Reinventing Cadillac for Australia

"IF YOU DO THE RIGHT THING, PEOPLE TEND TO FORGET WHAT YOU'VE DONE IN THE PAST"

- ANDY ENRIGHT

"SEDANS AREN'T dead," says Mike Simcoe, General Motors' senior VP of Global Design. On the face of it, that might seem a bit of an odd comment given that Cadillac is set to launch in Australia next year with a range of electric SUVs, but the transplanted Melbournian is clearly in no mood to mince his words.

"SUVs are a necessary evil," he admits, before describing them as a "comfortable, rational purchase." He's clearly one of us, somebody who recognises that customer tastes are something that he can influence but, ultimately, not control.

With factory right-hook Lyriq crossovers confirmed for a 2025 launch over here and the Optiq compact(ish) SUV and Vistiq seven-seater likely to follow on their heels in '26, Simcoe clearly faces a challenge in getting Cadillac, a brand which doesn't have much in the way of lived equity Down Under, onto the shortlists of buyers who might otherwise choose an Audi, a BMW, a Lexus or a Mercedes-Benz.

"I don't think Australian customers are terribly brand loyal," he ventures.