Chrysler just not Apple-pie enough for you? Come next year, Kiwi car buyers will be able to choose from another all-American brand, Cadillac. The GM-owned marque is being reintroduced into New Zealand and Australia under the auspices of Holden's "GM Premium Brands" division, which also handles Saab and
Hummer.
But aspiring rap stars need not get too excited - we won't be seeing glitzy American-market Caddys such as the massive Escalade SUV.
Instead, GM Premium Brands will only pick up new export-oriented product, starting with the sharp-looking CTS sedan.
The CTS is a designed-for-Europe rear-drive sedan with a sporting focus.
Likely to sell well below $100,000, it's powered by a direct-injection 227kW/370Nm 3.6-litre version of Holden's Global V6 engine and will come with a choice of two "performance tune" suspension packages and six-speed automatic transmission.
The interior features hand-sewn interior trim components, an ambient interior lighting system, iPod/MP3 compatibility and an optional audio system with an integrated 40 gigabyte hard drive for music-file storage.
The EasyKey system, which enables passive vehicle and boot entry and keyless ignition, will also be available.
Making the highly anticipated announcement, GM Holden's chairman and managing director, Chris Gubbey, officially confirmed Australia and New Zealand as the next step in Cadillac's global expansion.
"We are excited to have Cadillac coming to Australia and New Zealand," he said. "Cadillac is undergoing a brand renaissance and global expansion driven by dramatic design and technical innovation.
"With cutting-edge design, serious performance and luxury appointments, Cadillac will appeal to both markets prestige car buyers and quickly establish itself in a segment traditionally dominated by European brands."
Gubbey said Cadillac had a clear strategy to move the brand forward globally, taking advantage of the right-hand drive portfolio and increasingly incorporating the needs of global customers in the process of vehicle development.
Cadillac luxury vehicles are sold around the world, with increased sales of 45.3 per cent in Europe, 98.4 per cent in Asia Pacific and 49.4 per cent in Latin America, Africa and Middle East for the first three-quarters of this year.
The CTS will arrive in New Zealand in the fourth quarter of next year.
