If you were to ask someone why would he choose the Cadillac XT4 over the BMW X3, chances are he will reply with something extremely generic, such as “Cadillac is the go-to automaker for American luxury.” But on the other hand, the XT4 isn’t a sport utility vehicle nor a luxury vehicle, and looking at the bigger picture, the X3 is better in every single aspect.
What excuse does Cadillac have for developing the XT4 on the E2XX vehicle architecture (Chevrolet Malibu, Buick Regal) and why does the newcomer start at a mind-boggling $35,790 not including the destination charge? That depends on who you ask, but don’t forget who the XT4 is targeted at.
According to the Detroit Free Press, “dealers and a Cadillac spokesman" saidthat the advertising campaign for the XT4 will “initially target millennial women.” When another spokesman from Cadillac was questioned about this matter, he replied that the campaign would get “granular” with the passing of time, “making sure not to just target millennial women.”
We all know millennials prefer the badge over everything else, and millennial women are at the forefront of changing the car-buying experience of Generation X. Tapping into the customer’s self-assurance and sense of empowerment is a must for every automaker that plans to win over millennials, and Cadillac isn’t taking any chances.
On the other hand, there’s something that marketing and advertising will never be able to solve. As far as Cadillac is concerned, that would be the constant struggle to equal the Big Three from Germany in regard to prestige and perceived value. And d'you know what? Millennials are aware of what counts as a status symbol, which is why buying the Audi, BMW, or Mercedes-Benz makes more sense to them, validating their choice even better than the Cadillac.
As much as the next guy, I’m in with the “Come on, Cadillac!” crowd. But seeing the XT4 and the pricing strategy for the compact luxury crossover, the crown jewel of General Motors will have to play second fiddle to most competitors.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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