China becomes Cadillac's largest single market for the first time

With Cadillac's rapid growth in China over the past year, its largest market has shifted to China in January this year.

As a long-established American luxury brand, the US market has always been Cadillac's largest single sales market. However, with Cadillac's rapid growth in China over the past year, Cadillac's largest market has shifted to China in January this year, marking the first time in the brand's history that sales in an overseas market have exceeded those in its home market.

According to the latest news, in January 2017, Cadillac's sales in the Chinese market far exceeded those in the United States, which is a milestone achieved by General Motors' luxury car brand. Cadillac sold 18,000 new cars in the Chinese market in January, a year-on-year increase of 116%, while sales in the US market fell to 10,300. This makes China surpass the United States for the first time and become Cadillac's largest market in the world.

In January, Cadillac sold 29,800 vehicles worldwide, a year-on-year increase of 44.2%, with China accounting for 60% of sales. As the successor model of SRX, the XT5, which was just launched last year, has become the main model driving sales growth. In January, 11,900 XT5 vehicles were sold worldwide, a year-on-year increase of 51.7%, accounting for more than 40% of total sales.

This is of course inseparable from Cadillac's rapid growth in China last year. In 2016, Cadillac sold a total of 118,000 vehicles in China, a year-on-year increase of 47.5%, successfully breaking through the 100,000 mark, and is only one step away from taking the top spot of the second-tier luxury brand that has been dominated by Jaguar Land Rover for many years; in terms of global sales, Cadillac increased by 11%, a 30-year high, second only to the 170,000 vehicles in the United States. According to the financial report, Cadillac's sales in the United States decreased by 3% last year.

Cadillac's timing of entering China was not too late. Since SAIC-GM assembled the Sail in 2009, it has started the localization process. However, among the second-tier luxury brands, this brand of presidential cars from the United States has been in the middle of the market for a long time. It was not until the launch of XTS in 2013 that the product positioning began to become clear and the brand image began to be gradually established. Compared with the past decade, Cadillac, which was late to the party, has finally got on the right track today.

However, in 2016, Cadillac suddenly became enlightened and its sales volume continued to surge to the top of the second-tier luxury brands. Since the second half of 2016, Cadillac has seen growth of more than 50% for five consecutive months, and the growth in November was as high as 161.5%, with monthly wholesale sales reaching 13,606 units.

In early 2016, the Cadillac exclusive factory in Jinqiao, Shanghai, officially went into production. Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen said that almost all automakers in China are offering discounts, especially after the rise of low-end cars in China, more Chinese overseas automakers are trying their best to reduce costs and compress prices.

According to SAIC-GM's plan, more than 95% of Cadillac's models will be produced locally by 2018, and the company aims to increase its market share in China's luxury car market to 10% by 2020. Currently, Cadillac's domestically produced models in China include ATS-L, XT5, XTS and CT6.

Following the launch of its first large luxury sedan, the CT6, Cadillac will launch six new models covering all levels of sedans and SUVs. According to GM's previous localization development process, five of these new models are expected to be produced in China.

The new product plan includes a small SUV, a compact SUV XT3 and a new medium-to-large SUV XT7. The three new models are expected to be launched after 2020, in 2018 and in 2019. In addition to the mid-size luxury convertible, CT2, CT3, XT2, XT3 and XT7 are expected to be produced in China. There is also an MPV model.

Nysschen said: "In 2016, Cadillac's global sales set a new record in the past 30 years. Cadillac will continue its strong sales growth in 2017. We see that Cadillac's sales are achieving breakthrough sustainable development, especially in China. China has become Cadillac's primary growth engine."

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.