Cadillac CTS India launch soon from GM

http://www.dancewithshadows.com/autoindia/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/gm-cadilac-cts-photo-gallery.jpgGeneral Motors India plans to launch the Cadillac CTS sedan in India.

GM Cadillac CTS exterior photo

The Cadillac CTS luxury sedan was displayed in the 2008 Auto Expo. The GM Cadillac CTS will take on BMW, Audi, and Mercedes Benz in the Indian market.

The Cadillac CTS is unlike any other sedan in India – it is large, and all boxy and sharp-edged. Quite opposite of what classy is is supposed to mean in India. Cadillac was an icon in India decades back; do enough people still remember that? This will be an interesting car to watch for sure.

The Cadillac CTS is likely to be priced between Rs 50 – 60 lakhs.

The sedan comes with a 3.6L Direct Injection V6 VVT engine with 304 hp, 6-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission with Driver Shift control, 17-inch wheels, StabiliTrak stability control system, Bose 8-speaker sound system, and 8-way power driver seat.

The ultra-luxurious Cadillac CTS has dual-zone automatic climate control with customisable settings for driver and front passenger. The sedan comes with bucket leather seats with 8-way power recliner, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, illuminated vanity mirrors, express up/down windows, saple wood trim on door, instrument panel, and center console.

GM Cadillac CTS interior photo

In India, General Motors has been selling cars under the Chevrolet umbrella, ranging from the Rs 2.59 lakh-Chevrolet Spark to the Rs 20.30 lakh-Chevrolet Captiva SUV.

Recently, GM launched an automatic version of its GM Captiva SUV priced at Rs 20.3 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi.)

Apart from the Cadillac CTS, GM will launch the GM Cruze in June-July 2009, in the premium segment in India. The GM Cruze will take on the Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Sonata, and the Honda Civic.

GM plans to launch another small car in the compact car segment.

However, GM has put off its decision to launch the GM Hummer MUV, which it was planning to introduce in the Indian market some time back.

“We are now vying for the luxury space. The company was planning to launch SUV Hummer earlier but its entry now seems distant as consumer sentiment has changed. So, we have zeroed in on the Cadillac CTS sedan, which was showcased in the Auto Expo last year,” General Motors India president and MD Karl Slym was quoted as saying.

Apart from the Cadillac CTS, GM plans to launch fuel-efficient vehicles using CNG and LPG. GM has said that they have launched the CNG version of Optra, and have a plan to launch LPG-powered vehicles by mid-2009.

GM also plans to set up a powertrain facility for the production of indigenously developed petrol and diesel engines. The powertrain facility will be built in in GM’s Talegaon plant in Maharashtra.

GM also plans to set up a research and development centre in Bangalore for which it will hire 300 engineers.

GM has 3.4 per cent market share in the Indian market. It has sold 47,786 vehicles in April-December, 2009.