Spurred by its small car success, global auto major General Motors is now eyeing the Indian market to introduce its luxury car Cadillac. A top official of the company said Cadillac might run on the Indian roads either in mid-2008 or in the beginning of 2009.
Initially, the company would import Cadillac as a completely built unit (CBU) from its global manufacturing facilities. ?If it witnesses good sales volumes, the company will start manufacturing it locally,? the official said.
Company sources said the CBUs might be imported from its manufacturing facilities in South Africa and England, where the cars were produced with the right-hand driving features, suitable for Indian roads. The price for the Indian market may be around Rs 40-lakh and above, sources said.
?We were delaying our entry into the luxury segment as we were in the process of increasing our volumes in the Indian passenger car market. Now, we have started achieving it with the small car, Spark. So, it would be the right time for us to bring our luxury cars to India,? the official said.
To begin with, GM would showcase the Cadillac CTS model at the New Delhi auto show in January to test the pulse of high-end customers.
Industry experts said the Rs 25-lakh and above priced luxury car segment, which has a market size of 6,000 to 7,000 units per annum, has been growing at a fast pace on the back of easy financing options. With Mercedes Benz and BMW currently dominating the Indian luxury car segment, the expected entry of Cadillac is likely to kick-start brutal competition in the premium vehicle market.
