Cadillac gains more than 1.6 points in market share

(January 7, 2011) DETROIT — Cadillac gained more than 1.6 points of share in 2010 in the U.S. luxury market, the greatest increase of any brand in that segment, as sales rose for SRX, CTS and Escalade.

Cadillac capitalized on a strengthening luxury market with new products and customer care programs. The overall U.S. luxury market grew 13 percent in 2010 to 1.4 million vehicles.

Cadillac outpaced the competition in 2010 with a 35 percent increase in U.S. total sales to 146,925. Cadillac accomplished this while reducing incentives and increasing the average transaction price per vehicle. Lexus led the luxury ranks for the 11th straight year with sales of about 230,000. BMW was second and Mercedes third.

Cadillac launched a dramatically redesigned SRX and a new CTS Sport Wagon for the 2010 model year. The CTS Coupe joined the line-up in the second half of the year as a 2011 model. For all 2011 models, Cadillac added Premium Care Maintenance, covering many frequently needed maintenance services for the first four years or 50,000 miles.

“Cadillac has been able to gain share while also strengthening the brand, a must for long-term success in the luxury market,” said Kurt McNeil, vice president of Cadillac Sales and Service. “Our positive momentum started with great new vehicles, but it also was carried forward with programs that provide Cadillac owners a higher level of service. Cadillac expects the customer experience to be further enhanced with many of our dealers planning significant upgrades to their sales and service facilities.”

Cadillac recorded double-digit percentage gains in the key markets of New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago and Miami. Classic Cadillac in Atlanta had a sales increase of 118 percent in 2010 thanks to a reenergized product line-up, said Mike Domenicone, the dealership’s owner.

SRX and CTS are getting the attention of luxury buyers in Atlanta that Cadillac previously had a difficult time attracting, Domenicone said. The high-performance V-Series model of the CTS is drawing trade-ins from the BMW M-Series, he said.

“It’s been amazing to see the number of conquest customers coming through the front door of our dealership,” Domenicone said. “Our used dealer lot is now filled with BMW, Mercedes and Lexus. We’ve never seen that before.”