2008, quickly admitting defeat.
Even without mentioning the raft of new Chinese brands trying to, or about to try to, make a mark, a quick look at how many cars Genesis or even Lexus are managing to shift shows they’re not exactly making Audi, BMW or Mercedes nervous.
Which is why I’m curious about why now for Cadillac, and what will give it a better chance of succeeding this time around. Yes, the Optiq looks good, but it’s going to need something special to stand out. And that’s before you consider how customers are even going to get hold of one. Some brands have tried leading with online sales, backed by small stores in shopping centres, but that hasn’t really worked, and setting up a dealer network capable of delivering enough sales to make it worth the investment is also going to be a heck of a challenge.
So, the cynical old hack in me will be surprised if Cadillac manages to make enough of a big long-term impact in the UK market, although I’ll be happy to be proved wrong.
Do you think Cadillac will be a succes in the UK? Let us know in the comments section...
