Full Sized Rear Wheel Drive Caddy Planned

2010 Cadillac DTS

If General Motors is to succeed for the long haul, it will have to make certain that it builds the kinds of cars that customers want as well as vehicles that meet stringent federal fuel mileage mandates. That’ll be a tall order for the automaker to fill, but a necessary one at that. If they don’t then GM will once again go bankrupt with no promise that a future federal bail out will be in the offing.

Chevrolet & 3 Other Brands

The strongest brand sold by GM is Chevrolet, its all-American make that accounts for nearly sixty percent of its sales. Chevy alone could hold up GM but the automaker needs its four remaining brands to step up to the plate as well. They are: GMC, its truck brand; Buick, its premium brand; and Cadillac, which is its luxury brand.

Concerning Cadillac, its CTS line – midsize vehicles – is perhaps its healthiest car. Available in sedan, wagon and sport sedan, the CTS will eventually be joined by a coupe which will help to round out the line. The SRX, a small crossover, is getting made over while several older models remain on the market.

Two of the older models are the STS, a larger front wheel drive midsize sedan and the DTS, the current flagship for Cadillac. That latter model is also powered by its front wheels.

One, Full Sized Cadillac Model

GM is planning to replace both the STS and DTS with one model. That new model, which is likely a few years away from market, will be powered by its rear wheels according to the automaker’s business filing with the US government. MotorTrend magazine discovered a statement in that filing that outlined GM’s plans for Cadillac, with the automaker stating that a rear wheel drive platform would be used.

This is significant as it brings back to life an earlier plan made by GM which had been shelved and then replaced when the automaker’s fortunes worsened last year. GM indicated at that time that the new Cadillac model would be front wheel drive, a move that disappointed fans hoping that a rear wheel drive platform would be utilized. With Cadillac being positioned to compete more effectively against European brands, the thinking has been that rear wheel drive would be best. After all, if Mercedes, BMW and Audi are rear wheel drive, why not the largest Cadillac sedan?

GM has yet to officially announce the news about Cadillac, but MotorTrend apparently has done that for them!

2010 Cadillac STS