How Cadillac aims to cash in on a lack of loyalty in Australia

The man who designed the Holden Monaro believes Australian car buyers are a fickle lot and that has opened the door to a wave of new competition.

The man who designed the Holden Monaro says a lack of loyalty in Australian motorists has opened the door to new brands.

Michael Simcoe, a former Holden designer now serving as the vice president of global design for General Motors, said Cadillac’s upcoming Australian operation could capitalise on the curiosity that had helped relatively new brands such as MG, BYD and GWM take a huge slice of the market from established manufacturers.

Former Holden designer Mike Simcoe believes Cadillac can capitalise on a lack of loyalty in Australia. Photo: David Geraghty / The Australian

“If you look at what is happening down there, there’s not a lot of brand loyalty,” he told Australian motoring media.

“That’s why so many brands have been able to work down there – people will try stuff.

“I don’t think we’ll have any problem getting people to step into a Lyriq or a Cadillac to understand what it’s all about. That’s half the battle.”

The Cadillac Lyriq large SUV has been confirmed for Australia.

Cadillac plans to enter the luxury market in Australia with electric cars such as the Lyriq, an eye-catching battery-powered SUV.

The BMW X5-sized Lyriq could be joined by a smaller, more affordable option in the BMW X3-like Cadillac Optiq that could land locally for less than $100,000.

Both models are a departure from General Motors’ history in Australia.

The smaller Cadillac Optiq could also find its way to our shores.

GM’s return to Australia, driven by the enormous Chevrolet Silverado ute and V8-powered Chevrolet Corvette sports car, has parallels to Holden’s success with high-end HSV machinery.

But Holden owners are unlikely to purchase an electric Cadillac, according to Simcoe.

“It’s not the same customers,” he said.

“You may get some tagging from those who understand that Cadillac is GM and Holden was GM, maybe that’s sort of relationship, but but beyond that no, I think it’s a it’s really a different customer base and a good thing for it.”

While Cadillac has been fighting to challenge the likes of Mercedes-AMG and BMW M with high-performance sports sedans in the US, the brand’s pivot towards electric cars has made an Australian debut possible.

The Cadillac Lyriq is offered with right-hand-drive.

Though there have been plenty of headlines suggesting customers are increasingly wary of electric cars, Simcoe said there was no stopping the momentum behind battery-powered vehicles.

“It’s simple. We cannot keep burning fuel,” he said.

“The simple truth is EV adoption is still happening, it’s slowed down a little, but it’s still happening at a pace.

“Things are still moving, despite the noise.

The Optiq could come in under $100,000.

“I won’t blame the media necessarily, but the media are pretty good at taking a slight shift and turning it into something that’s massive.

“Remember, the world was going to be in driverless cars and the world was going to end if you read the media five or six years ago.”

Simcoe said the potential of a second term in the White House for former President Donald Trump would not stop green car progress in the US and beyond.

“Maybe there will be a hiccup based around some uncertainty, there’s certainly some uncertainty around how the country looks going forward – we’re facing an election – once we’re through that, though, the world will open up again,” he said.

“Be careful what you’re seeing … because all you’re reading is the extremes. The majority of folks in North America here, if they have the capacity financially, are considering EV.

“Most states, most municipalities are working with utilities to sort out the infrastructure.

“I think that will continue, more or less, no matter who is in power.”

Originally published as How Cadillac aims to cash in on a lack of loyalty in Australia