GM to double new Cadillac models to surpass Lexus

CEO Dan Akerson is pushing the Detroit-based automaker to turn Cadillac into a global player with the scale to better compete with German leaders Bayerische Motoren Werke’s BMW, Volkswagen’s Audi and Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz. Within 10 years, GM wants to be solidly in the fourth spot currently held by Lexus.

Cadillac, which peaked more than three decades ago, must choose the right new models to meet Akerson’s goal, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private. The US brand must find a way to reach younger buyers than Mitt Romney’s wife, who drives two SRX sport-utility vehicles. The median Cadillac customer last year was 63 years old, according to JD Power and Associates.

“We are working on more new Cadillacs than at any point in the brand’s history,” Don Butler, GM vice-president for Cadillac marketing, said earlier this month. “We’re constantly talking about what’s the best way to become this global player.”

The automaker is weighing whether several vehicle options for Cadillac, Mark Reuss, president of GM North America, said in an interview last month. Executives are considering a sedan larger than the XTS, a sport-utility vehicle smaller than the SRX and a new Escalade on the same vehicle architecture as the popular Buick Enclave, Reuss said.

“It’s a question of what products they’re offering,”

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