Cadillac Sales up 36% in April 2010

Cadillac’s sales were up 36% in April 2010, with the SRX continuing to lead sales.  The CTS had its best month of 2010, but continues to underperform last year’s sales.   The faces of Cadillac today are definitely the SRX and the CTS, with Escalade and DTS sales in the background.

Cadillac Buyers more and more are CTS and SRX smart, sporty buyers.  That is very hopeful for Cadillac going forward.  The SRX continues to bring new Customers to Cadillac.


April
(Calendar Year-to-Date)

January – April

2010 2009 % Chg Volume %Chg per S/D
2010 2009 %Chg Volume
Selling Days (S/D) 26 26





CTS 3,278 3,876 -15.4 -15.4
11,403 14,452 -21.1
DTS 1,785 1,458 22.4 22.4
5,160 4,963 4.0
Escalade 1,250 968 29.1 29.1
5,174 4,675 10.7
Escalade ESV 602 479 25.7 25.7
2,216 2,077 6.7
Escalade EXT 148 202 -26.7 -26.7
530 929 -42.9
SRX 3,904 568 587.3 587.3
14,770 2,637 460.1
STS 330 711 -53.6 -53.6
1,295 2,057 -37.0
XLR 20 75 -73.3 -73.3
121 293 -58.7
Cadillac Total 11,317 8,337 35.7 35.7
40,669 32,083 26.8

Press Release:

Cadillac’s total U.S. sales rose 36 percent in April to 11,317 driven by significant gains for SRX and positive momentum for Escalade and CTS.

SRX total sales for April rose 587 percent, the seventh straight month of triple-digit percentage increases. Redesigned for the 2010 model year, SRX has quickly become a stand-out in the fast-growing midsize luxury crossover segment.

The redesigned SRX also is attracting new customers to Cadillac at a higher rate than the previous model. So far this year, about 49 percent of SRX buyers traded in a competitor’s brand, an improvement of 14 percentage points compared to the previous model’s conquest rate.

A five-passenger crossover, SRX’s standard V6 engine is EPA-rated at 25 miles per gallon on the highway. SRX also provides the option of advanced all-wheel drive and a turbocharged V6 engine.

“SRX is appealing to luxury buyers with performance, fuel-efficiency and dramatic design,” said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president of Cadillac sales. “SRX has put Cadillac’s signature on the midsize luxury crossover segment.”

Escalade total sales rose 21 percent in April, and CTS had its best month of the year as Cadillac builds on the core of its line-up. Cadillac will launch this summer the CTS Coupe.

Even before its release, CTS Coupe is drawing praise from the automotive press. A luxury sports coupe that will be available in both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive versions, CTS Coupe will become Cadillac’s centerpiece for design and performance.

“It’s safe to say the coupe is positively gorgeous,” Automobile magazine wrote in a preview of the CTS Coupe earlier this year. “Pictures simply don’t do it justice.”

Later this year, Cadillac will expand its line of V-Series high-performance luxury vehicles with the addition of the CTS-V Coupe and CTS-V Sport Wagon.

Cadillac sales up 36% in March 2010

Overall Cadillac sales were up 36.3% per sales day, driven by consistent Cadillac SRX sales.

Cadillac sedan sales rebounded a bit — up nicely in the case of the DTS:


March
(Calendar Year-to-Date)

January – March

2010 2009 % Chg Volume %Chg per S/D
2010 2009 %Chg Volume
Selling Days (S/D) 26 25





CTS 2,870 3,899 -26.4 -29.2
8,125 10,576 -23.2
DTS 2,146 1,161 84.8 77.7
3,375 3,505 -3.7
Escalade 1,269 1,116 13.7 9.3
3,924 3,707 5.9
Escalade ESV 666 510 30.6 25.6
1,614 1,598 1.0
Escalade EXT 159 226 -29.6 -32.4
382 727 -47.5
SRX 4,090 629 550.2 525.2
10,866 2,069 425.2
STS 400 576 -30.6 -33.2
965 1,346 -28.3
XLR 39 92 -57.6 -59.2
101 218 -53.7
Cadillac Total 11,639 8,209 41.8 36.3
29,352 23,746 23.6

Cadillac CTS sales were up a bit from Feb 2010, but down from Mar 2009.  The CTS still needs a fundamental sales boost, and additional advertising.  CTS Coupe and V-Coupe sales will help this summer of course.

Cadillac SRX sales are far outpacing the previous design from 2009, and at 4,090 are ahead of SRX sales for February 2010 of 3,542.

Cadillac Escalade sales as a whole are consistent.

Total Cadillac and Buick combined luxury car sales went up both year over year and month over month:


March
(Calendar Year-to-Date)

January – March

2010 2009 % Chg Volume %Chg per S/D
2010 2009 %Chg Volume
Selling Days (S/D) 26 25






Enclave 4,519 3,193 41.5 36.1
12,372 9,271 33.4
LaCrosse 6,054 1,800 236.3 223.4
14,345 4,825 197.3
Lucerne 2,381 2,372 0.4 -3.5
5,419 6,420 -15.6
Rainier 0 0 ***.* ***.*
0 3 ***.*
Rendezvous 0 1 ***.* ***.*
0 1 ***.*
Terraza 0 3 ***.* ***.*
0 14 ***.*
Buick Total 12,954 7,369 75.8 69.0
32,136 20,534 56.5
Cadillac Total 11,639 8,209 41.8 36.3
29,352 23,746 23.6

Due to an amazing run by the Lacrosse, total Buick & Cadillac US Luxury car sales for the month of March of 24,593 easily outshone BMW US March sales of 21,670, Lexus US March sales of 20,219, or Mercedes US March sales of 20,023.

Daimler AG reports Feb 2010 US Sales up 4.7%

Daimler AG, the mother company for the Mercedes Benz, reported Feb 2010 Sales up 4.7% from Feb 2009.  The really interesting thing is that MB is making the numbers selling sedans as opposed to SUVs.  Mercedes Benz (MB) sales also seems consistent — they make high content, high value cars that are focused on their market and sell well to Buyers who know what they are getting.

C-Class Sales held steady at 4,245 cars sold.  The C-Class ranges from a starting price of $33K for the C300 Sport Sedan up to $39,750 for the C350 Sport sedan.  This is similar to the range of pricing I would prefer for the CTS Sedan — start in the low $30s and maintain a $10K increase across the range.

The C-class also includes the C63 AMG for $57K, which is similar to the more expensive CTS-V at $62K.

I believe that the C-Class was the original target for the CTS, and the CTS can be translated as C-Class Touring Sedan.  By comparison the CTS sold 2,690 cars in February.

The new E-Class sales were very good at 4,043 cars sold.  The E-Class starts at $43,600 for the E350 and rises through $56,300 for the E550 to $85,750 for the E63 AMG.  This is the market in which the DTS and the STS should be competing, or that the upcoming XTS would compete.  With the ATS arriving to re-challenge the BMW 3-Series and the MB C-Series, I suppose now the CTS will move further upmarket to compete with the E-Class.

M-Class SUV sales, R-Class tall station wagon, and the traditional GLK class SUV sales were up statistically but still low for all models compared to BMW or Cadillac SUV sales.  Cadillac SRX and Escalade sales have continued to overshadow any MB SUV sales.

And here was our Feb 2010 Cadillac chart for comparison:

February (Calendar Year-to-Date)
January – February
2010 2009 % Chg Volume %Chg per S/D 2010 2009 %Chg Volume
Selling Days (S/D) 24 24
CTS 2,690 3,259 -17.5 -17.5 5,255 6,677 -21.3
DTS 611 982 -37.8 -37.8 1,229 2,344 -47.6
Escalade 1,418 1,238 14.5 14.5 2,655 2,591 2.5
Escalade ESV 552 416 32.7 32.7 948 1,088 -12.9
Escalade EXT 102 166 -38.6 -38.6 223 501 -55.5
SRX 3,542 552 541.7 541.7 6,776 1,440 370.6
STS 332 357 -7.0 -7.0 565 770 -26.6
XLR 26 68 -61.8 -61.8 62 126 -50.8
Cadillac Total 9,273 7,038 31.8 31.8 17,713 15,537 14.0

February 2010 US Sales: MB 15,385 BMW 15,100 Cadillac 9,273