Cadillac In 2010: Placing The DTS

• 2010 DTS represents last of Cadillac’s old guard
• Cadillac’s largest sedan is overdue for replacement
• DTS, né Deville, satisfies a niche

By Gunnar Heinrich | IMG GM

IF the DTS were a salesman, he’d likely be the old wheel’em ‘n deal’em shark in the corner of the showroom floor; unimpressed with the new punks that the sales manager favors.

Once full of quick lines and ready handshakes, he’d remember better days when he was at the height of his game; when there wasn’t a customer he couldn’t sell, and a flash Rolex on his wrist – he got a good deal on that, too.

Time, like so many Caddys, floated on. The old shark pawned the watch years ago. Sure, he can sell a car or two to people his own age (that’s why they keep him around) but for the most part he sits back at his desk, reads the paper, and waits for the day when management will call him in for that last meeting.

Our salesman’s a relic from a completely different era. And so is the 2010 Cadillac DTS.

The DTS hails from a time when linear progression in the American automotive market meant that you stepped out of a Chevy and into a Buick; out of a Buick and into a Cadillac. Once enthroned in “the standard”,  the DTS né Deville (and formerly Sedan de Ville) was the step up from the STS né Seville but the next rung down from a Fleetwood.

A DeVille was, in Cadillacese, a 750i to the 760Li. Thanks to foreign competition, this progression no longer applies.

Starting at $46,280, what replaced the old Fleetwood as Cadillac’s largest sedan and standard bearer of the old body-on-frame whales of yesteryear is now priced within range of the entry level CTS; below the STS and significantly below the marque’s current flagship – the $80K+ Escalade.

I asked GM’s David Caldwell where the DTS is situated in relation to the CTS and Escalade. He wrote:

“The DTS remains in production and is in good shape. Some might be surprised at how it is holding up in its market segment. I won’t get into numbers, but it maintains a solid position in its category. DTS offers a good solution for many consumers.”

The DTS’ competition? The Lincoln Town Car.  But even Ford’s old Panther platformed exec hauler seems to have the DTS beat. A quick survey of mid-town NYC or downtown DC readily confirms this.  What remains of the stretch limo market seem to have become Lincoln sole dominion, too.

I also asked Mr. Caldwell which model GM sees as Cadillac’s current flagship. He wrote:

“Flagship is a funny term…..we don’t really follow the conventional wisdom that a luxury brand’s flagship has to be it’s largest sedan. Flagship means standard bearer – the product that has the most significant reputation, heritage and overall recognizability among consumers. And the iconic status of Escalade makes it our de facto flagship by most any measure. It’s globally recognizable at a very high level, a status that it has earned due to its popularity and visibility. I don’t think that a brand alone gets to decide what the flagship is, a big part of it is consumer acceptance and cultural relevance.”

In light of this comment, this is where the DTS suddenly makes sense.

Without the DTS, Cadillac’s lineup has no link to its former heritage – which was, essentially, large, comfy, land yachts that in a conventional sense were classified as “luxury sedans”.

If a super-sized SUV based on the Chevy Suburban tops the range, and a more compact (for Cadillac) CTS sedan and sportswagon represents the marque’s best foot forward, then Cadillac cannot afford to displace the DTS for fear of alienating what remains of its traditional client base.

There is the STS, of course. But let’s not kid ourselves – the DTS is the last of the voluminous sedans with what look like fins for tail lamps. Without it, all that’s left to fill the void is the Town Car and maybe the Chrysler 300.

To wit, Cadillac must replace the DTS with a high rollin’ saloon that captures the flash of the Escalade, and the rear wheel drive swagger of the CTS. There is no official word on when such a replacement will happen.

But make no mistake, without the DTS or an heir apparent, the marque will have seen off the last of what makes Cadillac, Cadillac for so many.