Cadillac Experience Centre opens in Sydney

CADILLAC opens its first car shop Down Under next Tuesday, November 5, siting it away from Sydney’s ‘auto alley’ in the inner-CBD suburb of Rosebery.

Called a Cadillac Experience Centre, the premises was formerly engine yards but has been done up in the ‘a la mode’ industrial aesthetic adorned with mechanical components from the past and the original concrete floor juxtaposed with modern artworks, tech stuff and slick office designs.

The effect is certainly dramatic as it befits a showroom that houses fully-electric high-tech Cadillac Lyriq large SUVs that sell from $117,000, excluding on road costs.

The Cadillac Experience Centre is designed to be a one-stop shop for buyers who prefer to transact their car buying business face to face or one on one – as opposed to Cadillac’s online direct to consumers set-up – with the new facility providing a ‘complete’ service for customers.

It is an example of the so-called omnichannel system that integrates the different methods of interaction available to customers – for example, online, via a mobile device, or in a physical shop.

Cadillac’s return to Australia was announced more than a year ago and a few right-hand drive cars are already on the ground. 

But they are essentially flag wavers to help Cadillac maintain interest in the brand, allow prospective customers to see and drive them and hold the faith with those who have a Lyriq on order in the run up to deliveries that start around late January.

That doesn’t seem to be a problem for Jess Bala, general manager of GM Australia and New Zealand. She said Cadillac has had 7500 solid online inquiries on the Lyriq and as of October, when orders commenced, is holding signed sales contracts for the big BEV. She declined to put a number on how many.

At the shop launch Ms Bala said: “With more customer interaction and an expanding sales network that will include new centres in New Zealand in Q2, Melbourne soon followed by Brisbane, Cadillac was in a strong position to pursue the ‘white space’ in the luxury large SUV segment.”

“We will learn from other brands, adapt and are in the process of aligning with a high profile event or events,” she said.

“We want to make Cadillac stand out in a saturated market, to differentiate it from competitor cars and we will use various means to achieve that including finance offers, direct-to-customer marketing, event sponsorship and even ‘pop ups’ at certain locations and events.”

The Cadillac shop launch in Sydney was attended by a number of the brand’s heavy hitters from the US including senior vice president and president of GM International, Shilpan Amin.

He said Cadillac wanted loyal customers and was in a position to attract them given the brand’s 100-year history.

“It is our intention to grow the segment in Australia as well as achieve conquest sales with the Lyriq which is a dominant player in the US accounting for 8 per cent market share in its class,” Mr Amin said.

“We know what success looks like and the Lyriq beats imports on a number of fronts including its exterior styling.”

The Lyriq is also one of the most powerful offerings in its segment and Mr Amin said that would be emphasised with the arrival in 2026 of the first fully electric Cadillac V-Series Lyriq, the fastest Cadillac ever.

Performance enhanced V-Series ICE models have been a part of Cadillac’s line-up for decades but the arrival of the Lyriq V-Series BEV marks a new direction for the premium brand as it transitions to an EV only company.

Details of the Lyriq V-Series are scant enough to say it will have more power and torque than the dual motor AWD top-spec models that will be sold here initially with a 373kW/610Nm output fed from a 102kWh battery.

The porky Lyriq is already a quick machine capable of clocking a 0-100kmh sprint in the low 5.0 second bracket.

The V-Series will no doubt best that with rumours suggesting it will have upgraded electric motors to 410kW and nearly 900Nm, Brembo brakes, premium rubber, styling and aero upgrades, sportier suspension and other detail changes. 

The model is expected to appear at the Detroit Motor Show in January.