“With the downturn of the Australian automotive market and the broader global financial situation, we have made a common-sense, commercially responsible decision to not introduce a new brand into the exceptionally challenging Australian market at this time. GM Holden was faced with making a significant investment to launch a new, niche brand into a tough market,” he said.
“There is only one chance to properly launch this brand in Australia and in these challenging times, we believe we couldn’t give it the best chance of success. This was a difficult decision but the only viable decision.”
Even though Cadillac won't arrive in Australia too soon, Mark Reuss said the Cadillac CTS model presented last October could boost GM sales and attract an important segment of buyers.
“There is no doubt the Cadillac CTS is a magnificent vehicle and the response since it was revealed at the Australian International Motor Show in October 2008 has been very positive,” he explained. “But obviously since then the market for new cars has continued to deteriorate, the challenging broader economic environment remains largely unchanged and the exchange rate has worsened for imports.”
In addition, General Motors' official also gave us a glimpse of the future Holden lineup, explaining that the Australian brand belonging to GM may become, just like its parent company, more interested in fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly models.
“At GM Holden we will devote our energies towards our core operations that include a range of alternative fuel technologies, a second car line at Elizabeth to build a new fuel efficient 4-cylinder small car and future generation Commodores for Holden. Our Premium Brands, Saab and HUMMER, will continue to focus on sales and planning for future introductions of new models.”
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