A total of 259 new Cadillacs were reported as registered in South Korea in October 2018, an increase of 86 percent compared to October 2017. The increase comes after several drops in sales volume during the first two quarters of 2018.
Individual model sales performance was as follows:
- Cadillac ATS sales increased 7 percent to 31 units, including 0 units of the ATS-V
- Cadillac CTS sales increased 12.5 percent to 36 units, including 0 units of the CTS-V
- Cadillac CT6 sales increased 135 percent to 132 units, including 53 units of the CT6 and 79 units of the CT6 Turbo
- Cadillac XT5 sales increased 213 percent to 47 units, with all units sold being of the XT5 3.6 variety
- Cadillac Escalade sales increased 85 percent to 13 units
- Cadillac does not market the XTS nor the Escalade ESV in South Korea
In the first ten months of 2018, Cadillac South Korea sales increased 11 percent to 1,679 units.
Sales Results - October 2018 - South Korea - Cadillac
| MODEL | OCT 2018 / OCT 2017 | OCTOBER 2018 | OCTOBER 2017 | YTD 2018 / YTD 2017 | YTD 2018 | YTD 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATS | +6.90% | 31 | 29 | -36.10% | 154 | 241 |
| CT6 | +135.71% | 132 | 56 | +30.88% | 712 | 544 |
| CTS | +12.50% | 36 | 32 | -47.81% | 167 | 320 |
| ESCALADE | +85.71% | 13 | 7 | +51.59% | 191 | 126 |
| XT5 | +213.33% | 47 | 15 | +61.92% | 455 | 281 |
| CADILLAC TOTAL | +86.33% | 259 | 139 | +11.04% | 1,679 | 1,512 |
The Cadillac Society Take
Cadillac’s October sales performance in South Korea shows that the brand has finally turned a corner in the market following months of depressed sales levels. We believed that the prior declines in Cadillac sales in the market were caused by negative consumer perception following the restructuring of Cadillac’s parent firm, General Motors, which was an ongoing process during the first quarter of 2018.
Specifically, the restructuring proceedings were covered extensively by the media, with the overwhelming majority of this coverage portraying GM and its Chevrolet brand in a negative light. Prior to the finalization of the restructuring agreement, rumors ran rampant that GM would completely withdraw from the Korean market if it didn’t get the concessions it was looking for. Though Cadillac was not directly mentioned during this coverage, its image still suffered as a result of its association with General Motors and Chevrolet, likely causing consumers to become reluctant in investing in a Cadillac as a result of an uncertainty about the brand’s future in the local South Korean market.
About The Numbers
- All percent change figures compared to Cadillac October 2017 sales, except as noted
- Cadillac South Korea sales figures represent vehicle registrations rather than raw sales volume
More Cadillac Sales
- October 2018 Cadillac sales results
- Cadillac USA October 2018 sales results (available quarterly)
- Cadillac China October 2018 sales results (available quarterly)
- Cadillac Canada October 2018 sales results
- Cadillac Mexico October 2018 sales results
- Cadillac Korea October 2018 sales results
Catbert
250 sales a month is hardly reason for Caddy to celebrate. It stinks of desperation. Cadillac is quite literally a skeleton brand with the announced discontinuance of all the current sedans and no successors SHOWN as yet. With the current thinking at GM, one wonders if Caddy has a future at all. It sure makes the sacking scenario of the last “President” of the brand easier to understand. I don’t think he would have tolerated the new strategy.
Craig
I think I’ve seen this movie before. Before the economy tanked in 2008 GM was offering discounts on their cars that were the same as their employee discounts. And Cadillac is making a new small crossover to help meet CAFE standards. Dose anyone remember an Opel with a Cadillac emblem on it back in the 1990’s? I’m hoping that Cadillac doesn’t suffer from brand damage.