Cadillac’s Comeback — It’s For Real?

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Cadillac has managed to pull off one of the biggest brand makeovers in automotive history. And it has done it in less than a decade.

Compare the company’s lineup from 2002 with today’s, and it’s clear how far it has come. If that’s not convincing enough, then Kelley Blue Book’s fourth annual Brand Image Awards should prove the point: Cadillac took three top spots this year, the most of any automaker.

It won best exterior, best interior and best “comfort brand.” The awards are based on a survey of 12,000 car shoppers.

The fact that Cadillac beat out Audi, BMW and Mercedes to become the king of comfort in the hearts and minds of Americans isn’t surprising. It has a long lineage of land barges.

But to surpass the Germans in both interior and exterior design really says something—and not just about Cadillac. For one thing, it sheds light on Americans’ tastes. Based on KBB’s survey, they prefer Cadillac’s bold, brash and cheeky style to the subtler, more refined aesthetic of Audi, which is another challenger brand that is working hard to reinvent itself.

The tide started to turn in Cadillac’s favor when it launched the first-generation CTS sedan for the 2003 model year. Its angular looks were polarizing at the time. The car looked like nothing else on the road.

The alphabet soup of other Cadillacs that followed—the STS, DTS, SRX and XLR—wasn’t as captivating. If one did spark an interest—as in the case of the SRX crossover or XLR sports car—it didn’t last. But how could it, after the CTS had already shaken things up so much?

Then there is the Escalade. In a league of its own. The only Cadillac special enough to have a real name.

This behemoth couldn’t win any design awards. But to this day, it remains a towering symbol of American luxury like no other. And it worked wonders on the company’s image, through brute force.

But even the Escalade is not enough to unseat BMW or Mercedes from the true thrones of automotive luxury. BMW was crowned king of cool by KBB, and Mercedes the ruler of prestige. In these coronations lie the crux of Cadillac’s problem: that it’s renaissance thus far has been skin deep.

No doubt, its cars are better in every respect—not just design—than they were only 5 years ago. But it’s going to take loner for Cadillac to prove its depth.

A new large sedan that dazzles us as much as the smaller CTS did will help. Otherwise, it’s all about Cadillac staying the course of unrelenting improvement that it has already set.

Here is the full roster of Kelley Blue Book’s 2011 brand image award winners:

2011 Best Value Brand:  Honda

2011 Most Family-Friendly Brand:  Toyota

2011 Most Rugged Truck Brand:  Ford

2011 Best Exterior Design Brand – Non-Luxury:  Ford

2011 Best Exterior Design Brand – Luxury:  Cadillac

2011 Best Interior Design Brand:  Cadillac

2011 Best Comfort Brand:  Cadillac

2011 Best Performance Brand:  BMW

2011 Coolest Brand:  BMW

2011 Best Prestige Brand:  Mercedes-Benz

source: forbes.com

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